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At least 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Visualization of boundary-layer development on turbomachine blades with liquid crystals

This report documents a study of the use of liquid crystals to visualize boundary layer development on a turbomachine blade. A turbine blade model in a linear cascade of blades was used for the tests involved. Details of the boundary layer development on the suction surface of the turbine blade model were known from previous research. Temperature sensitive and shear sensitive liquid crystals were tried as visual agents. The temperature sensitive crystals were very effective in their ability to display the location of boundary layer flow separation and reattachment. Visualization of natural transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layer flow with the temperature sensitive crystals was possible but subtle. The visualization of separated flow reattachment with the shear sensitive crystals was easily accomplished when the crystals were allowed to make a transition from the focal-conic to a Grandjean texture. Visualization of flow reattachment based on the selective reflection properties of shear sensitive crystals was achieved only marginally because of the larger surface shear stress and shear stress gradient levels required for more dramatic color differences.

Vanzante, Dale E.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Direct Numerical Simulation of Transitional Multicomponent-Species Gaseous and Multicomponent-Liquid Drop-Laden Mixing

A model of multicomponent-liquid (MC-liquid) drop evaporation in a three-dimensional mixing layer is here exercised at larger Reynolds numbers than in a previous study, and transitional states are obtained. The gas phase is followed in an Eulerian frame and the multitude of drops is described in a Lagrangian frame. Complete coupling between phases is included with source terms in the gas conservation equations accounting for the drop/flow interaction in terms of drop drag, drop heating and species evaporation. The liquid composition, initially specified as a single-Gamma (SG) probability distribution function (PDF) depending on the molar mass is allowed to evolve into a linear combination of two SGPDFs, called the double-Gamma PDF (DGPDF). The compositions of liquid and vapor emanating from the drops are calculated through four moments of the DGPDFs, which are drop-specific and location-specific, respectively. The mixing layer is initially excited to promote the double pairing of its four initial spanwise vortices into an ultimate vortex in which small scales proliferate. Simulations are performed for four liquids of different compositions and the effect of the initial mass loading and initial free-stream gas temperature are explored. For reference, Simulations are also performed for gaseous multicomponent mixing layers for which the effect of Reynolds number is investigated. The results encompass examination of the global layer characteristics, flow visualizations and homogeneous-plane statistics at transition. Comparisons are performed with previous pre-transitional MC-liquid simulations and with transitional single-component (SC) liquid studies. It is found that MCC flows at transition, the classical energy cascade is of similar strength, but that the smallest scales contain orders of magnitude less energy than SC flows, which is confirmed by the larger viscous dissipation in the former case. Contrasting to pre-transitional MC flows, the vorticity and drop organization depend on the initial gas temperature, this being due to the drop/turbulence coupling. The vapor-composition mean molar mass and standard deviation distributions strongly correlate with the initial liquid-composition PDF; such a correlation only exists for the magnitude of the mean but not for that of the standard deviation. Unlike in pre-transitional situations, regions of large composition standard deviation no longer necessarily coincide with regions of large mean molar mass. The kinetic energy, rotational and composition characteristics, and dissipation are liquid specific and the variation among liquids is amplified with increasing free-stream gas temperature. Eulerian and Lagrangian statistics of gas-phase quantities show that the different. Observation framework may affect the perception of the flow characteristics. The gas composition, of which the first four moments are calculated, is shown to be close to, but distinct from a SGPDF. The PDF of the scalar dissipation rate is calculated for drop-laden layers and is shown to depart more significantly from the typically assumed Gaussian in gaseous flows than experimentally measured gaseous scalar dissipation rates, this being attributed to the increased heterogeneity due to drop/flow interactions.

tubulent multicompenent-species↗
NASA NTRS2007

Boundary Layer Transition on an Axial Compressor Stator Blade-Wake Passing and Freestream Turbulence Effects

Quantitative observations of transitional boundary layers in regions of strong flow deceleration on an axial compressor stator blade are reported. Measurements are obtained at a fixed chordwise position, and the blade incidence was varied by changing the compressor throughflow so as to move the transition region relative to the stationary probe. It was thus possible to observe typical boundary layer behavior at various stages of transition in the turbomachine environment. The range of observations covers separating laminar flow at transition onset, and reattachment of intermittently turbulent periodically separated shear layers.

Walker, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Recent progress in computational vortex-flow aerodynamics

Recent progress in computational vortex flow aerodynamics at the Langley Research Center is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on Navier-Stokes methodology, both for compressible and incompressible flows, and results are presented from central and upwind-biased schemes for fully laminar, transitional, and fully turbulent flows. In addition, results are presented from selected potential-based methods to address the hierarchy of formulations presently available for the computational analysis of aerodynamic vortex flows. Some comparisons among this hierarchy of methods are shown.

Luckring, James M.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Shock-tube chemistry. I - The laminar-to-turbulent boundary layer transition

A model is proposed for calculating laminar-turbulent transition in the boundary layer of flows in chemical shock tubes. It is shown that the time to turbulent transition may be treated as the time required by the shocked gas to move over one shock-tube diameter. The model is shown to provide a means of predicting the turbulent transition time in any shock tube experiment, provided the condition of limiting flow is met. Knowing the transition time, it becomes possible to obtain the density and temperature profiles and, hence, to determine precisely the effect of shock tube boundary layers on the measurement of chemical rate constants.

Bander, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Transition and Turbulence Modeling for Blunt-Body Wake Flows

Aerobraking has been proposed as an efficient means of decelerating spacecraft for planetary missions. Most current aerobrake designs feature a blunt forebody shielding the payload from the intense heat generated during atmospheric entry. Although this forebody will absorb the largest portion of the heat pulse, accurate prediction of heating in the near wake is of great importance, since large local heating values can occur at points of shear-layer impingement. In order to address the various issues associated with these blunt-body wake flowfields, the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development (AGARD) formed Working Group 18 in 1992. One of the objectives of this activity was to examine real-gas effects in high-speed flow fields around a 70 deg. blunted cone. To date, many researchers have conducted experiments using this geometry in various facilities, such as the Large Energy National Shock (LENS) tunnel at Cubric/Calspan and the HEG shock tunnel at DLR-Goettingen. Several computational studies have also been conducted in concert with these tests. Many of the experimental results have indicated the possible presence of a transitional shear layer through a large increase in heat transfer downstream of the reattachment point. The presence of transition could in fact lead to much higher peak heating than if the separated flow is entirely laminar or turbulent. In the shock-tunnel tests, however, it is difficult to separate such viscous-flow phenomena from real-gas effects. In order to help make this distinction, Horvath et al. recently conducted a set of experiments in the NASA Langley 20-Inch Mach 6 Tunnel, and compared the results to laminar Navier-Stokes calculations. They found heat-transfer distributions similar to those obtained in the high-enthalpy facilities, with the measured peak heating along the sting support markedly greater than that predicted by the laminar computations. These trends point to the need to find transitional and turbulent computational solutions for these flowfields.

Nance, Robert P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Pressure measurements on an ogive-cylinder at high angles of attack with laminar, transitional, or turbulent separation

This paper reports results from pressure tests on an ogive-cylinder in the low-turbulence 12-foot pressure wind tunnel. The results consist of pressure distributions over a wide range of Reynolds numbers and angles of attack. The tests encompassed a complete coverage of different roll orientations shown to be essential in order to fully define all the possible flow conditions. When the various roll-angle results are combined, it is possible to interpret the effects of changing angle of attack or Reynolds number. Two basic mechanisms for producing asymmetric flow are identified. One mechanism operates in both the laminar and the fully turbulent separation regimes; this mechanism is the one qualitatively described by the impulsive flow analogy. The other mechanism occurs only in the transitional separation regime. This asymmetric flow has the same form as that in the two-dimensional crossflow on a circular cylinder in the transitional flow regime. Finally, these results make it possible to draw up critical Reynolds number boundaries between the laminar, transitional, and fully turbulent separation regimes throughout the angle-of-attack range from 20 to 90 deg.

Lamont, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Experimental study of the laminar-turbulent transition of a concave wall in a parallel flow

The instability of the laminar boundary layer flow along a concave wall was studied. Observations of these three-dimensional boundary layer phenomena were made using the hydrogen-bubble visualization technique. With the application of stereo-photogrammetric methods in the air-water system it was possible to investigate the flow processes qualitatively and quantitatively. In the case of a concave wall of sufficient curvature, a primary instability occurs first in the form of Goertler vortices with wave lengths depending upon the boundary layer thickness and the wall curvature. At the onset the amplification rate is in agreement with the linear theory. Later, during the non-linear amplification stage, periodic spanwise vorticity concentrations develop in the low velocity region between the longitudinal vortices. Then a meandering motion of the longitudinal vortex streets subsequently ensues, leading to turbulence.

Bippes, H.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Model structure of a cosmic-ray mediated stellar or solar wind

An idealized hydrodynamic model is presented for the mediation of a free-streaming stellar wind by galactic cosmic rays or energetic particles accelerated at the stellar wind termination shock. The spherically-symmetric stellar wind is taken to be cold; the only body force is the cosmic ray pressure gradient. The cosmic rays are treated as a massless fluid with an effective mean diffusion coefficient k proportional to radial distance r. The structure of the governing equations is investigated both analytically and numerically. Solutions for a range of values of k are presented which describe the deceleration of the stellar wind and a transition to nearly incompressible flow and constant cosmic ray pressure at large r. In the limit of small k the transition steepens to a strong stellar wind termination shock. For large k the stellar wind is decelerated gradually with no shock transition. It is argued that the solutions provide a simple model for the mediation of the solar wind by interstellar ions as both pickup ions and the cosmic ray anomalous component which together dominate the pressure of the solar wind at large r.

Lee, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Transition to chaos in an open unforced 2D flow

The present numerical study of unsteady, low Reynolds number flow past a 2D airfoil attempts to ascertain the bifurcation sequence leading from simple periodic to complex aperiodic flow with rising Reynolds number, as well as to characterize the degree of chaos present in the aperiodic flow and assess the role of numerics in the modification and control of the observed bifurcation scenario. The ARC2D Navier-Stokes code is used in an unsteady time-accurate mode for most of these computations. The system undergoes a period-doubling bifurcation to chaos as the Reynolds number is increased from 800 to 1600; its chaotic attractors are characterized by estimates of the fractal dimension and partial Liapunov exponent spectra.

Pulliam, Thomas H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Separated and Recovering Turbulent Boundary Layer Flow Behind a Backward Facing Step For Different Reynolds Numbers

Experimental results for a two-dimensional separated turbulent boundary layer behind a backward facing step for five different Reynolds numbers are reported. Results are presented in the form of tables, graphs and a floppy disk for an easy access of the data. Reynolds number based on the step height was varied by changing the reference velocity upstream of the step, U(sub o), and the step height, h. Hot-wire measurement techniques were used to measure three Reynolds stresses and four triple-velocity correlations. In addition, surface pressure and skin friction coefficients were measured. All hot-wire measurements were acquired in a measuring domain which excluded recirculating flow region due to the directional insensitivity of hot-wires. The downstream extent of the domain from the step was 51 h for the largest and I 14h for the smallest step height. This significant downstream length permitted extensive study of the flow recovery. Prediction of perturbed flows and their recovery is particularly attractive for popular turbulence models since variations of turbulence length and time scales and flow interactions in different regions are generally inadequately predicted. The data indicate that the flow in the free shear layer region behaves like the plane mixing layer up to about 2/3 of the mean reattachment length when the flow interaction with the wall commences the flow recovery to that of an ordinary turbulent boundary layer structure. These changes of the flow do not occur abruptly with the change of boundary conditions. A reattachment region represents a transitional region where the flow undergoes the most dramatic adjustments to the new boundary conditions. Large eddies, created in the upstream free-shear layer region, are being torn, recirculated, reentrained back into the main stream interacting with the incoming flow structure. It is foreseeable that it is quite difficult to describe the physics of this region in a rational and quantitative manner other than statistical. Downstream of the reattachment point the flow recovers at different rates near the wall, in the newly developing internal boundary layer, and in the outer part of the flow. It appears that Reynolds stresses do not fully recover up to the longest recovery length of 114 h.

Jovic, Srba↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Study of Bubble and Slug Gas-Liquid Flow in a Microgravity Environment

The influence of gravity on the two-phase flow dynamics is obvious.As the gravity level is reduced,there is a new balance between inertial and interfacial forces, altering the behavior of the flow. In bubbly flow,the absence of drift velocity leads to spherical-shaped bubbles with a rectilinear trajectory.Slug flow is a succession of long bubbles and liquid slug carrying a few bubbles. There is no flow reversal in the thin liquid film as the long bubble and liquid slug pass over the film. Although the flow structure seems to be simpler than in normal gravity conditions,the models developed for the prediction of flow behavior in normal gravity and extended to reduced gravity flow are unable to predict the flow behavior correctly.An additional benefit of conducting studies in microgravity flows is that these studies aide the development of understanding for normal gravity flow behavior by removing the effects of buoyancy on the shape of the interface and density driven shear flows between the gas and the liquid phases. The proposal calls to study specifically the following: 1) The dynamics of isolated bubbles in microgravity liquid flows will be analyzed: Both the dynamics of spherical isolated bubbles and their dispersion by turbulence, their interaction with the pipe wall,the behavior of the bubbles in accelerated or decelerated flows,and the dynamics of isolated cylindrical bubbles, their deformation in accelerated/decelerated flows (in converging or diverging channels), and bubble/bubble interaction. Experiments will consist of the use of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Laser Doppler Velocimeters (LDV) to study single spherical bubble and single and two cylindrical bubble behavior with respect to their influence on the turbulence of the surrounding liquid and on the wall 2) The dynamics of bubbly and slug flow in microgravity will be analyzed especially for the role of the coalescence in the transition from bubbly to slug flow (effect of fluid properties and surfactant), to identify clusters that promote coalescence and transition the void fraction distribution in bubbly and slug flow,to measure the wall friction in bubbly flow. These experiments will consist of multiple bubbles type flows and will utilize hot wire and film anemometers to measure liquid velocity and wall shear stress respectively and double fiber optic probes to measure bubble size and velocity as a function of tube radius and axial location.

McQuillen, J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

NASA Trapezoidal Wing Computations Including Transition and Advanced Turbulence Modeling

Flow about the NASA Trapezoidal Wing is computed with several turbulence models by using grids from the first High Lift Prediction Workshop in an effort to advance understanding of computational fluid dynamics modeling for this type of flowfield. Transition is accounted for in many of the computations. In particular, a recently-developed 4-equation transition model is utilized and works well overall. Accounting for transition tends to increase lift and decrease moment, which improves the agreement with experiment. Upper surface flap separation is reduced, and agreement with experimental surface pressures and velocity profiles is improved. The predicted shape of wakes from upstream elements is strongly influenced by grid resolution in regions above the main and flap elements. Turbulence model enhancements to account for rotation and curvature have the general effect of increasing lift and improving the resolution of the wing tip vortex as it convects downstream. However, none of the models improve the prediction of surface pressures near the wing tip, where more grid resolution is needed.

Rumsey, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A study of methods to investigate nozzle boundary layer transition

To further investigate nozzle flow, numerical computations are employed. The computations produce complete flow velocity and temperature fields within the nozzle. As a check, these results can be compared with experimental data at the wall. Once an accurate numerical scheme has been validated, it can be used as a design tool to predict the performance of other nozzle designs without the cost of experimental testing. Typically, the numerical analysis assumes either a laminar boundary layer or a fully turbulent boundary layer which is steady and two-dimensional. Boundary layer transition is not considered. Computing both the completely laminar boundary layer and the completely turbulent boundary layer conditions gives the minimum and maximum wall heat flux possible for a specified geometry. When the experimental heat flux measurements lie between these two values, the nature of the boundary layer is unknown. The boundary layer may have transitioned from laminar to turbulent; three-dimensional structures may be present in the boundary layer, or the inlet flow conditions may not be correctly specified in the computation.

Pauley, Laura L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Scale model studies for improvement of flow patterns of a low-speed tunnel

Flow along a nacelle was investigated with and without an orifice plate inserted into the airstream. The flow became more uniform in transit through the orifice when compared with the upstream flow and remained more uniform immediately downstream from the orifice. No improvement was found farther downstream with or without the orifice plate. Various windmills were studied to determine their effects on the downstream flow pattern. The windmill retarded flow velocity inside the circle inscribed by the tip of free wheeling propellers (used as substitute windmills), while the main stream passed over the blades seemingly unrestricted and without showing any increase in diameter. Results show that by varying a torque, the flow across a windmill can be effectively redistributed, an effect that could be gainfully employed in situations where the main flow into a diffuser is concentrated near the center. The construction of the 1/24 scale model tunnel and the velocity transverses obtained on the model are discussed. The transverses indicate that the velocity distribution may be considered worse in the vertical than in the horizontal plane.

Barna, P. S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

In-flight pressure distributions and skin-friction measurements on a subsonic transport high-lift wing section

Flight experiments are being conducted as part of a multiphased subsonic transport high-lift research program for correlation with wind-tunnel and computational results. The NASA Langley Transport Systems Research Vehicle (B737-100 aircraft) is used to obtain in-flight flow characteristics at full-scale Reynolds numbers to contribute to the understanding of 3-D high-lift, multi-element flows including attachment-line transition and relaminarization, confluent boundary-layer development, and flow separation characteristics. Flight test results of pressure distributions and skin friction measurements were obtained for a full-chord wing section including the slat, main-wing, and triple-slotted, Fowler flap elements. Test conditions included a range of flap deflections, chord Reynolds numbers (10 to 21 million), and Mach numbers (0.16 to 0.40). Pressure distributions were obtained at 144 chordwise locations of a wing section (53-percent wing span) using thin pressure belts over the slat, main-wing, and flap elements. Flow characteristics observed in the chordwise pressure distributions included leading-edge regions of high subsonic flows, leading-edge attachment-line locations, slat and main-wing cove-flow separation and reattachment, and trailing-edge flap separation. In addition to the pressure distributions, limited skin-friction measurements were made using Preston-tube probes. Preston-tube measurements on the slat upper surface suggested relaminarization of the turbulent flow introduced by the pressure belt on the slat leading-edge surface when the slat attachment line was laminar. Computational analysis of the in-flight pressure measurements using two-dimensional, viscous multielement methods modified with simple-sweep theory showed reasonable agreement. However, overprediction of the pressures on the flap elements suggests a need for better detailed measurements and improved modeling of confluent boundary layers as well as inclusion of three-dimensional viscous effects in the analysis.

Yip, Long P.↗