Results for “Optical flow” — Page 53

NASA NTRS2015

Investigation of Unsteady Tip Clearance Flow in a Low-Speed One and Half Stage Axial Compressor with LES And PIV

The primary focus of this paper is to investigate how a rotor's unsteady tip clearance flow structure changes in a low speed one and half stage axial compressor when the rotor tip gap size is increased from 0.5 mm (0.49% of rotor tip blade chord, 2% of blade span) to 2.4 mm (2.34% chord, 4% span) at the design condition are investigated. The changes in unsteady tip clearance flow with the 0.62 % tip gap as the flow rate is reduced to near stall condition are also investigated. A Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is applied to calculate the unsteady flow field at these three flow conditions. Detailed Stereoscopic PIV (SPIV) measurements of the current flow fields were also performed at the Johns Hopkins University in a refractive index-matched test facility which renders the compressor blades and casing optically transparent. With this setup, the unsteady velocity field in the entire flow domain, including the flow inside the tip gap, can be measured. Unsteady tip clearance flow fields from LES are compared with the PIV measurements and both LES and PIV results are used to study changes in tip clearance flow structures. The current study shows that the tip clearance vortex is not a single structure as traditionally perceived. The tip clearance vortex is formed by multiple interlaced vorticities. Therefore, the tip clearance vortex is inherently unsteady. The multiple interlaced vortices never roll up to form a single structure. When phased-averaged, the tip clearance vortex appears as a single structure. When flow rate is reduced with the same tip gap, the tip clearance vortex rolls further upstream and the tip clearance vortex moves further radially inward and away from the suction side of the blade. When the tip gap size is increased at the design flow condition, the overall tip clearance vortex becomes stronger and it stays closer to the blade suction side and the vortex core extends all the way to the exit of the blade passage. Measured and calculated unsteady flow fields inside the tip gap agree fairly well. Instantaneous velocity vectors inside the tip gap from both the PIV and LES do show flow separation and reattachment at the entrance of tip gap as some earlier studies suggested. This area at the entrance of tip gap flow (the pressure side of the blade) is confined very close to the rotor tip section. With a small tip gap (0.5mm), the gap flow looks like a simple two-dimensional channel flow with larger velocity near the casing for both flow rates. A small area with a sharp velocity gradient is observed just above the rotor tip. This strong shear layer is turned radially inward when it collides with the incoming flow and forms the core structure of the tip clearance vortex. When tip gap size is increased to 2.4 mm at the design operation, the radial profile of the tip gap flow changes drastically. With the large tip gap, the gap flow looks like a two-dimensional channel flow only near the casing. Near the rotor top section, a bigger region with very large shear and reversed flow is observed.

compressor↗

NASA NTRS2015

Investigation of Unsteady Tip Clearance Flow in a Low-Speed One and Half Stage Axial Compressor with LES And PIV

The primary focus of this paper is to investigate how a rotor's unsteady tip clearance flow structure changes in a low speed one and half stage axial compressor when the rotor tip gap size is increased from 0.5 mm (0.49% of rotor tip blade chord, 2% of blade span) to 2.4 mm (2.34% chord, 4% span) at the design condition are investigated. The changes in unsteady tip clearance flow with the 0.62 % tip gap as the flow rate is reduced to near stall condition are also investigated. A Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is applied to calculate the unsteady flow field at these three flow conditions. Detailed Stereoscopic PIV (SPIV) measurements of the current flow fields were also performed at the Johns Hopkins University in a refractive index-matched test facility which renders the compressor blades and casing optically transparent. With this setup, the unsteady velocity field in the entire flow domain, including the flow inside the tip gap, can be measured. Unsteady tip clearance flow fields from LES are compared with the PIV measurements and both LES and PIV results are used to study changes in tip clearance flow structures. The current study shows that the tip clearance vortex is not a single structure as traditionally perceived. The tip clearance vortex is formed by multiple interlaced vorticities. Therefore, the tip clearance vortex is inherently unsteady. The multiple interlaced vortices never roll up to form a single structure. When phased-averaged, the tip clearance vortex appears as a single structure. When flow rate is reduced with the same tip gap, the tip clearance vortex rolls further upstream and the tip clearance vortex moves further radially inward and away from the suction side of the blade. When the tip gap size is increased at the design flow condition, the overall tip clearance vortex becomes stronger and it stays closer to the blade suction side and the vortex core extends all the way to the exit of the blade passage. Measured and calculated unsteady flow fields inside the tip gap agree fairly well. Instantaneous velocity vectors inside the tip gap from both the PIV and LES do show flow separation and reattachment at the entrance of tip gap as some earlier studies suggested. This area at the entrance of tip gap flow (the pressure side of the blade) is confined very close to the rotor tip section. With a small tip gap (0.5mm), the gap flow looks like a simple two-dimensional channel flow with larger velocity near the casing for both flow rates. A small area with a sharp velocity gradient is observed just above the rotor tip. This strong shear layer is turned radially inward when it collides with the incoming flow and forms the core structure of the tip clearance vortex. When tip gap size is increased to 2.4 mm at the design operation, the radial profile of the tip gap flow changes drastically. With the large tip gap, the gap flow looks like a two-dimensional channel flow only near the casing. Near the rotor top section, a bigger region with very large shear and reversed flow is observed.

unsteady↗

DOE OSTI2023

Toward local core outlet temperature monitoring in gas-cooled nuclear reactors using distributed fiber-optic temperature sensors

Gas-cooled nuclear reactors operate at temperatures up to 950 °C with significant spatial variations in power generation and coolant flow through hundreds of parallel flow channels, resulting in complex mixing at the core outlet. The high temperatures and complex mixing can damage downstream components, challenge reactor calorimetry for power determination, and result in significant conservatism in calculated peak fuel temperatures, which ultimately limits the total power output. Directly measuring each gas stream individually is unrealistic using single point thermocouples, requiring more robust sensing techniques. Fiber-optic sensors are resilient to high temperatures (up to 1,000 °C) and radiation damage. Moreover, distributed measurements can be made along the length of one fiber, making them potential candidates for monitoring local core outlet temperatures to improve core calorimetry and identify hot channels. Here, to the authors’ knowledge, this manuscript is the first to report spatially distributed fiber optic temperature measurements to quantify mixing at the outlet of a relevant orifice plate under prototypic temperature and flow regimes to assess the feasibility of using fiber-optic sensors for distributed measurements of coolant temperature in gas-cooled reactors. A single optical fiber captured dynamic changes in local temperatures, whereas the mixed outlet temperature exhibited a muted response and could not identify which channels were responsible for the change in the mixed outlet temperature. The discussion focuses on potential challenges for deploying distributed optical fibers in gas-cooled reactors, including the effects of vibrations, radiation-induced signal attenuation and drift, and routing of the fiber while minimizing flow obstructions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS1987

Feasibility of mapping velocity flowfields in an SSME powerhead using laser anemometry techniques

Nonintrusive anemometry measurement techniques are investigated for a NASA study of steady and unsteady aerothermal flow phenomena present in three engine component flow environments in the Space Shuttle Main Engine powerhead, the: (1) high-pressure fuel turbopump preburner; (2) turbine; and (3) turnaround duct. Issues considered include identification of feasible means of optical access to the high-pressure high-temperature measurement flow regions, and measurement system compatibility with the test environment. Descriptions of the two-component LDV and Laser Two Focus measurement systems are given whose capabilities include measurements of the time-averaged values of velocity magnitude and flow direction, turbulence intensity, and velocity component correlations.

Pelaccio, D. G.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Fiber-Based Measurement of Bow-Shock Spectra for Reentry Flight Testing

We demonstrated a fiber-based approach for obtaining optical spectra of a glowing bow shock in a high-enthalpy air flow. The work was performed in a ground test with the NASA Ames Aerodynamic Heating Facility (AHF) that is used for atmospheric reentry simulation. The method uses a commercial fiber optic that is embedded in the nose of an ablating bluntbody model and provides a line-of-sight view in the streamwise direction - directly upstream into the hot post-shock gas flow. Both phenolic impregnated carbon ablator (PICA) and phenolic carbon (PhenCarb 28) materials were used as thermal protection systems. Results show that the fibers survive the intense heat and operate sufficiently well during the first several seconds of a typical AHF run (20 MJ/kg). This approach allowed the acquisition of optical spectra, enabling a Boltzmann-based electronic excitation temperature measurement from Cu atom impurities (averaged over a line-of-sight through the gas cap, with a 0.04 sec integration time).

Schott, Timothy D.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Diode laser absorption sensors for gas-dynamic and combustion flows

Recent advances in room-temperature, near-IR and visible diode laser sources for tele-communication, high-speed computer networks, and optical data storage applications are enabling a new generation of gas-dynamic and combustion-flow sensors based on laser absorption spectroscopy. In addition to conventional species concentration and density measurements, spectroscopic techniques for temperature, velocity, pressure and mass flux have been demonstrated in laboratory, industrial and technical flows. Combined with fibreoptic distribution networks and ultrasensitive detection strategies, compact and portable sensors are now appearing for a variety of applications. In many cases, the superior spectroscopic quality of the new laser sources compared with earlier cryogenic, mid-IR devices is allowing increased sensitivity of trace species measurements, high-precision spectroscopy of major gas constituents, and stable, autonomous measurement systems. The purpose of this article is to review recent progress in this field and suggest likely directions for future research and development. The various laser-source technologies are briefly reviewed as they relate to sensor applications. Basic theory for laser absorption measurements of gas-dynamic properties is reviewed and special detection strategies for the weak near-IR and visible absorption spectra are described. Typical sensor configurations are described and compared for various application scenarios, ranging from laboratory research to automated field and airborne packages. Recent applications of gas-dynamic sensors for air flows and fluxes of trace atmospheric species are presented. Applications of gas-dynamic and combustion sensors to research and development of high-speed flows aeropropulsion engines, and combustion emissions monitoring are presented in detail, along with emerging flow control systems based on these new sensors. Finally, technology in nonlinear frequency conversion, UV laser materials, room-temperature mid-IR materials and broadly tunable multisection devices is reviewed to suggest new sensor possibilities.

Non-NASA Center↗

DOE OSTI2018

Influence of hBN orientation on the near-field radiative heat transfer between graphene/hBN heterostructures

The influence of the optic axis orientation of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) on the near-field radiative heat transfer between hBN slabs as well as between graphene/hBN heterostructures is studied in this work. A modified 4×4 transfer matrix method is employed to calculate the near-field radiative heat flux (NFRHF) between the media. The numerical results show that the NFRHF will decrease when the optic axis of hBN is tilted off the direction of the energy flow for bare hBN slabs. The reason is that hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPPs) excited in the hyperbolic bands of Type I are largely suppressed for tilted optic axis though surface phonon polaritons can be excited in the hyperbolic bands. On the contrary, the NFRHF between two graphene/hBN heterostructures is affected by the coupling of SPPs excited at the vacuum/graphene interface with those at the graphene/hBN interface and the formation of a hybrid mode, by which the NFRHF is maximum when the hBN slabs are arranged with strong in-plane anisotropy of the surface. The results obtained in this work may provide a promising way for manipulating near-field radiative heat transfer between anisotropic materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2013

ENERGY-DEPENDENT POWER SPECTRAL STATES AND ORIGIN OF APERIODIC VARIABILITY IN BLACK HOLE BINARIES

We found that the black hole candidate MAXI J1659-152 showed distinct power spectra, i.e., power-law noise (PLN) versus band-limited noise (BLN) plus quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) below and above about 2 keV, respectively, in observations with Swift and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer during the 2010 outburst, indicating a high energy cutoff of the PLN and a low energy cutoff of the BLN and QPOs around 2 keV. The emergence of the PLN and the fading of the BLN and QPOs initially took place below 2 keV when the source entered the hard intermediate state and settled in the soft state three weeks later. The evolution was accompanied by the emergence of the disk spectral component and decreases in the amplitudes of variability in the soft and hard X-ray bands. Our results indicate that the PLN is associated with an optically thick disk in both hard and intermediate states, and the power spectral state is independent of the X-ray energy spectral state in a broadband view. We suggest that in the hard or intermediate state, the BLN and QPOs emerge from the innermost hot flow subjected to Comptonization, while the PLN originates from the optically thick disk farther out. The energy cutoffs of the PLN and the BLN or QPOs then follow the temperature of the seed photons from the inner edge of the optically thick disk, while the high frequency cutoff of the PLN follows the orbital frequency of the inner edge of the optically thick disk as well.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

High-efficiency narrow-bandwidth KTP optical parametric oscillator for kHz–MHz planar laser-induced fluorescence

The electronic excitation of key combustion species or flow tagging of chemical species requires a narrowband tunable UV source. In this work, a potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) burst-mode optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped by a 532 nm laser is developed to generate a spectrally narrow signal and an idler output with 1.48 ± 0.19 cm −1 bandwidth without the need for injection seeding. The idler (1410–1550 nm range) is further mixed with 355 or 266 nm to generate 284 or 226 nm for OH or NO planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), respectively, with up to 1.9% conversion efficiency from 1064 nm to the UV. MHz-rate burst profiles are reported, and OH and NO PLIF are demonstrated in a rotating detonation combustor at rates up to 200 kHz.

Webb, Austin M. (ORCID:0000000155897474)↗

DOE OSTI2015

Dielectric barrier structure with hollow electrodes and its recoil effect

A dielectric barrier structure with hollow electrodes (HEDBS), in which gas flow oriented parallel to the electric field, was proposed. Results showed that with this structure, air can be effectively ignited, forming atmospheric low temperature plasma, and the proposed HEDBS could achieve much higher electron density (5 × 10{sup 15}/cm{sup 3}). It was also found that the flow condition, including outlet diameter and flow rate, played a key role in the evolution of electron density. Optical emission spectroscopy diagnostic results showed that the concentration of reactive species had the same variation trend as the electron density. The simulated distribution of discharge gas flow indicated that the HEDBS had a strong recoil effect on discharge gas, and could efficiently promote generating electron density as well as reactive species.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

NASA NTRS2010

A New Measurement of the Bulk Flow of X-Ray Luminous Clusters of Galaxies

We present new measurements of the large-scale bulk flows of galaxy clusters based on five-year WMAP data and a significantly expanded X-ray cluster catalog. Our method probes the flow via measurements of the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect produced by the hot gas in moving clusters. It computes the dipole in the cosmic microwave background data at cluster pixels, which preserves the SZ component while integrating down other contributions. Our improved catalog of over 1000 clusters enables us to further investigate possible systematic effects and, thanks to a higher median cluster redshift, allows us to measure the bulk flow to larger scales. We present a corrected error treatment and demonstrate that the more X-ray luminous clusters, while fewer in number, have much larger optical depth, resulting in a higher dipole and thus a more accurate flow measurement. This results in the observed correlation of the dipole derived at the aperture of zero monopole with the monopole measured over the cluster central regions. This correlation is expected if the dipole is produced by the SZ effect and cannot be caused by unidentified systematics (or primary cosmic microwave background anisotropies). We measure that the flow is consistent with approximately constant velocity out to at least [similar, equals]800 Mpc. The significance of the measured signal peaks around 500 h -1 70 Mpc, most likely because the contribution from more distant clusters becomes progressively more diluted by the WMAP beam. However, at present, we cannot rule out that these more distant clusters simply contribute less to the overall motion.

Kashlinsky, A.↗

DOE OSTI2018

Hard X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy of high pressure cavitating fluids in aluminum nozzles

X-rays are frequently used to study the internal geometry of dense objects, and to measure the density of multiphase flows. However, quantitatively measuring fluid density inside a metallic object such as a high pressure spray nozzle is difficult. X-rays of sufficiently high energy to penetrate a metal object are not appreciably absorbed by the fluid inside. This requires the use of plastic or beryllium test sections, which are not suited to high pressure conditions. We present a high-energy X-ray fluorescence technique which can overcome this problem. The experiments were conducted at the 7-BM beamline of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. A hydrocarbon fluid was seeded with cerium nanoparticles. The fluid was pumped at high pressure through aluminum nozzles with inner diameters of 0.36-0.90 mm and wall thicknesses of 2-3 mm. A collimated, monochromatic 42.5 keV X-ray beam excited K-edge fluorescence from the cerium. The K-alpha emission lines at 34-35 keV were recorded by a cryogenic germanium detector. Changes in fluid density due to cavitation of the liquid inside the nozzle were measured by raster scanning the nozzle across the beam. A spatial resolution of 20 x 20 mu m(2) was achieved with a slitted beam, which was improved to 5 x 10 mu m(2) with X-ray focusing mirrors. The uncertainty in the path-integrated vapor fraction was 30-40 mu m at 95% confidence. A limitation of this approach is that for low vapor pressure fluids, the nanoparticles increase the vapor pressure of the fluid and act as additional nucleation sites. These experiments demonstrate a path forward for measurements of multiphase flows inside metal components under conditions that are not feasible in optically accessible materials.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

100 kHz High-Spectral-Resolution NO-PLIF Measurements for Compressible Flows

In the present work, we use a burst-mode laser and optical parametric oscillator system to perform high-spectral resolution NO-PLIF measurements of an underexpanded jet at a repetition-rate of 100 kHz, with the motivation of multi-parameter measurements of temperature, pressure, and velocity. The laser frequency of the 1064 nm seed laser for the burst-mode laser was scanned during the burst to cover two neighboring absorption line pairs near 226 nm. The peak PLIF signal intensity varies along the axial (z) direction of the underexpanded jet as the laser frequency is scanned, which we attribute to the collisional shift induced by the flow and only revealed due to the narrow linewidth of the laser. A pseudo-Voight fit is applied to the LIF excitation spectra on a pixel-by-pixel basis to measure the spectral position of the peak intensity for the two transition pairs and their amplitude. The spectral position of the peak intensity is used to derive a frequency shift, which is separated into its collisional and Doppler components using the axisymmetric nature of the flow field. The amplitude of the measured peaks is used for two-line rotational thermometry. Challenges for quantitative measurements using such an approach are discussed, including measuring the spatial variations in the energy distribution of the laser sheet at a 100 kHz repetition rate and uncertainty/variability in the step size during the fast frequency scan.

laser induced fluorescence↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

100 kHz High-Spectral-Resolution NO-PLIF Measurements for Compressible Flows

In the present work, we use a burst-mode laser and optical parametric oscillator system to perform high-spectral resolution NO-PLIF measurements of an underexpanded jet at a repetition-rate of 100 kHz, with the motivation of multi-parameter measurements of temperature, pressure, and velocity. The laser frequency of the 1064 nm seed laser for the burst-mode laser was scanned during the burst to cover two neighboring absorption line pairs near 226 nm. The peak PLIF signal intensity varies along the axial (z) direction of the underexpanded jet as the laser frequency is scanned, which we attribute to the collisional shift induced by the flow and only revealed due to the narrow linewidth of the laser. A pseudo-Voight fit is applied to the LIF excitation spectra on a pixel-by-pixel basis to measure the spectral position of the peak intensity for the two transition pairs and their amplitude. The spectral position of the peak intensity is used to derive a frequency shift, which is separated into its collisional and Doppler components using the axisymmetric nature of the flow field. The amplitude of the measured peaks is used for two-line rotational thermometry. Challenges for quantitative measurements using such an approach are discussed, including measuring the spatial variations in the energy distribution of the laser sheet at a 100 kHz repetition rate and uncertainty/variability in the step size during the fast frequency scan.

laser induced fluorescence↗

NASA NTRS1987

Velocity measurements in the plume of an arcjet engine

A nonintrusive technique has been used to conduct a radial survey in the flow field of an arcjet engine plume. The technique measures the Doppler shift of an optically thin line resulting from recombination and relaxation processes in the high Mach number stream, in order to determine flow velocities. Atom temperature can also be calculated from the same Doppler-broadened line widths, when these shifts are measured with a scanning Fabry-Perot spectrometer whose design is presented in detail.

Pivirotto, T. J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

System for determining position of normal shock in supersonic flow

Light from a plurality of light emitting diodes is transmitted through optical cables (12) to a lens system. The lenses (56, 58) expand and collimate the light and project it in a sheet (16) across the supersonic inlet of an aircraft power plant perpendicular to incoming airflow. A normal shock bends a portion of the sheet of light (16). A linear array of a multiplicity of optical fiber ends collects discrete samples of light. The samples are processed and compared to a predetermined profile to determine the shock location.

Iverson, Jr., Donald G.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Relativistic and Slowing Down: The Flow in the Hotspots of Powerful Radio Galaxies and Quasars

The 'hotspots' of powerful radio galaxies (the compact, high brightness regions, where the jet flow collides with the intergalactic medium (IGM)) have been imaged in radio, optical and recently in X-ray frequencies. We propose a scheme that unifies their, at first sight, disparate broad band (radio to X-ray) spectral properties. This scheme involves a relativistic flow upstream of the hotspot that decelerates to the sub-relativistic speed of its inferred advance through the IGM and it is viewed at different angles to its direction of motion, as suggested by two independent orientation estimators (the presence or not of broad emission lines in their optical spectra and the core-to-extended radio luminosity). This scheme, besides providing an account of the hotspot spectral properties with jet orientation, it also suggests that the large-scale jets remain relativistic all the way to the hotspots.

Kazanas, D.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Feasibility of Rayleigh Scattering Flow Diagnostics in the National Transonic Facility

Laser-based Rayleigh light scattering (RLS) was performed in the National Transonic Facility (NTF) at NASA Langley Research Center. The goal was to determine if the free-stream flow undergoes clustering (early stage of condensation from gas to liquid) or remains in a pure diatomic molecular phase. Data indicate that clusters are not observable down to levels of 10% of the total light scatter for a variety of total pressures at one N2 cryogenic-mode total temperature (Tt = -50 F = 227 K) and one air-mode temperature (Tt = +130 F = 327 K). Thus RLS appears viable as a qualitative or quantitative diagnostic for flow density in NTF in the future. Particles are distinguished from optically unresolvable clusters because they are much larger and individually resolvable in the laser beam image with Mie scattering. The same RLS apparatus was also used, without modification, to visualize naturally occurring particles entrained in the flow for both cryogenic and air-modes. Estimates of the free-stream particle flux are presented, which may be important for interpretation of laminar-to-turbulent boundary-layer transition studies. 1

Herring, Gregory C.↗