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At least 973 records · Page 54

Heat transfer and pressure comparisons between computation and wind tunnel for a research hypersonic aircraft

Comparisons between solutions obtained with a perfect gas, thin-layer Navier Stokes code developed at NASA Langley Research Center and wind tunnel results obtained in Calspan's 96-inch shock tunnel on a research hypersonic aircraft will be presented in this paper. Results cover data obtained between Mach 11 and Mach 19. Comparisons shown in this paper include both pressure and heat transfers. Effects of grid refinement on the computational solution and nose bluntness effects on the comparisons will be discussed.

Richardson, Pamela F.↗

Prediction of vortical flows on wings using incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

Grid-density and Reynolds-number effects on integral values and static pressure distributions are presently studied in the steady-state Navier-Stokes solutions obtained for the flow around a round-edged double delta wing using an upwind-relaxation finite-difference algorithm. It is found that while the computed longitudinal aerodynamic coefficients are in good agreement with extant experimental data, the magnitudes of suction-pressure peaks are underpredicted in the vicinity of the trailing edge. It is judged that additional computations employing finer-grid solutions in the vortical flow region are required.

Hsu, C.-H.↗

A package for 3-D unstructured grid generation, finite-element flow solution and flow field visualization

A set of computer programs for 3-D unstructured grid generation, fluid flow calculations, and flow field visualization was developed. The grid generation program, called VGRID3D, generates grids over complex configurations using the advancing front method. In this method, the point and element generation is accomplished simultaneously, VPLOT3D is an interactive, menudriven pre- and post-processor graphics program for interpolation and display of unstructured grid data. The flow solver, VFLOW3D, is an Euler equation solver based on an explicit, two-step, Taylor-Galerkin algorithm which uses the Flux Corrected Transport (FCT) concept for a wriggle-free solution. Using these programs, increasingly complex 3-D configurations of interest to aerospace community were gridded including a complete Space Transportation System comprised of the space-shuttle orbitor, the solid-rocket boosters, and the external tank. Flow solutions were obtained on various configurations in subsonic, transonic, and supersonic flow regimes.

Parikh, Paresh↗

Analysis and mitigation of numerical dissipation in inviscid and viscid computation of vortex-dominated flows

The conservative unsteady Euler equations for the flow relative motion in the moving frame of reference are used to solve for the steady and unsteady flows around sharp-edged delta wings. The resulting equations are solved by using an implicit approximately-factored finite volume scheme. Implicit second-order and explicit second- and fourth-order dissipations are added to the scheme. The boundary conditions are explicitly satisfied. The grid is generated by locally using a modified Joukowski transformation in cross flow planes at the grid chord stations. The computational applications cover a steady flow around a delta wing whose results serve as the initial conditions for the unsteady flow around a pitching delta wing about a large angle of attack. The steady results are compared with the experimental data and the periodic solution is achieved within the third cycle of oscillation.

Kandil, Osama A.↗

Unsteady delta-wing flow computation using an implicit factored Euler scheme

The conservative unsteady Euler equations for the flow relative motion in the moving frame of reference are used to solve for the steady and unsteady flows around sharp-edged delta wings. The resulting equations are solved by using an implicit approximately-factored finite-volume scheme. Implicit second-order and explicit second- and fourth-order dissipations are added to the scheme. The boundary conditions are explicitly satisfied. The grid is generated by locally using a modified Joukowski transformation in cross-flow planes at the grid chord stations. The computational applications cover a steady flow around a delta wing whose results serve as the initial conditions for the unsteady flow around a pitching delta wing about a large angle of attack. The steady results are compared with the experimental data and the periodic solution is achieved within the third cycle of oscillation.

Kandil, Osama A.↗

Adaptive mesh schemes based on grid speeds

Successful methods for generating solution adaptive grids using grid speeds are reviewed in this paper. The computational mesh is constructed by integrating the grid speeds as opposed to solving a steady grid equation. Advantages and disadvantages for each grid speed scheme are discussed and a number of examples of grids produced with the various schemes are presented. Suggestions are made for the development of new schemes based upon a form of Euler's expansion formula for the grid and the equi-distribution of some parameter over the mesh. Consideration is also given to grid skewness for the multidimensional schemes.

Anderson, D. A.↗

Numerical Simulations of Single Flow Element in a Nuclear Thermal Thrust Chamber

The objective of this effort is to develop an efficient and accurate computational methodology to predict both detailed and global thermo-fluid environments of a single now element in a hypothetical solid-core nuclear thermal thrust chamber assembly, Several numerical and multi-physics thermo-fluid models, such as chemical reactions, turbulence, conjugate heat transfer, porosity, and power generation, were incorporated into an unstructured-grid, pressure-based computational fluid dynamics solver. The numerical simulations of a single now element provide a detailed thermo-fluid environment for thermal stress estimation and insight for possible occurrence of mid-section corrosion. In addition, detailed conjugate heat transfer simulations were employed to develop the porosity models for efficient pressure drop and thermal load calculations.

Cheng, Gary↗

Unstructured Grid Adaptation and Solver Technology for Turbulent Flows

Unstructured grid adaptation is a tool to control Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) discretization error. However, adaptive grid techniques have made limited impact on production analysis workflows where the control of discretization error is critical to obtaining reliable simulation results. Issues that prevent the use of adaptive grid methods are identified by applying unstructured grid adaptation methods to a series of benchmark cases. Once identified, these challenges to existing adaptive workflows can be addressed. Unstructured grid adaptation is evaluated for test cases described on the Turbulence Modeling Resource (TMR) web site, which documents uniform grid refinement of multiple schemes. The cases are turbulent flow over a Hemisphere Cylinder and an ONERA M6Wing. Adaptive grid force and moment trajectories are shown for three integrated grid adaptation processes with Mach interpolation control and output error based metrics. The integrated grid adaptation process with a finite element (FE) discretization produced results consistent with uniform grid refinement of fixed grids. The integrated grid adaptation processes with finite volume schemes were slower to converge to the reference solution than the FE method. Metric conformity is documented on grid/metric snapshots for five grid adaptation mechanics implementations. These tools produce anisotropic boundary conforming grids requested by the adaptation process.

Park, Michael A.↗

Development of an Efficient CFD Model for Nuclear Thermal Thrust Chamber Assembly Design

The objective of this effort is to develop an efficient and accurate computational methodology to predict both detailed thermo-fluid environments and global characteristics of the internal ballistics for a hypothetical solid-core nuclear thermal thrust chamber assembly (NTTCA). Several numerical and multi-physics thermo-fluid models, such as real fluid, chemically reacting, turbulence, conjugate heat transfer, porosity, and power generation, were incorporated into an unstructured-grid, pressure-based computational fluid dynamics solver as the underlying computational methodology. The numerical simulations of detailed thermo-fluid environment of a single flow element provide a mechanism to estimate the thermal stress and possible occurrence of the mid-section corrosion of the solid core. In addition, the numerical results of the detailed simulation were employed to fine tune the porosity model mimic the pressure drop and thermal load of the coolant flow through a single flow element. The use of the tuned porosity model enables an efficient simulation of the entire NTTCA system, and evaluating its performance during the design cycle.

Cheng, Gary↗

Method to predict external store carriage characteristics at transonic speeds

Development of a computational method for prediction of external store carriage characteristics at transonic speeds is described. The geometric flexibility required for treatment of pylon-mounted stores is achieved by computing finite difference solutions on a five-level embedded grid arrangement. A completely automated grid generation procedure facilitates applications. Store modeling capability consists of bodies of revolution with multiple fore and aft fins. A body-conforming grid improves the accuracy of the computed store body flow field. A nonlinear relaxation scheme developed specifically for modified transonic small disturbance flow equations enhances the method's numerical stability and accuracy. As a result, treatment of lower aspect ratio, more highly swept and tapered wings is possible. A limited supersonic freestream capability is also provided. Pressure, load distribution, and force/moment correlations show good agreement with experimental data for several test cases. A detailed computer program description for the Transonic Store Carriage Loads Prediction (TSCLP) Code is included.

Rosen, Bruce S.↗

More About Generating Three-Dimensional Grids About Anything

Report presents additional details of mathematical basis and potential applications of method of generating three-dimensional grids fitted to bodies having arbitrary, complicated shapes. Grids used in finite-difference or finite-volume computations of flows around bodies. Grid-generation method involves numerical solutions of Poisson's equations described in "Generating Three-Dimensional Grids About Anything" (ARC-12620).

Sorenson, Reese L.↗

Applications of multigrid software in the atmospheric sciences

Elliptic partial differential equations from different areas in the atmospheric sciences are efficiently and easily solved utilizing the multigrid software package named MUDPACK. It is demonstrated that the multigrid method is more efficient than other commonly employed techniques, such as Gaussian elimination and fixed-grid relaxation. The efficiency relative to other techniques, both in terms of storage requirement and computational time, increases quickly with grid size.

Adams, J.↗

An Experimental Framework for Executing Applications in Dynamic Grid Environments

The Grid opens up opportunities for resource-starved scientists and engineers to harness highly distributed computing resources. A number of Grid middleware projects are currently available to support the simultaneous exploitation of heterogeneous resources distributed in different administrative domains. However, efficient job submission and management continue being far from accessible to ordinary scientists and engineers due to the dynamic and complex nature of the Grid. This report describes a new Globus framework that allows an easier and more efficient execution of jobs in a 'submit and forget' fashion. Adaptation to dynamic Grid conditions is achieved by supporting automatic application migration following performance degradation, 'better' resource discovery, requirement change, owner decision or remote resource failure. The report also includes experimental results of the behavior of our framework on the TRGP testbed.

Huedo, Eduardo↗

An Inviscid Computational Study of the Space Shuttle Orbiter and Several Damaged Configurations

Inviscid aerodynamic characteristics of the Space Shuttle Orbiter were computed in support of the Columbia Accident Investigation. The unstructured grid software FELISA was used and computations were done using freestream conditions corresponding to those in the NASA Langley 20-Inch Mach 6 CF4 tunnel test section. The angle of attack was held constant at 40 degrees. The baseline (undamaged) configuration and a large number of damaged configurations of the Orbiter were studied. Most of the computations were done on a half model. However, one set of computations was done using the full-model to study the effect of sideslip. The differences in the aerodynamic coefficients for the damaged and the baseline configurations were computed. Simultaneously with the computation reported here, tests were being done on a scale model of the Orbiter in the 20-Inch Mach 6 CF4 tunnel to measure the deltas . The present computations complemented the CF4 tunnel test, and provided aerodynamic coefficients of the Orbiter as well as its components. Further, they also provided details of the flow field.

Prabhu, Ramadas K.↗

Transient Two-Dimensional Analysis of Side Load in Liquid Rocket Engine Nozzles

Two-dimensional planar and axisymmetric numerical investigations on the nozzle start-up side load physics were performed. The objective of this study is to develop a computational methodology to identify nozzle side load physics using simplified two-dimensional geometries, in order to come up with a computational strategy to eventually predict the three-dimensional side loads. The computational methodology is based on a multidimensional, finite-volume, viscous, chemically reacting, unstructured-grid, and pressure-based computational fluid dynamics formulation, and a transient inlet condition based on an engine system modeling. The side load physics captured in the low aspect-ratio, two-dimensional planar nozzle include the Coanda effect, afterburning wave, and the associated lip free-shock oscillation. Results of parametric studies indicate that equivalence ratio, combustion and ramp rate affect the side load physics. The side load physics inferred in the high aspect-ratio, axisymmetric nozzle study include the afterburning wave; transition from free-shock to restricted-shock separation, reverting back to free-shock separation, and transforming to restricted-shock separation again; and lip restricted-shock oscillation. The Mach disk loci and wall pressure history studies reconfirm that combustion and the associated thermodynamic properties affect the formation and duration of the asymmetric flow.

Wang, Ten-See↗

TopMaker: Technique Developed for Automatic Multiblock Topology Generation Using the Medial Axis

The TopMaker technique was developed in an effort to reduce the time required for grid generation in complex numerical studies. Topology generation accounts for much of the man-hours required for structured multiblock grids. With regard to structured multiblock grids, topology refers to how the blocks are arranged and connected. A two-dimensional multiblock topology generation technique has been developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Very general configurations can be addressed by the technique. A configuration is defined by a collection of non-intersecting closed curves, which will be referred to as loops. More than a single loop implies that holes exist in the domain, which poses no problem. This technique requires only the medial vertices and the touch points that define each vertex. From the information about the medial vertices, the connectivity between medial vertices is generated. The physical shape of the medial edge is not required. By applying a few simple rules to each medial edge, a multiblock topology can be generated without user intervention. The resulting topologies contain only the level of complexity dictated by the configurations. Grid lines remain attached to the boundary except at sharp concave turns, where a change in index family is introduced as would be desired. Keeping grid lines attached to the boundary is especially important in computational fluid dynamics, where highly clustered grids are used near no-slip boundaries. This technique is simple and robust and can easily be incorporated into the overall grid-generation process.

Rigby, David L.↗

Efficient Unstructured Grid Adaptation Methods for Sonic Boom Prediction

This paper examines the use of two grid adaptation methods to improve the accuracy of the near-to-mid field pressure signature prediction of supersonic aircraft computed using the USM3D unstructured grid flow solver. The first method (ADV) is an interactive adaptation process that uses grid movement rather than enrichment to more accurately resolve the expansion and compression waves. The second method (SSGRID) uses an a priori adaptation approach to stretch and shear the original unstructured grid to align the grid with the pressure waves and reduce the cell count required to achieve an accurate signature prediction at a given distance from the vehicle. Both methods initially create negative volume cells that are repaired in a module in the ADV code. While both approaches provide significant improvements in the near field signature (< 3 body lengths) relative to a baseline grid without increasing the number of grid points, only the SSGRID approach allows the details of the signature to be accurately computed at mid-field distances (3-10 body lengths) for direct use with mid-field-to-ground boom propagation codes.

Campbell, Richard L.↗

Computation of vortex-dominated flow for a delta wing undergoing pitching oscillation

The conservative, unsteady Euler equations for the flow relative to a moving frame of reference are used to solve for the three-dimensional steady and unsteady flows around a sharp-edged delta wing. The resulting equations are solved by using an implicit, approximately factored, finite-volume scheme. Implicit second-order and explicit second- and fourth-order dissipations are added to the scheme. The boundary conditions are explicitly satisfied. The grid is generated by locally using a modified Joukowski transformation in crossflow planes at the grid-chord stations. The computational applications cover a steady flow around a delta wing, whose results serve as the initial conditions for the unsteady flow around a pitching delta wing at a large mean angle of attack. The steady results are compared with the experimental data, and the unsteady results are compared with results of a flux-difference splitting scheme.

Kandil, Osama A.↗