Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “compressed air”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 973 records · Page 54
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Electrohydrodynamic Enabled Electrochemical Membrane Dehumidifier for Separate Sensible and Latent Cooling

In hot and humid parts of the world, air conditioning is a necessity for an adequate standard of living. Cooling and heating represent one-third of building energy consumption. When cooling humid air, a substantial amount of the cooling energy is absorbed by water vapor condensation. The dehumidification cooling load is referred to as the latent cooling load and the dry bulb cooling load is referred to as the sensible cooling load. In most residential applications, the total cooling load is processed by a vapor compression cycle. Processing the latent load separately would not only reduce energy consumption. It would also reduce the required refrigeration capacity. Refrigerants often have adverse ecological impacts, contributing to the greenhouse effect and depletion of the ozone layer. Reduction of the cooling capacity in a system could reduce the amount of refrigerant charge required.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1976

Mixing and combustion of an underexpanded H2 jet in supersonic flow

Theoretical calculations are compared with experimental data in an investigation of the injection, mixing, and combustion of an underexpanded hydrogen jet in a supersonic test stream. The experimental tests in reacting and nonreacting flows were conducted by use of air and nitrogen as test media. Tests were conducted in a free jet and a ducted mode. Theoretical calculations were performed with a modified viscous characteristics analysis. The computer program employs finite rate chemistry and a turbulent viscosity model which varies radially and axially; it handles exit shock waves, expansion fans, and thermal compressions generated in the reacting flow fields. Comparison of the theory and experimental data indicates good agreement for the near flow field; this agreement is directly related to the explicit handling of the near-field shock and expansion waves. Less satisfactory agreement at downstream locations for both free jet and ducted flows is attributed to the lack of continued computation of the shocks and expansions in the far field.

Jenkins, R. V.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Simultaneous measurements of temperature and density in air flows using UV laser spectroscopy

The simultaneous measurement of temperature and density using laser-induced fluorescence of oxygen in combination with Q-branch Raman scattering of nitrogen and oxygen is demonstrated in a low-speed air flow. The lowest density and temperature measured in the experiment correspond to the freestream values at Mach 5 in the Ames 3.5-Foot Hypersonic Wind Tunnel for stagnation conditions of 100 atm and 1000 K. The experimental results demonstrate the viability of the optical technique for measurements that support the study of compressible turbulence and the validation of numerical codes in supersonic and hypersonic wind tunnel flows.

Fletcher, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

An experimental parametric study of geometric, Reynolds number, and ratio of specific heats effects in three-dimensional sidewall compression scramjet inlets at Mach 6

The effects of the decrease in the ratio of specific heats have been investigated in generic 3D sidewall compression scramjet inlets with leading-edge sweep angles of 30 and 70 degrees. The effects of a decrease in ratio of specific heats were seen by comparing data from two facilities in two test gases: in the Langley Mach 6 CF4 Tunnel in tetrafluoromethane and in the Langley 15-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel in perfect gas air. In addition to the simulated real gas effects, the parametric effects of cowl position, contraction ratio, leading-edge sweep, and Reynolds number were investigated in the 15-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel. The models were instrumented with a total of 45 static pressure orifices distributed on the sidewalls and baseplate. Surface streamline patterns were examined via oil flow, and schlieren videos were made of the external flow field. The results of these tests have significant implications to ground based testing of inlets in facilities which do not operate at flight enthalpies.

Holland, Scott D.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Mechanical Testing of Soils from the South Range of the Utah Test and Training Range: Derivation of Soil Properties to Support the Earth Entry System Landing for Mars Sample Return

This report summarizes results from laboratory tests conducted by Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) on soil samples collected from multiple sites within the South Range of the U.S. Air Force Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). The goal of the laboratory tests was to establish soil constitutive properties and develop computational soil models enabling NASA to simulate impact landings of the Earth Entry System (EES) for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. Test methods and results are presented describing the strength, compressibility, and stiffness of soils in the UTTR South Range including methods to incorporate the measured properties into Ansys LS-DYNAÒ constitutive material models for EES landing simulations.

Soil↗
DOE OSTI2025

Advances in supervisory control strategies for a heat pump centric HVAC system − a comprehensive review on applications

There is an increase in research investigating the development and deployment of supervisory controllers that enable high efficiency electrically driven vapor compression heat pumps operating within grid interactive efficient buildings to provide demand side management. This paper reviews over sixty relevant case studies within this domain that focus on commercial off-the-shelf heat pumps whose primary task is providing space conditioning. The concept of a heat pump-centric heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system is introduced, accompanied by a detailed overview of various kinds of electric heat pumps and building-level thermal energy storage configurations. Additionally, the different types of supervisory controller designs, including rule-based control and model predictive control, are discussed, along with the various methods for communication between a supervisory controller and a downstream heat pump’s local controller. A comparative analysis is conducted in order to categorize the reviewed case studies based on their system design, supervisory control algorithm, and validation methodology. This detailed analysis allows the review to establish current research trends, identify potential gaps, and suggest future directions for the development of this technology. Overall, the authors recommend that more future research be devoted to low-cost practical retrofits that allow for easy integration of active thermal energy storage within heat pump-centric heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system systems that utilize direct expansion heat pumps. We also suggest more research into the development and deployment of supervisory controllers that can properly communicate with commercial off-the-shelf heat pump local controller available control inputs, e.g., zone temperature setpoint. Lastly, more rigorous experimental demonstrations of advanced supervisory control within real and or closed-loop, transient/ quasi-steady state environments are necessary to reduce industry wide skepticism of this technology.

Demand side management↗
NASA NTRS1972

Compressive strength of titanium alloy skin-stringer panels selectively reinforced with boron-aluminum composite.

Description of a method of selectively reinforcing conventional titanium airframe structure with unidirectional boron-aluminum composite attached by brazing which has been successfully demonstrated based on compression tests of short skin-stringer panels. Improvements in structural performance exceeded 25% on an equivalent weight basis over the range from room temperature to 800 F, both in terms of initial buckling and maximum strengths. Room-temperature performance was not affected by prior exposure at 600 F for 1000 hours in air, or by 400 cycles between -65 and 600 F. The experimental results were generally predictable on the basis of existing analytical procedures. No evidence of failure was observed in the braze bond between the boron-aluminum composite and the titanium alloy.

Herring, H. W.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The 3D computation of single-expansion-ramp and scramjet nozzles

A description of the computations for three-dimensional nonaxisymmetric nozzles and an analysis of the flowfields are presented. Two different types of nozzles are investigated for compressible flows at high Reynolds numbers. These are the single-expansion-ramp and scramjet nozzles. The computation for the single-expansion-ramp nozzle focuses on the condition of low pressure ratio, which requires the simulation for turbulent flow that is not needed at high pressure ratios. The flowfield contains the external quiescent air, and the internal regions of subsonic and low supersonic flows. The second type is the scramjet nozzle, which typically has a very large area ratio and is designed to operate at high speeds and pressure ratios. The freestream external flow has a Mach number of 6, and the internal flow leaving the combustion chamber is at a Mach number of 1.62. The flowfield is mostly supersonic except in the viscous region near walls. The computed results from both cases are compared with experimental data for the surface pressure distributions.

Lai, H. T.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Deformation and Tensile Cyclic Fatigue of Plasma-Sprayed ZrO2-8wt% Y2O3 Thermal Barrier Coatings

Deformation (constitutive relations) of free-standing, thick thermal barrier coatings of sprayed ZrO2-8Wt% Y2O3 was determined at ambient temperature in both pure tension and pure compression using cylindrical bar test specimens. The material exhibited both significant nonlinearity and hysteresis in its load-strain curves, The load-strain relations in four-point uniaxial flexure were determined from tension and compression sides and were compared with individual pure tension and compression constitutive data. Effect of sintering on deformation behavior was significant, resulting in a dramatic change in constitutive relation. Cyclic fatigue testing of the coating material in tension-tension at room temperature showed an insignificant susceptibility to fatigue, similar to the slow crack growth behavior of the material in flexure in 800 C air.

Choi, Sung R.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Progress on the CO2 Removal and Compression System

The Carbon Dioxide Removal and Compression System (CRCS) is designed to perform both the Carbon Dioxide(CO2) removal and compress CO2 for further processing. The CRCS was designed as a lower power requirement option to the one currently being used on the International Space Station (ISS). This paper describes the final design, fabrication, assembly, and testing of the integrated CRCS. Initial results indicated that the spiral heaters used did not yield uniform heating within both the adsorption and compression beds. In addition, the heaters for the compression bed were insufficient and an additional HVAC jacket was employed to provide heat to the bed.

Air Revitalization↗
NASA NTRS1960

Measurements of Skin Friction of the Compressible Turbulent Boundary Layer on a Cone with Foreign Gas Injection

Measurements of average skin friction of the turbulent boundary layer have been made on a 15deg total included angle cone with foreign gas injection. Measurements of total skin-friction drag were obtained at free-stream Mach numbers of 0.3, 0.7, 3.5, and 4.7 and within a Reynolds number range from 0.9 x 10(exp 6) to 5.9 x 10(exp 6) with injection of helium, air, and Freon-12 (CCl2F2) through the porous wall. Substantial reductions in skin friction are realized with gas injection within the range of Mach numbers of this test. The relative reduction in skin friction is in accordance with theory-that is, the light gases are most effective when compared on a mass flow basis. There is a marked effect of Mach number on the reduction of average skin friction; this effect is not shown by the available theories. Limited transition location measurements indicate that the boundary layer does not fully trip with gas injection but that the transition point approaches a forward limit with increasing injection. The variation of the skin-friction coefficient, for the lower injection rates with natural transition, is dependent on the flow Reynolds number and type of injected gas; and at the high injection rates the skin friction is in fair agreement with the turbulent boundary layer results.

Pappas, Constantine C.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Polar Bear™ – Innovative Capture of Storage Tank Vapors

Polar Bear™ is a patented technology developed by the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) to capture storage tank vapors and eliminate methane emissions from upstream oil- and gas-producing facilities. Sparked by early commercial investment, the EERC licensed the technology and extended the intellectual property to storage tanks. Polar Bear™ is uniquely engineered and adapted to individual lower-producing facilities where there is otherwise no economic alternative for capturing tank vapors. A high number of small producing oil and gas wells are distributed across the country. The aggregate contributes to a significant volume of emissions. Because of the lack of economy of scale, gas volumes from these facilities are typically not recovered and contribute to methane emissions. Polar Bear™ provides a fit-for-purpose compression solution that addresses cost by reducing complexity with respect to conventional vapor recovery units and eliminating oil changes. Unique to Polar Bear™ is the capability to separate oxygenated gas from storage tank vapors. Storage tanks are designed to “breathe,” allowing gas to enter and escape during internal level and temperature changes. This infiltration of air into the tank headspace imparts undesirable oxygen content with respect to pipeline gathering. Polar Bear™ separates the vapor stream, allowing oxygen-rich gas to be used as fuel on-site while recovering the liquids-rich portion of the gas where oxygen content is minimized. A prototype system was tested to verify process models, evaluate operational performance, and advance the technology readiness level from 5 to 6. Results provide a good match between experimental measurements and process models, indicating the models are useful for future scale-up and field design. Various mixtures of nitrogen and liquefied petroleum gas were tested to understand the mass balance of nitrogen and how it relates to the potential control of oxygen content. Findings indicate that less than 2000 ppm of oxygen is likely to remain in the liquid portion of the gas in field applications. The research and development prepare the technology for field implementation to eliminate routine and fugitive methane emissions from storage tanks.

02 PETROLEUM↗
NASA NTRS1973

Flow in a porous nozzle with massive wall injection

An analytical and experimental investigation has been conducted to determine the effect of massive wall injection on the flow characteristics in a nozzle. The experiments were performed on a water table with a porous-nozzle test section. This had 45 deg and 15 deg half angles of convergence and divergence, respectively, throat radius of 2.5 inches, and throat width of 3 inches. The hydraulic analogy was employed to qualitatively extend the results to a compressible gas flow through the nozzle. An analysis of the water table flow was made using a one-dimensional flow assumption in the continuity and momentum equations. An analysis of a compressible flow in a nozzle was made in a manner analogous to that for the water flow. It is shown that the effect of blowing is to move the sonic position downstream of the geometric throat. Similar results were determined for the incompressible water table flow. Limited photographic results are presented for an injection of air, CO2, and Freon-12 into a main-stream air flow in a convergent-divergent nozzle. Schlieren photographs were used to visualize the flow.

Kinney, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Wave/current interaction model

The wave-current interaction for the application to remote sensing data via numerical simulations and data comparison is modelled. Using the field data of surface current shear, wind condition and ambient wave spectrum, the numerical simulations of directional wave spectrum evolution were used to interpret and to compare with the aircraft data from Radar Ocean Wave Spectrometer (ROWS) and Surface Contour Radar (SCR) across the front during Frontal Air Sea Interaction Experiment (FASINEX). The wave-ice interaction was inspired by the observation of large amplitude waves hundreds of kms inside the ice pack in the Weddell Sea, resulting in breakup of the ice pack. The developed analysis of processes includes the refraction of waves at the pack edge, the effects of pack compression on wave propagation, wave train stability and buckling stability in the ice pack. Sources of pack compression and interaction between wave momentum and pack compression are investigated. Viscous camping of propagating waves in the marginal ice zone are also studied. The analysis suggests an explanation for the change in wave dispersion observed from the ship and the sequence of processes that cause ice pack breakup, pressure ridge formation and the formation of open bands of water.

Liu, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1932

The Effect of Clearance Distribution on the Performance of a Compression-ignition Engine with a Precombustion Chamber

The clearance distribution in a precombustion chamber cylinder head was varied so that for a constant compression ratio of 13.5 the spherical auxiliary chambers contained 20, 35, 50, and 70 per cent of the total clearance volume. Each chamber was connected to the cylinder by a single circular passage, flared at both ends, and of a cross-sectional area proportional to the chamber volume, thereby giving the same calculated air-flow velocity through each passage. Results of engine-performance tests are presented with variations of power, fuel consumption, explosion pressure, rate of pressure rise, ignition lag, heat loss to the cooling water, and motoring characteristics. For good performance the minimum auxiliary chamber volume, with the cylinder head design used, was 35 per cent of the total clearance volume; for larger volumes the performance improves but slightly. With the auxiliary chamber that contained 35 percent of the clearance volume there were obtained the lowest explosion pressures, medium rates of pressure rise, and slightly less than the maximum power. For all clearance distributions an increase in engine speed decreased the ignition lag in seconds and increased the rate of pressure rise.

Moore, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Ambiguities in the retrieval of rain rates from radar returns at attenuating wavelengths

It is well-known that there are significant deterministic ambiguities inherent in trying to determine the particular rain rate profile which produced some given sequence of air- or space-borne radar echo powers at a single attenuating frequency. We quantify these ambiguities mathematically, and examine their effect on various proposed rain-rate profile retrieval algorithms. When the given data consist of a single radiometer measurement together with a single-look-angle single-frequency set of range-compressed echo powers, we show that several substantially different rain profiles can realistically be considered solutions. On the other hand, if the data consist of a single-look-angle two-frequency set of echo powers, the inversion problem generically has a unique solution. We note that traditional 'back-of-the-envelope' arguments can be quite misleading in assessing the extent of the ambiguity, even in the simplest cases.

Haddad, Z. S.↗
NASA NTRS1946

Altitude-Wind-Tunnel Investigation of Oil-System Performance of XR-4360-8 Engine in XTB2D-1 Airplane

An investigation was conducted in the Cleveland altitude wind tunnel to determine the aerodynamic characteristics and the oil delivery critical altitude of the oil-cooler installation of an XTB2D-1 airplane. The investigation was made with the propeller removed end with the engine operating at 1800 brake horsepower, an altitude of 15,000 feet (except for tests of oil-delivery critical altitude), oil-cooler flap deflections from -20 degrees to 20 degrees and inclinations of the thrust axis of 0 degrees, 1.5 degrees, and 6 degrees. At an inclination of the thrust axis of 0 degrees and with the propeller operating, the total-pressure recovery coefficient at the face of the oil cooler varied from 0.84 to 1.10 depending on the flap deflection. With the propeller removed, the best pressure recovery at the face of the oil cooler was obtained at an inclination of the thrust axis of 1.5 degrees. Air-flow separation occurred on the inner surface of the upper lip of the oil-cooler duct inlet at an inclination of the thrust axis of 0 degrees and on the inner surface of the lower lip at 6 degrees. Static pressure coefficients over the duct lips were sufficiently low that no trouble from compressibility would be encountered in level flight. The oil-delivery critical altitude at cruising power (2230 rpm, 1675 bhp) was approximately 18,500 feet for the oil system tested.

Conrad, E. William↗
NASA NTRS2014

Development of the Glenn-HT Computer Code to Enable Time-Filtered Navier-Stokes (TFNS) Simulations and Application to Film Cooling on a Flat Plate Through Long Cooling Tubes

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis using Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) formulation for turbomachinery-related flows has enabled improved engine component designs. RANS methodology has limitations which are related to its inability to accurately describe the spectrum of flow phenomena encountered in engines. Examples of flows that are difficult to compute accurately with RANS include phenomena such as laminarturbulent transition, turbulent mixing due to mixing of streams, and separated flows. Large eddy simulation (LES) can improve accuracy but at a considerably higher cost. In recent years, hybrid schemes which take advantage of both unsteady RANS and LES have been proposed. This study investigated an alternative scheme, the time-filtered Navier-Stokes (TFNS) method applied to compressible flows. The method developed by Shih and Liu was implemented in the Glenn-HT code and applied to film cooling flows. In this report the method and its implementation is briefly described. The film effectiveness results obtained for film cooling from a row of 30 holes with a pitch of 3.0 diameters emitting air at a nominal density ratio of unity and four blowing ratios of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 are shown. Flow features under those conditions are also described.

infrared↗