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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.

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At least 991 records · Page 55
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Numerical Study Comparing RANS and LES Approaches on a Circulation Control Airfoil

A numerical study over a nominally two-dimensional circulation control airfoil is performed using a large-eddy simulation code and two Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes codes. Different Coanda jet blowing conditions are investigated. In addition to investigating the influence of grid density, a comparison is made between incompressible and compressible flow solvers. The incompressible equations are found to yield negligible differences from the compressible equations up to at least a jet exit Mach number of 0.64. The effects of different turbulence models are also studied. Models that do not account for streamline curvature effects tend to predict jet separation from the Coanda surface too late, and can produce non-physical solutions at high blowing rates. Three different turbulence models that account for streamline curvature are compared with each other and with large eddy simulation solutions. All three models are found to predict the Coanda jet separation location reasonably well, but one of the models predicts specific flow field details near the Coanda surface prior to separation much better than the other two. All Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computations produce higher circulation than large eddy simulation computations, with different stagnation point location and greater flow acceleration around the nose onto the upper surface. The precise reasons for the higher circulation are not clear, although it is not solely a function of predicting the jet separation location correctly.

Rumsey, Christopher L.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Thermodynamics of Gas Turbine Cycles with Analytic Derivatives in OpenMDAO

A new equilibrium thermodynamics analysis tool was built based on the CEA method using the OpenMDAO framework. The new tool provides forward and adjoint analytic derivatives for use with gradient based optimization algorithms. The new tool was validated against the original CEA code to ensure an accurate analysis and the analytic derivatives were validated against finite-difference approximations. Performance comparisons between analytic and finite difference methods showed a significant speed advantage for the analytic methods. To further test the new analysis tool, a sample optimization was performed to find the optimal air-fuel equivalence ratio, , maximizing combustion temperature for a range of different pressures. Collectively, the results demonstrate the viability of the new tool to serve as the thermodynamic backbone for future work on a full propulsion modeling tool.

Propulsion↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Validation of a Multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics Model for Vapor Pull-Through in Normal and Low Gravity

On-orbit fluid transfer such as refueling of propellant tanks and life-support systems can enable long-duration space missions. For safe and efficient liquid transfer operations, prior knowledge of liquid positioning and liquid-vapor interface behavior while draining in a low-gravity environment is required. Numerical models capable of predicting vapor ingestion (or vapor pull-through) can be used to design liquid transfer operations while reducing liquid residuals, mission risk and settling thrust required to prevent vapor ingestion. An experimental program conducted in the 2.2 Second Drop Tower facility at NASA Glenn Research Center investigated the vapor ingestion phenomenon for a range of outflow rates and tank sizes providing a database for validation. This study presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics model capable of accurately predicting the vapor ingestion using the Volume-of-Fluid multiphase solver in commercial code STAR-CCM+. A description of the experimental setup and general trends from similar studies are presented. Comparisons of the numerical prediction and test data in normal and low gravity show good agreement and give confidence in pursuing design of full-scale propellant transfer systems.

Computational Fluid Dynamics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Validation of a Multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics Model for Vapor Pull-Through in Normal and Low Gravity

On-orbit fluid transfer such as refueling of propellant tanks and life-support systems can enable long-duration space missions. For safe and efficient liquid transfer operations, prior knowledge of liquid positioning and liquid-vapor interface behavior while draining in a reduced-gravity environment is required. Numerical models capable of predicting vapor ingestion (or vapor pull-through) can be used to design liquid transfer operations while reducing liquid residuals, mission risk and settling thrust required to prevent vapor ingestion. An experimental program conducted in the 2.2 Second Drop Tower facility at NASA Lewis Research Center in 1969 investigated the vapor ingestion phenomenon for a range of outflow rates and tank sizes providing a database for validation. This study presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics model capable of accurately predicting the vapor ingestion using the Volume-of-Fluid multiphase solver in commercial code STAR-CCM+. A description of the experimental setup and general trends from similar studies are presented. Comparisons of the numerical prediction and test data in normal and low gravity show good agreement and give confidence in pursuing design of full-scale propellant transfer systems.

Computational Fluid Dynamics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Validation of A Multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics Model for Vapor Pull-Through in Normal and Low Gravity

On-orbit fluid transfer such as refueling of propellant tanks and life-support systems can enable long-duration space missions. For safe and efficient liquid transfer operations, prior knowledge of liquid positioning and liquid-vapor interface behavior while draining in a reduced-gravity environment is required. Numerical models capable of predicting vapor ingestion (or vapor pull-through) can be used to design liquid transfer operations while reducing liquid residuals, mission risk and settling thrust required to prevent vapor ingestion. An experimental program conducted in the 2.2 Second Drop Tower facility at NASA Lewis Research Center in 1969 investigated the vapor ingestion phenomenon for a range of outflow rates and tank sizes providing a database for validation. This study presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics model capable of accurately predicting the vapor ingestion using the Volume-of-Fluid multiphase solver in commercial code STAR-CCM+. A description of the experimental setup and general trends from similar studies are presented. Comparisons of the numerical prediction and test data in normal and low gravity show good agreement and give confidence in pursuing design of full-scale propellant transfer systems.

Propellant Transfer↗
NASA NTRS1988

Accurate solutions, parameter studies and comparisons for the Euler and potential flow equations

Parameter studies are conducted using the Euler and potential flow equation models for unsteady and steady flows in both two and three dimensions. The Euler code is an implicit, upwind, finite volume code which uses the Van Leer method of flux-vector-splitting which has been recently extended for use on dynamic meshes and maintain all the properties of the original splitting. The potential flow code is an implicit, finite difference method for solving the transonic small disturbance equations and incorporates both entropy and vorticity corrections into the solution procedures thereby extending its applicability into regimes where shock strength normally precludes its use. Parameter studies resulting in benchmark type calculations include the effects of spatial and temporal refinement, spatial order of accuracy, far field boundary conditions for steady flow, frequency of oscillation, and the use of subiterations at each time step to reduce linearization and factorization errors. Comparisons between Euler and potential flows results are made as well as with experimental data where available.

Anderson, W. Kyle↗
NASA NTRS1988

Accurate solutions, parameter studies and comparisons for the Euler and potential flow equations

Parameter studies are conducted using the Euler and potential flow equation models for steady and unsteady flows in both two and three dimensions. The Euler code is an implicit, upwind, finite volume code which uses the Van Leer method of flux vector splitting which has been recently extended for use on dynamic meshes and maintain all the properties of the original splitting. The potential flow code is an implicit, finite difference method for solving the transonic small disturbance equations and incorporates both entropy and vorticity corrections into the solution procedures thereby extending its applicability into regimes where shock strength normally precludes its use. Parameter studies resulting in benchmark type calculations include the effects of spatial and temporal refinement, spatial order of accuracy, far field boundary conditions for steady flow, frequency of oscillation, and the use of subiterations at each time step to reduce linearization and factorization errors. Comparisons between Euler and potential flow results are made, as well as with experimental data where available.

Anderson, W. Kyle↗
NASA NTRS1978

Carbonaceous materials subjected to extreme heating - A comparison of numerical simulation and experiments

The ablation of carbonaceous materials in a hydrogen-helium stream has been simulated using a charring materials ablator computer code. These results are compared with the first ablation data to be obtained from the Ames-NASA Giant Planet Pilot Facility. Test stream diagnostics and ablation effects on convective and radiative heat transfer are discussed since these parameters constitute important input data to the numerical simulation. Graphite ablation was predicted to within 10 to 20%, and carbon-phenolic somewhat less accurately.

Davy, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Comparison of methods for prediction of transition by stability analysis

The paper compares several methods of transition prediction of linear stability analysis. The spectral stability analysis code SALLY is used to analyze flows over laminar flow control wings. It is shown that transition prediction by the envelope method and a new modified wave packet method are comparable in reliability, but that the envelope method is more efficient computationally. This is based on the results which show that the wave packet method provides N factors which are at best as consistent as those of the envelope method; since the wave packet method is at least 3 times as expensive as the envelope method, the latter is recommended for engineering design calculations.

Malik, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

A fast, exact code for scattered thermal radiation compared with a two-stream approximation

A two-stream accuracy study for internally (thermal) driven problems is presented by comparison with a recently developed 'exact' adding/doubling method. The resulting errors in external (or boundary) radiative intensity and flux are usually larger than those for the externally driven problems and vary substantially with the radiative parameters. Error predictions for a specific problem are difficult. An unexpected result is that the exact method is computationally as fast as the two-stream approximation for nonisothermal media.

Cogley, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Experimental and analytical comparison of flowfields in a 110 N (25 Lbf) H2/O2 rocket

A gaseous hydrogen/gaseous oxygen 110 N (25 lbf) rocket has been examined through the RPLUS code using the full Navier-Stokes equations with finite-rate chemistry. Performance tests were conducted on the rocket in an altitude test facility. Preliminary parametric analyses have been performed for a range of mixture ratios and fuel film cooling percentages. It is shown that the computed values of specific impulse and characteristic exhaust velocity follow the trend of the experimental data. Specific impulse computed by the code is lower than the comparable test values by about two to three percent. The computed characteristic exhaust velocity values are lower than the comparable test values by three to four percent. Thrust coefficients computed by the code are found to be within two percent of the measured values. It is concluded that the discrepancy between computed and experimental performance values could not be attributed to experimental uncertainty.

Reed, Brian D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Analysis of axisymmetric body effects on rotor aerodynamics using modified slender body theory

A modified slender body theory was used in modelling the flowfield around an axisymmetric body at zero angle of attack. The model was defined in an attempt to characterize body-induced effects on helicopter rotor performance and loading using efficient computation methods. The streamfunction for an axial source distribution was applied in the body model, which was then adapted to the helicopter analysis code (CAMRAD). The body-induced velocities were calculated for separate locations on the rotor disk. Three different rotor models in nonuniform inflow with a free wake geometry were considered. Comparison of predictions with data on ellipsoidal and axisymmetric bodies showed good agreement for moderately thick ellipsoidal bodies. Oscillatory blade bending moments were increased by the presence of the body, but overall performance impact was negligible. Computational efficiency was 10-20 percent better than with a potential flow panel code.

Yamauchi, G. K.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A comparison of analytical results for 20 K LOX/hydrogen instabilities

Test data from NASA Lewis' Effect of Thrust Per Element on Combustion Stability Characteristics of Hydrogen-Oxygen Rocket Engines test program are used to validate two recently released stability analysis tools. The first tool is a design methodology called ROCCID (ROCket Combustor Interactive Design). ROCCID is an interactive design and analysis methodology that uses existing performance and combustion stability analysis codes. The second tool is HICCIP (High frequency Injection Coupled Combustion Instability Program). HICCIP is a recently developed combustion stability analysis model. Using a matrix of models, results from analytic comparisons with 20 K LOX/H2 experimental data are presented.

Klem, Mark D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A comparison of analytical results for 20 K LOX/hydrogen instabilities

Test data from NASA Lewis' Effect of Thrust Per Element on Combustion Stability Characteristics of Hydrogen-Oxygen Rocket Engines test program are used to validate two recently released stability analysis tools. The first tool is a design methodology called ROCCID (ROCket Combustor Interactive Design). ROCCID is an interactive design and analysis methodology that uses existing performance and combustion stability analysis codes. The second tool is HICCIP (High frequency Injection Coupled Combustion Instability Program). HICCIP is a recently developed combustion stability analysis model. Using a matrix of models, results from analytic comparisons with 20 K LOX/H2 experimental data are presented.

Klem, Mark D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Pressure distributions and shock shapes for a bent-nose biconic at incidence

Initial results of a NASA study of the lift-drag characteristics of a 12.84/7 deg biconic model intended for airbraking during atmospheric entry of probes to Mars, Venus, Saturn, and Titan are reported. Pressure distributions and shock shapes were measured in the Langley 20 in. Mach 6 tunnel with the spherically blunted bent-nose model set at angles from 0-25 deg. Pressure distributions and shock shapes where computed using the STEIN flowfield code, which features a MacCormack scheme to integrate the three-dimensional Euler equations, the Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions to model shock waves as discontinuities, and requires a supersonic condition at every step. A comparison was made between measured and predicted values. The leeward shock angle was found to be predictable to within 3% for all angles of attack, while parabolized Navier-Stokes equations are regarded as offering more accurate results than the STEIN code for surface pressure distributions.

Miller, C. G., III↗
NASA NTRS2005

Advanced Small Perturbation Potential Flow Theory for Unsteady Aerodynamic and Aeroelastic Analyses

An advanced small perturbation (ASP) potential flow theory has been developed to improve upon the classical transonic small perturbation (TSP) theories that have been used in various computer codes. These computer codes are typically used for unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic analyses in the nonlinear transonic flight regime. The codes exploit the simplicity of stationary Cartesian meshes with the movement or deformation of the configuration under consideration incorporated into the solution algorithm through a planar surface boundary condition. The new ASP theory was developed methodically by first determining the essential elements required to produce full-potential-like solutions with a small perturbation approach on the requisite Cartesian grid. This level of accuracy required a higher-order streamwise mass flux and a mass conserving surface boundary condition. The ASP theory was further developed by determining the essential elements required to produce results that agreed well with Euler solutions. This level of accuracy required mass conserving entropy and vorticity effects, and second-order terms in the trailing wake boundary condition. Finally, an integral boundary layer procedure, applicable to both attached and shock-induced separated flows, was incorporated for viscous effects. The resulting ASP potential flow theory, including entropy, vorticity, and viscous effects, is shown to be mathematically more appropriate and computationally more accurate than the classical TSP theories. The formulaic details of the ASP theory are described fully and the improvements are demonstrated through careful comparisons with accepted alternative results and experimental data. The new theory has been used as the basis for a new computer code called ASP3D (Advanced Small Perturbation - 3D), which also is briefly described with representative results.

Batina, John T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Calculation of transonic steady and oscillatory pressures on a low aspect ratio model and comparison with experiment

Pressure data measured by the British Royal Aircraft Establishment for the AGARD SMP tailplane are compared with results calculated using the transonic small perturbation code XTRAN3S. A brief description of the analysis is given and a recently developed finite difference grid is described. Results are presented for five steady and nine harmonically oscillating cases near zero angle of attack and for a range of subsonic and transonic Mach numbers.

Bennett, R. M.↗