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At least 1,009 records · Page 56
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Experimental evaluation of honeycomb/screen configurations and short contraction section for NASA Lewis Research Center's altitude wind tunnel

An experimental investigation was conducted in the high speed leg of the 0.1 scale model of the proposed Altitude Wind Tunnel to evaluate flow conditioner configurations in the settling chamber and their effect on the flow through the short contraction section. The lowest longitudinal turbulence intensity measured at the contraction-section entrance, 1.2%, was achieved with a honeycomb plus three fine-mesh screens. Turbulence intensity in the test section was estimated to be between 0.1 and 0.2% with the honeycomb plus three fine mesh screens in the settling chamber. Adding screens, however, adversely affected the total pressure profile, causing a small defect near the centerline at the contraction section entrance. No significant boundary layer separation was evident in the short contraction section.

Burley, Richard R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

An experimental study of the properties of surface pressure fluctuations for separating turbulent boundary layers

Noise generated by helicopter and turbomachine rotors is a nuisance that designers would like to predict and to minimize within other design constraints. A key element for the noise calculation procedure is knowledge relating the flowfield structure to the surface pressure fluctuation structure. Surface pressure fluctuation data for zero-pressure-gradient and accelerating turbulent boundary layers were obtained. The zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers were examined with freestream velocities of 72 and 105 fps. Mean and fluctuation velocity profiles and streamwise velocity spectra and wavespeeds were obtained for momentum thickness Reynolds numbers up to 18000 for the zero-pressure-gradient case and up to 4000 for the favorable-pressure-gradient case. The wall shearing stress was estimated from a Clauser plot of the near wall data. It is clear that turbulent pressure fluctuations are produced by turbulent velocity fluctuations. Detailed simultaneous measurements of all of these fluctuations are needed to determine in more detail the structural relationships between velocity and pressure fields. Although some measurements were made for unseparated flows, none were made for separated flows.

Simpson, Roger L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Inflectional instabilities in the wall region of bounded turbulent shear flows

The primary thrust of this research was to identify one or more mechanisms responsible for strong turbulence production events in the wall region of bounded turbulent shear flows. Based upon previous work in a transitional boundary layer, it seemed highly probable that the production events were preceded by an inflectional velocity profile which formed on the interface between the low-speed streak and the surrounding fluid. In bounded transitional flows, this unstable profile developed velocity fluctuations in the streamwise direction and in the direction perpendicular to the sheared surface. The rapid growth of these instabilities leads to a breakdown and production of turbulence. Since bounded turbulent flows have many of the same characteristics, they may also experience a similar type of breakdown and turbulence production mechanism.

Swearingen, Jerry D.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Evaluation of water vapor distribution in general circulation models using satellite observations

This paper presents a comparison of the water vapor distribution obtained from two general circulation models, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Model (CCM), with satellite observations of total precipitable water (TPW) from Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and upper tropospheric relative humidity (UTH) from GOES. Overall, both models are successful in capturing the primary features of the observed water vapor distribution and its seasonal variation. For the ECMWF model, however, a systematic moist bias in TPW is noted over well-known stratocumulus regions in the eastern subtropical oceans. Comparison with radiosonde profiles suggests that this problem is attributable to difficulties in modeling the shallowness of the boundary layer and large vertical water vapor gradients which characterize these regions. In comparison, the CCM is more successful in capturing the low values of TPW in the stratocumulus regions, although it tends to exhibit a dry bias over the eastern half of the subtropical oceans and a corresponding moist bias in the western half. The CCM also significantly overestimates the daily variability of the moisture fields in convective regions, suggesting a problem in simulating the temporal nature of moisture transport by deep convection. Comparison of the monthly mean UTH distribution indicates generally larger discrepancies than were noted for TPW owing to the greater influence of large-scale dynamical processes in determining the distribution of UTH. In particular, the ECMWF model exhibits a distinct dry bias along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and a moist bias over the subtropical descending branches of the Hadley cell, suggesting an underprediction in the strength of the Hadley circulation. The CCM, on the other hand, demonstrates greater discrepancies in UTH than are observed for the ECMWF model, but none that are as clearly correlated with well-known features of the large-scale circulation.

Soden, Brian J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) for the ICESat Mission

The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) is a new generation lidar and is the primary science payload for NASA's ICESat Mission. The GLAS design combines a 10 cm precision surface lidar with a sensitive dual wavelength cloud and aerosol lidar. GLAS will precisely measure the heights of the Earth's polar ice sheets, establish a grid of accurate height profiles of the Earth's land topography, and profile the vertical distribution of clouds and aerosols on a global scale. GLAS will be integrated onto a small spacecraft built by Ball Aerospace, and will be launched into a polar orbit with a 590-630 km altitude at an inclination of 94 degrees. ICESat is is currently planned to launch in winter 2002/03 and GLAS is designed to operate continuously in space for a minimum of 3 years. GLAS will measure the vertical distance from orbit to the Earth's surface with pulses from a ND:YAG laser at a 40 Hz rate. Each 6 nsec wide 1064 nm laser pulse is used to produce a single range measurement. On the surface, the laser footprints have 66 m diameter and approx. 170 m center-center spacings. The GLAS receiver uses a I m diameter telescope to detect laser backscatter and a Si APD to detect the 1064 nm signals. The detector's output is sampled by a digital ranging receiver, which records each transmitted pulse and surface echo waveform with 1 nsec (15 cm) resolution. Each echo pulse is digitized and is reported to ground with a record length of from 200 to 544 samples, depending on the spacecraft's location . The GLAS location and epoch times are measured by a precision GPS receiver carried on the ICESat spacecraft. Initial processing of the echo waveforms within GLAS permits discrimination between cloud and surface echoes for selecting appropriate waveform samples. This selection is guided by an on-board DEM which is used to set the boundaries for the echo pulse search algorithm. Subsequent ground-based echo pulse analysis, along with GPS-based clock frequency estimates, permit final determination of the range to the surface, degree of pulse spreading, and vertical distribution of any vegetation illuminated by the laser. Accurate knowledge of the laser beam's pointing angle is needed to prevent height biases when measuring over tilted surfaces, such as near the boundaries of ice sheets. For surfaces with 2 deg. slopes, knowledge of pointing angle of the beam's centroid angle to better than 10 urad is needed. GLAS uses a stellar reference system (SRS) to measure the pointing angle of each laser firing relative to inertial space. The SRS uses a high precision star camera oriented toward local zenith and a gyroscope to determine the inertial orientation of the SRS optical bench. The far field pattern of each laser is measured pulse relative to the star camera with a laser reference system (LRS). GLAS will also measure the vertical distributions of clouds and aerosols by recording the vertical profiles of laser pulse backscatter at both 1064 and 532 nm. The 1064 rim measurements use the Si APD detector and will be used to measure the height and echo pulse shape from thicker clouds. The lidar receiver at 532 nm uses a narrow bandwidth etalon filter and highly sensitive photon counting detectors. The 532 nm backscatter profiles will be used to measure the vertical extent of thinner clouds and the atmospheric boundary layer. The GLAS instrument component development is complete and the instrument is undergoing final testing and qualification at NASA-Goddard. The GLAS "as-built" characteristics and its expected measurement performance will be discussed.

Abshire, James B.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Mini-TES Observations of the Gusev and Meridiani Landing Sites

The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) has provided remote measurements of the mineralogy and thermophysical properties of the scene surrounding the Mars Exploration Rovers. The specific scientific objectives of this investigation are to: (1) determine the mineralogy of rocks and soils; (2) determine the thermophysical properties of surface materials; and (3) determine the temperature profile, dust and water-ice opacity, and water vapor abundance in the lower atmospheric boundary layer.

Christensen, Philip↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The NASA TEMPO Mission: Hourly Daytime Air Pollution Observations for Enhanced Health and Air Quality Applications

The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) mission was launched into Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) to 91°W longitude on April 7, 2023, and had a successful 3-day First Light period starting July 31 with TEMPO making its first hourly daytime scans across the TEMPO Field of Regard (FoR) covering greater North America on August 2. TEMPO will provide hourly daytime observations of aerosols and trace gases, including criteria pollutants of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3), at high spatial resolution (e.g., 2.0 x 4.75 km2) across the FoR. The hyperspectral ultraviolet-to-visible measurements from the TEMPO imaging grating spectrometer will enable an O3 profile product capable of monitoring the daytime diurnal evolution of O3 pollution in the planetary boundary layer and assessing related health impacts. The non-standard or special scan operations of TEMPO at sub-hourly frequency (e.g., 2-10 minutes) over selected slices of the FoR will further enhance air quality monitoring capabilities during disasters (e.g., wildfires, volcanic eruptions, dust storms, industrial accidents) and other episodic events for better understanding emission sources and the evolution of harmful air pollutants. A large diversity of stakeholders and end-users have been engaged in the TEMPO Early Adopters Program, supported by the NASA Applied Sciences Program, which aims to enhance health and air quality applications and maximize the societal benefit of TEMPO data. Key outcomes from the Early Adopters Program include enhanced knowledge and preparation for using TEMPO data, tailoring the data dissemination and visualization tools for TEMPO based on user needs, and broadening the health and air quality applications facet of the mission. This presentation will provide the latest TEMPO mission and Early Adopters Program updates, insight into the health and air quality applications enabled through TEMPO data, and showcase the First Light NO2 imagery and provisional data from the mission.

Remote Sensing↗
NASA NTRS1986

Computation of turbulent boundary layer flows with an algebraic stress turbulence model

An algebraic stress turbulence model is presented, characterized by the following: (1) the eddy viscosity expression is derived from the Reynolds stress turbulence model; (2) the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate equation is improved by including a production range time scale; and (3) the diffusion coefficients for turbulence equations are adjusted so that the kinetic energy profile extends further into the free stream region found in most experimental data. The turbulent flow equations were solved using a finite element method. Examples include: fully developed channel flow, fully developed pipe flow, flat plate boundary layer flow, plane jet exhausting into a moving stream, circular jet exhausting into a moving stream, and wall jet flow. Computational results compare favorably with experimental data for most of the examples considered. Significantly improved results were obtained for the plane jet flow, the circular jet flow, and the wall jet flow; whereas the remainder are comparable to those obtained by finite difference methods using the standard kappa-epsilon turbulence model. The latter seems to be promising with further improvement of the expression for the eddy viscosity coefficient.

Kim, Sang-Wook↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dynamic Adjustment of Model Parameters Using Assimilated Boundary Layer Height

The NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office is exploring the assimilation of boundary layer height (PBLH) derived from a variety of observations, including radiosondes, GNSS-RO, space- and ground-based lidar, and radar wind profilers. Previous work using the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) has shown that within the lower troposphere, the representation of thermodynamic structure is strongly affected by model parameterizations. In assimilation experiments, parameterizations can compensate for analysis thermodynamic increments and reduce the observation information carried forward in time. To mitigate this effect, the present study explores a dynamic parameter adjustment based on the PBLH analysis field. The PBLH analysis increment is used to adjust model parameters that influence the depth of parameterized boundary layer mixing in both stable and convective regimes. Replay (nudging) experiments and cycled data assimilation experiments are used to evaluate the approach. The parameter adjustment is shown to reduce model compensation of the analysis thermodynamic tendencies and bring model parameterized mixing depths into closer agreement with observed PBLH.

Nathan Arnold↗
NASA NTRS1982

Turbulent boundary layer over solid and porous surfaces with small roughness

The wind tunnel models and instrumentation used as well as data reduction and error analysis techniques employed are described for an experimental study conducted to measure directly skin friction and obtain profiles of mean velocity, axial and normal turbulence intensity, and Reynolds stress in the untripped boundary on a large diameter axisymmetric body. Results are given for such a body with a (1) smooth, solid surface; (2) a sandpaper roughened, solid surface; (3) a sintered metal, porous surface; (4) a ""smooth'' performated titanium surface; (5) a rough, solid surface made of fine diffusion bonded screening; and (6) a rough, porous surface made of the same screening. The roughness values were in low range (k+ 5 to 7) just above what is normally considered ""hydraulically smooth''. Measurements were taken at several axial locations and tow or normal stream freestream velocities, 45.1 m/sec and 53.5 m/sec.

Kong, F. Y.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Laminarization of Turbulent Boundary Layer on Flexible and Rigid Surfaces

An investigation of the control of turbulent boundary layer flow over flexible and rigid surfaces downstream of a concave-convex geometry has been made. The concave-convex curvature induces centrifugal forces and a pressure gradient on the growth of the turbulent boundary layer. The favorable gradient is not sufficient to overcome the unfavorable; thus, the net effect is a destabilizing, of the flow into Gortler instabilities. This study shows that control of the turbulent boundary layer and structural loading can be successfully achieved by using localized surface heating because the subsequent cooling and geometrical shaping downstream over a favorable pressure gradient is effective in laminarization of the turbulence. Wires embedded in a thermally insulated substrate provide surface heating. The laminarized velocity profile adjusts to a lower Reynolds number, and the structure responds to a lower loading. In the laminarization, the turbulent energy is dissipated by molecular transport by both viscous and conductivity mechanisms. Laminarization reduces spanwise vorticity because of the longitudinal cooling gradient of the sublayer profile. The results demonstrate that the curvature-induced mean pressure gradient enhances the receptivity of the flow to localized surface heating, a potentially viable mechanism to laminarize turbulent boundary layer flow; thus, the flow reduces the response of the flexible structure and the resultant sound radiation.

Maestrello, Lucio↗
DOE OSTI2023

Scalar Flux Profiles in the Unstable Atmospheric Surface Layer Under the Influence of Large Eddies: Implications for Eddy Covariance Flux Measurements and the Non‐Closure Problem

How convective boundary-layer (CBL) processes modify fluxes of sensible (SH) and latent (LH) heat and CO 2 (F c ) in the atmospheric surface layer (ASL) remains a recalcitrant problem. Here, large eddy simulations for the CBL show that while SH in the ASL decreases linearly with height regardless of soil moisture conditions, LH and F c decrease linearly with height over wet soils but increase with height over dry soils. This varying flux divergence/convergence is regulated by changes in asymmetric flux transport between top-down and bottom-up processes. Such flux divergence and convergence indicate that turbulent fluxes measured in the ASL underestimate and overestimate the “true” surface interfacial fluxes, respectively. While the non-closure of the surface energy balance persists across all soil moisture states, it improves over drier soils due to overestimated LH. The non-closure does not imply that F c is always underestimated; F c can be overestimated over dry soils despite the non-closure issue.

Geology↗
NASA NTRS2021

Performance Assessment of the Eastern Range False Cape 915-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler

The United States Space Force (USSF) is responsible for space vehicle launches at its Eastern Range (ER), which includes the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). Multiple systems are used to measure the atmosphere at the ER, including suites of Doppler Radar Wind Profilers (DRWPs) operating at 915 MHz that measure winds within the lowest few kilometers of the atmosphere. Observations of boundary layer winds can be used for multiple applications, including serving as input to toxic dispersion models and characterizing winds for low-level aborts. The USSF upgraded the False Cape DRWP, which collected data during the autumn of 2020. The USSF also requested NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Natural Environments Branch (NE) to evaluate wind output from this DRWP system. This report describes the system and the analyses that MSFC NE conducted to demonstrate the system’s wind accuracy relative to balloons from the Automated Meteorological Profiling System (AMPS), data availability, and effective vertical resolution (EVR).

BJ Barbre↗
DOE OSTI2026

Improving High Resolution Offshore Wind Resource Assessments and Forecasts using Observations in the MA/RI Lease Areas

The third Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP3) sought to improve understanding of the physical phenomena in the atmosphere and ocean that dictate the structure and variability of wind and thermodynamic fields within the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL). WFIP3 conducted a comprehensive 18-month observational study over the Northeast U.S. outer continental shelf, a high use coastal zone, using a 3-D multiscale sensor array to highly resolve the temporal, vertical, and horizontal structure of the coupled atmospheric and oceanic boundary layers. Multiple land-based study sites adjacent to the coastal ocean observed surface meteorology and vertical profiles of atmospheric properties via passive infrared and microwave radiometers, active lidars and radars, and radiosondes. At sea, an array of surface flux buoys and two vertical profiling lidar buoys observed both atmospheric and oceanic properties, augmented by land-based oceanographic radar systems and routine ship-based surveys. Intensive observations of the MABL over the ocean was done from an air-sea interaction flux tower and extended deployments of a large barge platform. WFIP3 focused on mesoscale and sub-mesoscale flows -- including sea breezes, low-level jets, low-level clouds, and coastal storms -- and the ability of advanced numerical model parameterizations to represent them within fully coupled oceanic and atmospheric modeling systems and foundational weather forecast models. Numerous critical forecasting phenomena were observed, however the project was terminated prior to the completion of the field observational period and the analysis period.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1997

A Balloon-Borne Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter

A balloon-borne instrument was constructed for observations of vertical profiles of cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) concentrations, active at 1% supersaturation. Droplet concentration in the static thermal-gradient diffusion chamber is deduced from the amount of scattered laser light detected by a photodetector. The photodetector is calibrated using a video camera and computer system to count the number of droplets produced from NaCl aerosol. Preliminary data are available from nine early morning profiles obtained at Laramie, Wyoming, between June 1995 and January 1997. To complement the CCN measurements, instruments that measure condensation nuclei (CN) and aerosols with diameter greater than 0.30 micrometers (D(sub 0.3) were also included on the balloon package. CCN concentrations exhibited a general decrease from the surface to the top of the boundary layers, were generally uniform through well-mixed layers, and show variability above well-mixed layers. In general, the structure of the CCN profile appears to be closely related to the structure in the CN and D(sub 0.3) profiles. Summer profiles generally have CCN concentration greater than 200/cu cm up to 500 mbar, whereas winter profiles are less than 200/cu cm at all levels.

Delene, David J.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Performance Assessment of the Eastern Range Titusville-Cocoa 915-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler

The United States Space Force (USSF) is responsible for space vehicle launches at its Eastern Range (ER), which includes the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). Multiple systems are used to measure the atmosphere at the ER, including suites of Doppler Radar Wind Profilers (DRWPs)that operate at 915MHz and measure winds within the lowest few kilometers of the atmosphere. Observations of boundary layer winds can be used for multiple applications, including serving as input to toxic dispersion models and characterizing winds for low-level aborts. The USSF upgraded the Titusville-Cocoa(TICO)DRWP, which collected data during the spring and summer of 2020. The USSF also requested NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Natural Environments Branch (NE) to evaluate wind output from this DRWP system. This report describes the system and the analyses that MSFC NE conducted to demonstrate the system’s wind accuracy relative to balloons from the Automated Meteorological Profiling System (AMPS), data availability, and effective vertical resolution (EVR).

B. J. Barbre↗
NASA NTRS1975

Theoretical and experimental study of a new method for prediction of profile drag of airfoil sections

Theoretical and experimental studies are described which were conducted for the purpose of developing a new generalized method for the prediction of profile drag of single component airfoil sections with sharp trailing edges. This method aims at solution for the flow in the wake from the airfoil trailing edge to the large distance in the downstream direction; the profile drag of the given airfoil section can then easily be obtained from the momentum balance once the shape of velocity profile at a large distance from the airfoil trailing edge has been computed. Computer program subroutines have been developed for the computation of the profile drag and flow in the airfoil wake on CDC6600 computer. The required inputs to the computer program consist of free stream conditions and the characteristics of the boundary layers at the airfoil trailing edge or at the point of incipient separation in the neighborhood of airfoil trailing edge. The method described is quite generalized and hence can be extended to the solution of the profile drag for multi-component airfoil sections.

Goradia, S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Dynamic behavior of an unsteady trubulent boundary layer

Experiments on an unsteady turbulent boundary layer are reported in which the upstream portion of the flow is steady (in the mean) and in the downstream region, the boundary layer sees a linearly decreasing free stream velocity. This velocity gradient oscillates in time, at frequencies ranging from zero to approximately the bursting frequency. For the small amplitude, the mean velocity and mean turbulence intensity profiles are unaffected by the oscillations. The amplitude of the periodic velocity component, although as much as 70% greater than that in the free stream for very low frequencies, becomes equal to that in the free stream at higher frequencies. At high frequencies, both the boundary layer thickness and the Reynolds stress distribution across the boundary layer become frozen. The behavior at higher amplitude is quite similar. At sufficiently high frequencies, the boundary layer thickness remains frozen at the mean value over the oscillation cycle, even though flow reverses near the wall during a part of the cycle.

Parikh, P. G.↗