Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “harmonic analysis”

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 1,009 records · Page 56

Study of noise sources in a subsonic fan using measured blade pressures and acoustic theory

Sources of noise in a 1.4 m (4.6 ft) diameter subsonic tip speed propulsive fan running statically outdoors are studied using a combination of techniques. Signals measured with pressure transducers on a rotor blade are plotted in a format showing the space-time history of inlet distortion. Study of these plots visually and with statistical correlation analysis confirms that the inlet flow contains long, thin eddies of turbulence. Turbulence generated in the boundary layer of the shroud upstream of the rotor tips was not found to be an important noise source. Fan noise is diagnosed by computing narrowband spectra of rotor and stator sound power and comparing these with measured sound power spectra. Rotor noise is computed from spectra of the measured blade pressures and stator noise is computed using the author's stator noise theory. It is concluded that the rotor and stator sources contribute about equally at frequencies in the vicinity of the first three harmonics of blade passing frequency. At higher frequencies, the stator contribution diminishes rapidly and the rotor/inlet turbulence mechanism dominates. Two parametric studies are performed by using the rotor noise calculation procedure which was correlated with test. In the first study, the effects on noise spectrum and directivity are calculated for changes in turbulence properties, rotational Mach number, number of blades, and stagger angle. In the second study the influences of design tip speed and blade number on noise are evaluated.

Hanson, D. B.↗

Intercomparison of Satellite Derived Gravity Time Series with Inferred Gravity Time Series from TOPEX/POSEIDON Sea Surface Heights and Climatological Model Output

The upcoming GRACE mission promises to open a window on details of the global mass budget that will have remarkable clarity, but it will not directly answer the question of what the state of the Earth's mass budget is over the critical last quarter of the 20th century. To address that problem we must draw upon existing technologies such as SLR, DORIS, and GPS, and climate modeling runs in order to improve our understanding. Analysis of long-period geopotential changes based on SLR and DORIS tracking has shown that addition of post 1996 satellite tracking data has a significant impact on the recovered zonal rates and long-period tides. Interannual effects such as those causing the post 1996 anomalies must be better characterized before refined estimates of the decadal period changes in the geopotential can be derived from the historical database of satellite tracking. A possible cause of this anomaly is variations in ocean mass distribution, perhaps associated with the recent large El Nino/La Nina. In this study, a low-degree spherical harmonic gravity time series derived from satellite tracking is compared with a TOPEX/POSEIDON-derived sea surface height time series. Corrections for atmospheric mass effects, continental hydrology, snowfall accumulation, and ocean steric model predictions will be considered.

Cox, C.↗

Prediction of BVI Noise for an Active Twist Rotor Using a Loosely Coupled CFD/CSD Method and Comparison to Experimental Data

Numerical predictions of the acoustic characteristics of an Active Twist Rotor (ATR), using two methods to compute the rotor blade aerodynamics and elastic blade motion are compared to experimental data from a wind tunnel test in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) in 2000. The first method, a loosely coupled iterative method, utilizes the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code OVERFLOW 2 and the Computational Structural Dynamics (CSD) code CAMRAD II. The second method utilizes the CAMRAD II free-wake model only. The harmonic active-twist control to the main rotor blade system is identified with three parameters - harmonic actuation frequency, actuation amplitude, and control phase angle. The resulting aerodynamics and blade motion data from the two methods are then used in the acoustics code PSU-WOPWOP to predict acoustic pressure on a spherical array of equally spaced observers surrounding the rotor. This spherical distribution of pressure is used to compute the sound power level representing baseline and actuated conditions. Sound power levels for three categories of noise are defined as - blade-vortex interaction sound power level (BVIPWL), low frequency sound power level (LFPWL), and overall sound power level, OAPWL. Comparisons with measured data indicate the CFD/CSD analysis successfully captures the trends in sound power levels and the effects of active-twist control at advance ratios of 0.14 and 0.17. The free-wake model predictions show inconsistent sound power levels relative to the trends in the experimental and CFD data. This paper presents the first ever comparison between CFD/CSD acoustic predictions for an active-twist rotor and experimental measurements.

Fogarty, David E.↗

The effect of data analysis techniques on the interpretation of wide-angle longwave radiation measurements

Three different data analysis techniques - shape factor, parameter estimation, and deconvolution - have been applied to the same set of satellite radiation measurements to determine their effect on the estimated radiation field. The measurements are from a wide-angle, horizon-to-horizon, nadir-pointing sensor. The shape factor technique reduces each measurement to a radiant exitance at the top of the atmosphere by simple division by a constant. The parameter estimation technique processes all measurements together as a batch and defines the radiant exitance as a least-squares fit to the data. The deconvolution technique takes advantage of the fact that spherical harmonics are the eigenfunctions of the measurement operator. All three techniques are derived, and their assumptions, advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Their results are compared globally, zonally, regionally and on a spatial spectrum basis. All three techniques give comparable results for global parameters; however, results on a regional scale were quite different. The standard deviations of the regional differences in radiant exitance varied from 7.4 to 13.5 W/sq m. Of the three techniques, the parameter estimation technique produced the best regional results and is the choice of the author.

Green, R. N.↗

Conical Euler solution for a highly-swept delta wing undergoing wing-rock motion

Modifications to an unsteady conical Euler code for the free-to-roll analysis of highly-swept delta wings are described. The modifications involve the addition of the rolling rigid-body equation of motion for its simultaneous time-integration with the governing flow equations. The flow solver utilized in the Euler code includes a multistage Runge-Kutta time-stepping scheme which uses a finite-volume spatial discretization on an unstructured mesh made up of triangles. Steady and unsteady results are presented for a 75 deg swept delta wing at a freestream Mach number of 1.2 and an angle of attack of 30 deg. The unsteady results consist of forced harmonic and free-to-roll calculations. The free-to-roll case exhibits a wing rock response produced by unsteady aerodynamics consistent with the aerodynamics of the forced harmonic results. Similarities are shown with a wing-rock time history from a low-speed wind tunnel test.

Lee, Elizabeth M.↗

Modeling and analysis of the space shuttle nose-gear tire with semianalytic finite elements

A computational procedure is presented for the geometrically nonlinear analysis of aircraft tires. The Space Shuttle Orbiter nose gear tire was modeled by using a two-dimensional laminated anisotropic shell theory with the effects of variation in material and geometric parameters included. The four key elements of the procedure are: (1) semianalytic finite elements in which the shell variables are represented by Fourier series in the circumferential direction and piecewise polynominals in the meridional direction; (2) a mixed formulation with the fundamental unknowns consisting of strain parameters, stress-resultant parameters, and generalized displacements; (3) multilevel operator splitting to effect successive simplifications, and to uncouple the equations associated with different Fourier harmonics; and (4) multilevel iterative procedures and reduction techniques to generate the response of the shell. Numerical results of the Space Shuttle Orbiter nose gear tire model are compared with experimental measurements of the tire subjected to inflation loading.

Kim, Kyun O.↗

Active Control of Fan Noise: Feasibility Study: Flyover System Noise Studies - Volume 4

An extension of a prior study has been completed to examine the potential reduction of aircraft flyover noise by the method of active noise control (ANC). It is assumed that the ANC system will be designed such that it cancels discrete tones radiating from the engine fan inlet or fan exhaust duct, at least to the extent that they no longer protrude above the surrounding broadband noise levels. Thus, without considering the engineering details of the ANC system design, tone levels am arbitrarily removed from the engine component noise spectrum and the flyover noise EPNL levels are compared with and without the presence of tones. The study was conducted for a range of engine cycles, corresponding to fan pressure ratios of 1.3, 1.45, 1.6, and 1.75. This report is an extension of an effort reported previously. The major conclusions drawn from the prior study, which was restricted to fan pressure ratios of 1.45 and 1.75, are that, for a fan pressure ratio of 1.75, ANC of tones gives about the same suppression as acoustic treatment without ANC. For a fan pressure ratio of 1.45, ANC appears to offer less effectiveness from passive treatment. In the present study, the other two fan pressure ratios are included in a more detailed examination of the benefits of the ANC suppression levels. The key results of this extended study are the following observations: (1) The maximum overall benefit obtained from suppression of BPF alone was 2.5 EPNdB at high fan speeds. The suppression benefit increases with increase in fan pressure ratio (FPR), (2) The maximum overall benefit obtained from suppression of the first three harmonics was 3 EPNdB at high speeds. Suppression benefit increases with increase in FPR, (3) At low FPR, only about 1.0 EPNdB maximum reduction was obtained. Suppression is primarily from reduction of BPF at high FPR values and from the combination of tones at low FPR, (4) The benefit from ANC is about the same as the benefit from passive treatment at fan pressure ratios of 1.75 and 1.60. At the two lower fan pressure ratios, the effectivness of treatment is much greater than that of ANC, and (5) No significant difference in ANC suppression behavior was found from the QCSEE engine database analysis compared to that of the E3 engine database, for the FPR = 1.3 engine cycle. The effects of ANC on EPNL noise reduction are difficult to generalize. It was found that the reduction obtained in any particular case depended upon the frequency of the tones and their shift with rpm, the amount of ANC suppression received by each tone (which depended on its protrusion from the background), and the NOY-value of the tone relative to the NOY-value of other tones and the peak broadband levels, because PNL is determined from the sum of the NOY-values.

Kraft, R. E.↗

The Effect of Seasonal and Long-Period Geopotential Variations on the GPS Orbits

We examine the impact of using seasonal and long-period time-variable gravity field (TVG) models on GPS orbit determination, through simulations from 1994 to 2012. The models of time-variable gravity that we test include the GRGS release RL02 GRACE-derived 10-day gravity field models up to degree and order 20 (grgs20x20), a 4 x 4 series of weekly coefficients using GGM03S as a base derived from SLR and DORIS tracking to 11 satellites (tvg4x4), and a harmonic fit to the above 4 x 4 SLR-DORIS time series (goco2s_fit2). These detailed models are compared to GPS orbit simulations using a reference model (stdtvg) based on the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) and International GNSS Service (IGS) repro1 standards. We find that the new TVG modeling produces significant along, cross-track orbit differences as well as annual, semi-annual, draconitic and long-period effects in the Helmert translation parameters (Tx, Ty, Tz) of the GPS orbits with magnitudes of several mm. We show that the simplistic TVG modeling approach used by all of the IGS Analysis Centers, which is based on the models provided by the IERS standards, becomes progressively less adequate following 2006 when compared to the seasonal and long-period TVG models.

Orbit determination↗

Gravitational field models for the earth (GEM 1 and 2)

Two models of the earth's gravitational field have been computed at Goddard Space Flight Center. The first, Goddard Earth Model 1 (GEM 1), has been derived from satellite tracking data. The second, Goddard Earth Model 2 (GEM 2), has been derived from a combination of satellite tracking and surface gravimetric data. The geopotential models are represented in spherical harmonics complete to degree and order 16 for the combined solution and complete to degree and order 12 for the satellite solution. Both solutions include zonal terms to degree 21 and related satellite resonant coefficients to degree 22. The satellite data consisted primarily of optical data processed on 300 weekly orbital arcs for 25 close earth satellites. Surface gravity data were employed in the form of 5 deg x 5 deg mean free-air gravity anomalies providing about 70% world coverage. Station locations were obtained for 46 tracking sites by combining electronic, laser, and additional optical tracking data with the above satellite data. Analysis of the radial positions of these stations and a value of mean gravity on the geoid indicated a mean equatorial radius for the earth of about 6378145 meters. Results of geopotential tests on satellite data not used in the solution show that better agreement was obtained with the GEM 1 and GEM 2 models than with the 1969 Smithsonian Standard Earth 2 model.

Lerch, F. J.↗

Investigation of the effect of hub support parameters on two-bladed rotor oscillatory loads

The results are presented of a test program and analysis to investigate the effects of inplane hub support parameters on the oscillatory chordwise loads of a two-bladed teetering rotor. The test program was conducted in two phases. The first consisted of a shake test to define the impedance of a number of test configurations as a function of frequency. The second phase was the test of these configurations in the NASA-Langley transonic dynamics tunnel. The test showed that the one-per-rev inplane bending moments could be changed by a factor of 2.0 as a function of the pylon configuration at the same aerodynamic operating condition. The higher harmonic inplane, flapwise, and torsional bending moments, and pitch link axial loads were not affected by changes in inplane hub impedance. The maximum inplane loads occurred for the pylon configuration with the minimum spring rate and maximum inertia.

Lee, C. D.↗

Rotor-vortex interaction noise

A theoretical and experimental study was conducted to develop a validated first principles analysis for predicting noise generated by helicopter main-rotor shed vortices interacting with the tail rotor. The generalized prediction procedure requires a knowledge of the incident vortex velocity field, rotor geometry, and rotor operating conditions. The analysis includes compressibility effects, chordwise and spanwise noncompactness, and treats oblique intersections with the blade planform. Assessment of the theory involved conducting a model rotor experiment which isolated the blade-vortex interaction noise from other rotor noise mechanisms. An isolated tip vortex, generated by an upstream semispan airfoil, was convected into the model tail rotor. Acoustic spectra, pressure signatures, and directivity were measured. Since assessment of the acoustic prediction required a knowledge of the vortex properties, blade-vortes intersection angle, intersection station, vortex stength, and vortex core radius were documented. Ingestion of the vortex by the rotor was experimentally observed to generate harmonic noise and impulsive waveforms.

Schlinker, R. H.↗

Analysis of bilinear noise models in circuits and devices

There are a number of applications in which linear noise models are inappropriate. In the paper, the use of bilinear noise models in circuits and devices is considered. Several physical problems are studied in this framework. These include circuits involving varying parameters (such as variable resistance circuits constructed using field-effect transistors), the effect of switching jitter on sampled data system performance and communication systems involving voltage-controlled oscillators and phase-lock loops. In addition, several types of analytical techniques for stochastic bilinear systems are considered. Specifically, the moment equations of Brockett for bilinear systems driven by white noise are discussed, and closed-form expressions for certain bilinear systems (those that evolve an Abelian or solvable Lie groups) driven by white or colored noise are derived. In addition, an approximate statistical technique involving the use of harmonic expansions is described.

Willsky, A. S.↗

A contribution to computer analysis of coupled-cavity traveling wave tubes

A flexible accurate large-signal computer program has been developed for the design of coupled-cavity traveling wave tubes. The program is written for a TSS-360 time sharing system. The beam is described by a disk model and the slow wave structure by a sequence of cavities or cells. The computational approach is arranged so that each cavity may have different geometrical or electrical parameters than its neighbors. This allows the program user to simulate a tube of almost arbitrary complexity. Input and output couplers, severs, complicated velocity tapers, and other features peculiar to one or a few cavities may be modeled by a correct choice of input data. The beam-wave interaction is handled by a new approach in which the RF fields are expanded in solutions to the TM wave equation retaining all significant space harmonics. The program was used to perform a design study of the TWT developed for the CTS satellite. Good agreement was obtained between the predictions of the program and the measured performance of the flight tube. The internal check on power balance was satisfied within plus or minus 0.2 per cent of input beam power.

Connolly, D. J.↗

On the geographical correlation of orbit error

The orbit accuracies needed to support the global crustal dynamics project and recent satellite altimeter missions have placed unique demands on the data analysis and orbit analysis systems. These demands include accurate and well distributed observations, improved computational techniques and substantial enhancements in the force models which represent the satellite's motion. For example, the satellite altimeter mission (TOPEX), whose objectives will be: (1) to measure the time variable ocean surface topography, and (2) to demonstrate the ability to map the general ocean circulation, requires that the radial component of the satellite's orbit be known with an rms accuracy of 13 cm for the three year mission lifetime. The primary force model uncertainty which limits the contemporary orbit computation accuracy is the inaccuracy in the values assigned to the spherical harmonic coefficients used to model the Earth's gravity field.

Tapley, B. D.↗

The making of an Alfvenic fluctuation: The resolution of a second-order analysis

Ulysses observations of the high speed polar streams show that they are largely occupied by very large amplitude Alfvenic fluctuations accompanied by many rotational discontinuities. These fluctuations have a nearly constant magnetic intensity or amplitude, and the magnetic field direction per wave cycle sweeps only through a limited arc, much as a car wiperblade would do. Barnes and Hollweg (JGR, 79, 2302, 1974) suggested that this unusual waveform could arise from an obliquely propagating and linearly polarized Alfven wave of finite amplitude. From a second-order analysis, they showed that the existence of a particular solution with a constant amplitude but could not resolve the outcome of the homogeneous solution which consisted of fast waves. They suggested that Landau damping of these fast waves may be needed to get the observed waveform. We present a 1 1/2 D hybrid simulation which is fully nonlinear and correctly describes the ion kinetics for an initially monochromatic and linearly polarized Alfven wave propagating obliquely to the background magnetic field. The wave has a large amplitude and a wavelength so long that it can be considered dispersionless for simulation times. At early times, the second harmonic in density and in magnetic field transverse to the initial wave magnetic field are generated and have more power than other harmonics. Steepening is observed with a weak fast shock emerging, but no rotational discontinuity is left behind, and instead a constant amplitude and an arc-shaped waveform is made. The compressional component which develops after the shocks have dissipated is to zeroth order better described as a pure acoustic wave than as a fast wave. This might be explained by the relaxing of the Alfven wave to a state where its ponderomotive force vanishes so that the compressional component can travel almost independently of it.

Vasquez, Bernard J.↗

Occultation analysis of BATSE data: Operational aspects

The Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) large area detectors are being used to monitor hard x-ray/gamma ray sources on a daily basis for evidence of transient behavior. Flux measurements are performed using a simple earth occultation technique. Daily searches are also being performed to detect occultation steps of sources which are not being routinely monitored. Topics concerning the operational aspects of the occultation measurements are presented. Preliminary spectral results are also presented for several of the brighter sources.

Harmon, B. A.↗

Computer program for analysis of coupled-cavity traveling wave tubes

A flexible, accurate, large signal computer program was developed for the design of coupled cavity traveling wave tubes. The program is written in FORTRAN IV for an IBM 360/67 time sharing system. The beam is described by a disk model and the slow wave structure by a sequence of cavities, or cells. The computational approach is arranged so that each cavity may have geometrical or electrical parameters different from those of its neighbors. This allows the program user to simulate a tube of almost arbitrary complexity. Input and output couplers, severs, complicated velocity tapers, and other features peculiar to one or a few cavities may be modeled by a correct choice of input data. The beam-wave interaction is handled by an approach in which the radio frequency fields are expanded in solutions to the transverse magnetic wave equation. All significant space harmonics are retained. The program was used to perform a design study of the traveling-wave tube developed for the Communications Technology Satellite. Good agreement was obtained between the predictions of the program and the measured performance of the flight tube.

Connolly, D. J.↗

Nonlinear Dynamic Models in Advanced Life Support

To facilitate analysis, ALS systems are often assumed to be linear and time invariant, but they usually have important nonlinear and dynamic aspects. Nonlinear dynamic behavior can be caused by time varying inputs, changes in system parameters, nonlinear system functions, closed loop feedback delays, and limits on buffer storage or processing rates. Dynamic models are usually cataloged according to the number of state variables. The simplest dynamic models are linear, using only integration, multiplication, addition, and subtraction of the state variables. A general linear model with only two state variables can produce all the possible dynamic behavior of linear systems with many state variables, including stability, oscillation, or exponential growth and decay. Linear systems can be described using mathematical analysis. Nonlinear dynamics can be fully explored only by computer simulations of models. Unexpected behavior is produced by simple models having only two or three state variables with simple mathematical relations between them. Closed loop feedback delays are a major source of system instability. Exceeding limits on buffer storage or processing rates forces systems to change operating mode. Different equilibrium points may be reached from different initial conditions. Instead of one stable equilibrium point, the system may have several equilibrium points, oscillate at different frequencies, or even behave chaotically, depending on the system inputs and initial conditions. The frequency spectrum of an output oscillation may contain harmonics and the sums and differences of input frequencies, but it may also contain a stable limit cycle oscillation not related to input frequencies. We must investigate the nonlinear dynamic aspects of advanced life support systems to understand and counter undesirable behavior.

Jones, Harry↗