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At least 1,045 records · Page 58

Fracture of cylindrical and spherical shells containing a crack.

Fatigue and fracture of cylindrical and spherical shells containing a through crack and subjected to internal pressure or torsion are considered. The stress intensity factor ratios giving the effect of curvature are obtained as functions of a dimensionless shell parameter. By using the conventional plastic strip model the plastic zone size around the crack tip and the crack opening displacement are calculated. The calculated COD values are shown to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The fracture criterion of critical COD is verified by using the results of the burst tests in titanium and aluminum alloy cryogenic pressure vessels. Modified fatigue crack propagation models taking into account the bending effect in shells are introduced and are applied to the analysis of experimental data obtained from flat plates, and cylindrical shells under axial tension, internal pressure, and torsion. Finally, the paper includes the effect of humidity on the crack growth rate and the effect of load biaxiality on the rupture strength.

Erdogan, F.↗

Dynamic modelling and analysis of a magnetically suspended flexible rotor

A 12-state lumped-element model is presented for a flexible rotor supported by two attractive force electromagnetic journal bearings. The rotor is modeled as a rigid disk with radial mass unbalance mounted on a flexible, massless shaft with internal damping (Jeffcott rotor). The disk is offset axially from the midspan of the shaft. Bearing dynamics in each radial direction are modeled as a parallel combination of a negative (unstable) spring and a linear current-to-force actuator. The model includes translation and rotation of the rigid mass and the first and second bending models of the flexible shaft, and it simultaneously includes internal shaft damping, gyroscopic effects, and the unstable nature of the attractive force magnetic bearings. The model is used to analyze the dependence of the system transmission zeros and open-loop poles on system parameters. The dominant open-loop poles occur in stable/unstable pairs with bandwidth dependent on the ratios of bearing (unstable) stiffnesses to rotor mass and damping dependent on the shaft spin rate. The zeros occur in complex conjugate pairs with bandwidth dependent on the ratios of shaft stiffness to rotor mass and damping dependent on the shaft spin rate. Some of the transmission zeros are non-minimum phase when the spin rate exceeds the shaft critical speed. The transmission zeros and open-loop poles impact the design of magnetic bearing control systems. The minimum loop cross-over frequency of the closed-loop system is the speed of the unstable open-loop poles. For the supercritical shaft spin rates, the presence of non-minimum phase zeros limits the distribution rejection achievable at frequencies near or above the shaft critical speed. Since non-minimum phase transmission zeros can only be changed by changing the system inputs and/or outputs, closed-loop performance is limited for supercritical spin rates unless additional force or torque actuators are added.

Mccallum, Duncan C.↗

AGR 5/6/7 Data Qualification Report for ATR Cycles 162B through 168A

This report provides the qualification status of experimental data for the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) 5/6/7 fuel irradiation. AGR-5/6/7 was conducted in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in support of development and qualification of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) low-enriched fuel for use in high temperature gas-cooled reactors. The objectives of the AGR-5/6/7 experiments are to: (i) irradiate reference-design fuel particles to support fuel qualification, (ii) establish operating margins for the fuel beyond normal operating conditions, and (iii) provide irradiated-fuel performance data and irradiated-fuel samples for post-irradiation examination (PIE) and safety testing. The test train contains five separate capsules that were independently controlled and monitored. Each capsule contains multiple 12.51-mm-long compacts filled with low enriched uranium carbide/oxide (UCO) TRISO fuel particles. The primary objective of the AGR-5/6 test (Capsules 1, 2, 4, and 5) is to verify successful performance of the reference-design fuel under normal operating conditions. The AGR-7 test (Capsule 3) was designed to explore fuel performance at higher temperatures to demonstrate the capability of the fuel to withstand conditions beyond normal operating conditions in support of plant design and licensing. AGR 5/6/7 will also provide irradiated-fuel performance data on fission-gas release from failed particles during irradiation. The AGR-5/6/7 capsules were irradiated in the ATR northeast flux trap location. The experiment began on February 16, 2018 and ended on July 22, 2020, spanning nine ATR cycles over two and a half years. Thus, the AGR-5/6/7 fuel compacts were irradiated for a total of 360.9 effective full power days. The AGR 5/6/7 experiment was able to remain in the reactor core during all three Powered Axial Locator Mechanism (PALM) cycles (163A, 165A, and 167A) without overheating its fuel compacts. This report includes irradiation monitoring data from nine ATR Cycles: 162B, 163A, 164A, 164B, 165A, 166A, 166B, 167A, and 168A, as stored in the Nuclear Data Management and Analysis System (NDMAS). During irradiation, data records consisted of instantaneous measurements recorded every minute and provided by text files automatically every 2 hours. The AGR 5/6/7 data streams addressed in this report include thermocouple (TC) temperatures, sweep gas data (flow rates [capsule inlet, outlet, and downstream at detector], pressure, and moisture content), and Fission Product Monitoring System (FPMS) data (release rates and release to birth rate ratios [R/Bs]) for each of the five capsules. A total of 94,989,908 TC temperature and sweep gas data records were received and processed by NDMAS for AGR 5/6/7 irradiation. Of these records, 41,593,387 (or 43.7% of the total) met data collection and accuracy requirements and are labeled as Qualified. A total of 57,746,693 TC temperature readings were captured from 54 installed TCs. Among them, 10,034,676 TC temperature records (only 17.4%) were Qualified and 47,701,371 TC temperatures (or 82.6%) are Failed due to 48 TC failures (63.5%) and due to missing values (19.1%). To assess performance of the operational TCs, analysis of daily correlations between TCs found no evidence of virtual junction failure for any TCs. Analyses on control charts of TC temperature differences revealed trending in TC readings for TC2, 4, 5, and 13 in Capsule 3, but there is no conclusive indication of TC drift failure that caused those trends. Therefore, TC control charts are not used to disqualify TC data, but only for users’ consideration. For sweep gas flow rates, a total of 31,519,747 gas flow records (84.4%) are Qualified for use for AGR-5/6/7 experiment; 5,723,468 gas flow records (15.4%) are Failed due mostly to missing values; and 74,641 high sweep gas flow rates (0.2 %) are Trend. A large number of Failed missing TC temperature and gas flow values were caused by an error in the data output script that outputted a ‘NULL’ value when values were unchanged. This problem was fixed during the outage of Cycle 166B, which led to a substantially decreased number of missing values during the last three cycles. Nonetheless, a large amount of non-missing data remained because of the high data acquisition frequency (1-minute) and still provided sufficient data to effectively monitor the experiment as designed. For FPMS data, NDMAS received and processed fission product release and R/B data for nine ATR cycles, when ATR core reached full power during AGR 5/6/7 irradiation. These data consist of 110,388 release rate records and 110,388 R/B records for the twelve radionuclides (Kr 85m, Kr 87, Kr 88, Kr 89, Kr 90, Xe 131m, Xe 133, Xe 135, Xe 135m, Xe 137, Xe 138, and Xe 139) for each of the five capsules. Equivalent numbers of uncertainty records associated the release rates and R/B values were provided. To date, qualification status of the FPMS data stored in the NDMAS dat

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Pressure distribution in a converging-diverging nozzle during two-phase choked flow of subcooled nitrogen

Choked flow rates and axial pressure distributions were measured for subcooled nitrogen in a converging-diverging nozzle with a constant area section in the throat region. Stagnation pressures ranged from slightly above saturation to twice the thermodynamic critical pressure. Stagnation temperatures ranged from 0.75 to 1.03 times the thermodynamic critical temperature. The choking plane appears to be at the divergence end of the constant area throat section. At high stagnation pressures the fluid appears to stay liquid well into the constant area throat region; however, at near saturation stagnation pressures it appears that vaporization occurs at or before the entrance to the constant area throat region. The throat-to-stagnation pressure ratio data exhibits an anomalous flat region. This anomaly appears to be fundamentally related to the two-phase process and not merely to the present specific nozzle geometry. The fluid appears to be metastably all liquid below the saturation pressure. The data are compared to various flow models. No model adequately describes the whole range of the experiment.

Simoneau, R. J.↗

Photon induced $K\Lambda $ production on the proton at $E_{\gamma} < 3$ GeV

The associated photoproduction of $K\Lambda$ from the proton for $E_{\gamma} < 3$ GeV is studied using an isobar model in which the non-resonant contributions corresponding to $s$, $t$, $u$ channel diagrams are obtained from a non-linear sigma model with chiral SU(3) symmetry. The model also predicts a contact term and its coupling strength in a natural way to preserve gauge symmetry. The parameters used are the pion decay constant $f_{\pi}$, vector and axial vector current couplings of the baryon octet in terms of the symmetric and antisymmetric couplings $D$ and $F$. In the non-resonant sector, the model is almost parameter free except a common cut-off parameter $\Lambda_{B}$, to describe the hadronic form factors at the strong kaon-nucleon-hyperon($KN\Lambda$) vertices. In the resonance sector, contribution from the various nucleon resonances($R$) in the $s$ channel, hyperon resonances($Y^{*}$) in the $u$ channel, and the kaon resonances($K^{*}$ and $K_{1}$) in the $t$ channel, which are present in the PDG having spin $\le \frac{3}{2}$ and mass $<2$ GeV with significant branching ratio in $K\Lambda$ decay mode have been considered. In the case of the nucleon resonances($R$), the couplings $\gamma NR$ at the electromagnetic vertices are determined in terms of the helicity amplitudes and the $RK\Lambda$ couplings at the strong vertices are determined by the partial decay width of the resonances($R$) decaying to $K\Lambda$. The strong and the electromagnetic couplings of $u$ and $t$ channel resonances are fitted to reproduce the experimental data of CLAS and SAPHIR. The numerical results are presented for the total and differential scattering cross sections and are compared with the available experimental data from CLAS and SAPHIR as well as with some of the recent theoretical models.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Effect of design over-all compressor pressure ratio division on acceleration characteristics of three hypothetical two-spool turbojet engines

The engines, each with a compressor overall total-pressure ratio of 12 and a design inner-turbine-inlet temperature of 2500 degrees R, were investigated at static sea-level conditions to determine the effect on transient performance of varying the desitn pressure ratio divisions 2-6, 3-4, and 4-3 between the outer and inner compressors. The transient considered was an acceleration from 40 to 100 percent design thrust. When the outer compressor of each engine reached design speed, the inner compressors were overspeeding, the maximum being only 1.7 over design mechanical speed. Acceleration times for the three engines were equal.

TURBINES - MATCHINE↗

A Comparison of Combustion Dynamics for Multiple 7-Point Lean Direct Injection Combustor Configurations

The combustion dynamics of two 7-point lean direct injection (LDI) combustor configurations are compared. This 7-point LDI configuration has a circular cross section, with a center ("pilot") fuel-air mixer surrounded by six outer ("main") fuel-air mixers. Each fuel-air mixer consists of an axial air swirler followed by a converging-diverging venturi. A simplex fuel injector is inserted through the center of the air swirler, with the fuel injector tip located near the venturi throat. All 7 fuel-air mixers are identical except for the swirler blade angle. In the 'all-60' configuration, the swirler blade angle was 60 deg for all fuel-air mixers. In the '45-60' configuration, the swirler blade angle was 60 deg on the center and 45 deg on the outer fuel-air mixers. Testing was done in a 5-atm flame tube with inlet air temperatures from 630 to 830 F and equivalence ratios from 0.2 to 0.7. Combustion dynamics were measured using a cooled PCB pressure transducer flush-mounted in the wall of the combustor test section. Both configurations had large pressure fluctuations (greater than 2 psi peak-peak) near 730 Hz, the quarter-wave frequency. The all-60 configuration also had large pressure fluctuations near 1170 Hz; the 45-60 configuration did not. The 45-60 configuration had large pressure fluctuations near 480 Hz; the all-60 configuration did not.

combustion dynamics↗

A Method to Design and Optimize Axial Flow Cyclones for Gas–Liquid Separation

This article provides a detailed design guide, optimization, and performance assessment for air–water separation of an axial flow cyclone. Axial flow cyclones (also known as swirl tube demisters, mist eliminators, or Austin–Write cyclones) have a range of applications in several different industries. This method of gas–liquid separation offers many benefits. Among these are high liquid separation efficiencies (near 99%) and an inline design that allows them to be more easily fitted into existing piping structures. Despite these benefits, there are several design parameters that have not been optimized for performance in wastewater purification applications. This research fills the gap in the literature by quantifying the effect of new design parameters on water collection efficiency, η water collection , and the air bypass efficiency, η air bypass , defined as the ratio of the air mass flowrate exiting through the desired air outlet over the inlet air mass flowrate. A set of wide-ranging experiments were conducted to study the effects of gas–liquid flow rates, tube geometry, and relative injection angles to optimize the water collection and air bypass efficiencies. The water collection efficiency exceeded 99.8% when the liquid streamline came in direct contact with the water drainage exit. An empirical correlation was developed to predict the swirl pitch as a function of the above design parameters. Predictions from the correlation were within 10% of the experimental results. The correlation can be used to design highly efficient in-line gas–liquid separators.

Engineering↗

Evaluation of the Effect of Burnup Acceleration on UO 2 Microstructure Evolution

Accelerated fuel qualification (AFQ) is a methodology by which new nuclear fuels are developed in an accelerated time frame compared with historical fuel qualification approaches. AFQ generally relies on high-fidelity physics-based modeling and simulation tools to adequately describe fuel performance as well as on revolutionary methods to accelerate burnup accumulation and collect relevant data more quickly. This report summarizes the use of advanced fuel modeling and simulation tools to evaluate microstructures from commercially irradiated fuel and microstructures from proposed MiniFuel irradiations, in which burnup accumulation is accelerated while prototypic temperature conditions are maintained. In this milestone, we used the mesoscale fuel performance code MARMOT to model the evolution of irradiated UO 2 microstructures and their potential restructuring at high burnup. The simulation conditions were informed by BISON models of both commercially irradiated fuel and MiniFuel. A first set of simulations investigated the recrystallization behavior of fully dense microstructures and showed full recrystallization at burnups as low as 52 MWd/kgU at 950°C. However, these simulations did not account for the presence of fission gas bubbles (predicted by BISON). Therefore, a second set of simulations including fission gas bubbles was performed and indicated that at the lowest temperature considered (650°C), the porous UO 2 microstructures have the highest total Gibbs free energies and are likely to recrystallize earlier than higher temperature cases (800 and 950°C), which agrees with high-burnup fuel characterization data. The results also showed that at lower temperature (650°C), the total free energies of the PWR fuel and MiniFuel microstructures are not significantly different. However, at the highest temperature (950°C), MiniFuel microstructures have a lower free energy than that of the PWR fuel microstructure. The competing effects between the temperature-dependent grain nucleation rate and the reduction of the free energy of the microstructure at higher temperature as a result of diffusion indicated that restructuring may occur at even higher temperatures than those considered in this study. In addition to the microstructure evolution modeling efforts, the burnup gradient across a single fuel specimen was also considered. This evaluation was for the VXF-15 position of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) using the code suite HFIRCON, which was developed to automate the workflow for evaluating targets and fuel as they are irradiated in HFIR. The burnup gradient evaluation showed a dependence on both the axial and radial locations within the specimen, with a maximum difference of 1.7 between the inner and outermost radial layers. This relationship was further supported by considering the fission product speciation with respect to location within the specimen, which showed a higher concentration of 239 Pu, 240 Pu, and 241 Pu on the outer radial locations of the specimen than the center. The findings of the burnup and speciation evaluation show that some amount of self-shielding is occurring in the specimen when irradiated in the high-flux environment of HFIR; however, this impact is more pronounced for natural uranium when compared to 6% enrichment due to the higher ratio of 238 U in the specimen. Further analyses are required to understand the sensitivity of this gradient to spatial mesh and enrichment of the specimen.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Techniques for estimating Space Station aerodynamic characteristics

A method was devised and calculations were performed to determine the effects of reflected molecules on the aerodynamic force and moment coefficients for a body in free molecule flow. A procedure was developed for determining the velocity and temperature distributions of molecules reflected from a surface of arbitrary momentum and energy accommodation. A system of equations, based on momentum and energy balances for the surface, incident, and reflected molecules, was solved by a numerical optimization technique. The minimization of a 'cost' function, developed from the set of equations, resulted in the determination of the defining properties of the flow reflected from the arbitrary surface. The properties used to define both the incident and reflected flows were: average temperature of the molecules in the flow, angle of the flow with respect to a vector normal to the surface, and the molecular speed ratio. The properties of the reflected flow were used to calculate the contribution of multiply reflected molecules to the force and moments on a test body in the flow. The test configuration consisted of two flat plates joined along one edge at a right angle to each other. When force and moment coefficients of this 90 deg concave wedge were compared to results that did not include multiple reflections, it was found that multiple reflections could nearly double lift and drag coefficients, with nearly a 50 percent increase in pitching moment for cases with specular or nearly specular accommodation. The cases of diffuse or nearly diffuse accommodation often had minor reductions in axial and normal forces when multiple reflections were included. There were several cases of intermediate accommodation where the addition of multiple reflection effects more than tripled the lift coefficient over the convex technique.

Thomas, Richard E.↗

Mixing Characteristics Downstream of Core Region of High-Temperature Axisymmetric Jets Exhausting Into Transonic and Supersonic Streams

A series of rocket motors with varying exit to throat area ratios was tested in the 8- by 6-foot wind tunnel to determine the effects of mixing on jet diameter and temperature decay at large distances (x/d > 30) from the nozzle exit. An approximate method to account for effects of the initial expansion was evolved. It was determined that the combustion efficiency has an important effect on jet spreading, since the unburned products can burn downstream of the nozzle. The data showed considerable scatter; however, mixing rates were, in general, lower than those observed for subsonic jets. Data for angles of attack of 5 and 10 deg are also presented, giving the respective centerline shift and temperature decay as a function of axial distance.

Huff, Ronald G.↗

Compressor blade setting angle accuracy study, volume 1

The aerodynamic test of a small, single stage, highly loaded, axial flow transonic compressor is covered. The stage was modified by fabricating a 24 blade rotor with mis-set blades in a repeating pattern - two degrees closed from nominal, two degrees open from nominal and nominal. The unit was instrumented to determine overall performance and average blade element data. High-response, dynamic pressure probes were installed to record pressure patterns at selected points in the flowpath. Testing was conducted at speeds from 70 to 94% of design equivalent speed with a conventional casing and also with circumferential grooves over the rotor tip. Testing indicated severe performance penalties were incurred as a result of the mis-set blading. Lower flow, pressure ratio, and efficiency were observed for the stage with or without casing treatment. Periodic pressure variations were detected at every location where high response pressure sensors were located and were directly related to blading geometry.

Holman, F. F.↗

Planar Imaging of Hydroxyl in a High Temperature, High Pressure Combustion Facility

An optically accessible flame tube combustor is described which has high temperature, pressure, and air flow capabilities. The windows in the combustor measure 3.8 cm axially by 5.1 cm radially, providing 67 percent optical access to the square cross section flow chamber. The instrumentation allows one to examine combusting flows and combustor subcomponents, such as fuel injectors and air swirlers. These internal combustor subcomponents have previously been studied only with physical probes, such as temperature and species rakes. Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) images of OH have been obtained from this lean burning combustor burning Jet-A fuel. These images were obtained using various laser excitation lines of the OH A yields X (1,0) band for two fuel injector configurations with pressures ranging from 1013 kPa (10 atm) to 1419 kPa (14 atm), and equivalence ratios from 0.41 to 0. 59. Non-uniformities in the combusting flow, attributed to differences in fuel injector configuration, are revealed by these images.

Hicks, Yolanda R.↗

Transition Analysis for Isolated Trips on BOLT-II Wind-Tunnel and Flight Configuration

The BOLT-II configuration designed for an upcoming flight experiment exemplifies the complexities of hypersonic boundary layer transition in the presence of multiple and potentially interacting instability mechanisms. The present paper is related to the NASA-led roughness experiment on the secondary side of the BOLT-II configuration. First, computations are performed to aid mean-flow based correlations for the transition measurements acquired during an experimental campaign in the Ludwieg Tube facility at the United States Air Force Academy. To that end, both laminar and turbulent flow computations are performed for selected conditions of the experiment with a 1:3 scale model of the slightly shorter BOLT configuration. The variation in well-known correlation parameters for transition due to isolated roughness elements with respect to element position, height, and flow Reynolds number is delineated. Furthermore, the wake instability theory is used to examine the amplification of unstable disturbances behind the centerline trip at the design conditions of the BOLT-II flight experiment and for its dynamically scaled version on the 1:3 scale model of the wind tunnel experiment. To our knowledge, this study represents the first analysis of the wake instabilities in the presence of a prominent entropy layer outside the boundary layer. At the nominal flight design condition of Re ∞ ) = 5.44 and Re ∞ = 2.5 x 10 6 /m, a diamond planform (“pizza-box”) trip with k/δ = 0.70 and planform-halfwidth-to-height ratio of b/k = 3.0 at X/L = 0.254 induces a strong distortion of the boundary-layer flow in the vicinity of the symmetry plane, such that the wake structure includes a centerline streak produced by the flow retardation behind the trip along with multiple additional, prominent vorticity structures representing the necklace vortex system. Stability results reveal that each of these streaks can support a strong amplification of wake instabilities within a frequency band of 95 kHz–255 kHz, with a peak N-factor of greater than 15 beyond X/L ≈ 0.42. The dynamically scaled wind tunnel configuration with Re ∞ = 20.25 x 10 6 /m is also found to support N > 15 at similar axial stations.

BOLT↗

Transition Analysis for Isolated Trips on BOLT-II Wind-Tunnel and Flight Configuration

The BOLT-II configuration designed for an upcoming flight experiment exemplifies the complexities of hypersonic boundary layer transition in the presence of multiple and potentially interacting instability mechanisms. The present paper is related to the NASA-led roughness experiment on the secondary side of the BOLT-II configuration. First, computations are performed to aid mean-flow based correlations for the transition measurements acquired during an experimental campaign in the Ludwieg Tube facility at the United States Air Force Academy. To that end, both laminar and turbulent flow computations are performed for selected conditions of the experiment with a 1:3 scale model of the slightly shorter BOLT configuration. The variation in well-known correlation parameters for transition due to isolated roughness elements with respect to element position, height, and flow Reynolds number is delineated. Furthermore, the wake instability theory is used to examine the amplification of unstable disturbances behind the centerline trip at the design conditions of the BOLT-II flight experiment and for its dynamically scaled version on the 1:3 scale model of the wind tunnel experiment. To our knowledge, this study represents the first analysis of the wake instabilities in the presence of a prominent entropy layer outside the boundary layer. At the nominal flight design condition of Re ∞ ) = 5.44 and Re ∞ = 2.5 x 10 6 /m, a diamond planform (“pizza-box”) trip with k/δ = 0.70 and planform-halfwidth-to-height ratio of b/k = 3.0 at X/L = 0.254 induces a strong distortion of the boundary-layer flow in the vicinity of the symmetry plane, such that the wake structure includes a centerline streak produced by the flow retardation behind the trip along with multiple additional, prominent vorticity structures representing the necklace vortex system. Stability results reveal that each of these streaks can support a strong amplification of wake instabilities within a frequency band of 95 kHz–255 kHz, with a peak N-factor of greater than 15 beyond X/L ≈ 0.42. The dynamically scaled wind tunnel configuration with Re ∞ = 20.25 x 10 6 /m is also found to support N > 15 at similar axial stations.

BOLT↗

Determination of the effects of wind-induced vibration on cylindrical beams

The objective of the analysis was to determine the critical length to diameter ratio (L/Do) of a hollow, cylindrical beam subjected to wind-induced vibration. The sizes of beams ranged from 4 to 24 inches and were composed of ASTM grade A and grade B and American Petroleum Institute grade X42 steels. Calculations used maximum steady-state wind speeds of 130 mph associated with hurricane conditions possible at the Kennedy Space Center. The study examined the effect that different end support and load conditions have on the natural frequencies of the beams. Finally, methods of changing the frequency of the wind-induced vibration were examined. The conclusions drawn were that the greatest possible L/Do is achieved using welded supports and limiting the maximum applied axial and bending loads to less than 50 percent.

Artusa, E. A.↗

Development and Applications of a Stage Stacking Procedure

The preliminary design of multistage axial compressors in gas turbine engines is typically accomplished with mean-line methods. These methods, which rely on empirical correlations, estimate compressor performance well near the design point, but may become less reliable off-design. For land-based applications of gas turbine engines, off-design performance estimates are becoming increasingly important, as turbine plant operators desire peaking or load-following capabilities and hot-day operability. The current work develops a one-dimensional stage stacking procedure, including a newly defined blockage term, which is used to estimate the off-design performance and operability range of a 13-stage axial compressor used in a power generating gas turbine engine. The new blockage term is defined to give mathematical closure on static pressure, and values of blockage are shown to collapse to curves as a function of stage inlet flow coefficient and corrected shaft speed. In addition to these blockage curves, the stage stacking procedure utilizes stage characteristics of ideal work coefficient and adiabatic efficiency. These curves are constructed using flow information extracted from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of groups of stages within the compressor. Performance estimates resulting from the stage stacking procedure are shown to match the results of CFD simulations of the entire compressor to within 1.6% in overall total pressure ratio and within 0.3 points in overall adiabatic efficiency. Utility of the stage stacking procedure is demonstrated by estimation of the minimum corrected speed which allows stable operation of the compressor. Further utility of the stage stacking procedure is demonstrated with a bleed sensitivity study, which estimates a bleed schedule to expand the compressors operating range.

Kulkarni, Sameer↗

Variable stroke constant compression ratio engine

A continuously variable displacement engine has a plurality of pistons received in a cylinder block and connected to a nutator. A crankshaft with an axis of rotation is carried in a crankcase and incorporates an upper journal with a first angle relative to the axis and a lower journal with a second angle with respect to the axis. A first slider ball is engaged on the upper journal and a second slider ball engaged on the lower journal. A carrier assembly captures the first and second slider balls and incorporates an actuating cylinder. An actuation piston assembly is translatably carried in the actuating cylinder and connected to the crankshaft intermediate the upper journal and lower journal. The actuating piston is controllably translated between a first high eccentricity position and second low eccentricity position. An anti-rotational assembly connects the nutator to a piston case. A balance mechanism is adapted to change the amount of counterbalance for the nutator and the axial location of the counterbalance consistent with eccentricity of the nutator.

42 ENGINEERING↗