Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “flow testing”

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 1,063 records · Page 59
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

CFD Simulations of the IHF Arc-Jet Flow: Compression-Pad Separation Bolt Wedge Tests

This paper reports computational analyses in support of two wedge tests in a high enthalpy arc-jet facility at NASA Ames Research Center. These tests were conducted using two different wedge models, each placed in a free jet downstream of a corresponding different conical nozzle in the Ames 60-MW Interaction Heating Facility. Each panel test article included a metallic separation bolt imbedded in Orion compression-pad and heatshield materials, resulting in a circular protuberance over a flat plate. The protuberances produce complex model flowfields, containing shock-shock and shock-boundary layer interactions, and multiple augmented heating regions on the test plate. As part of the test calibration runs, surface pressure and heat flux measurements on water-cooled calibration plates integrated with the wedge models were also obtained. Surface heating distributions on the test articles as well as arc-jet test environment parameters for each test configuration are obtained through computational fluid dynamics simulations, consistent with the facility and calibration measurements. The present analysis comprises simulations of the non-equilibrium flow field in the facility nozzle, test box, and flow field over test articles, and comparisons with the measured calibration data.

CFD↗
NASA NTRS1999

Development of a 5-Component Balance for Water Tunnel Applications

The principal objective of this research/development effort was to develop a multi-component strain gage balance to measure both static and dynamic forces and moments on models tested in flow visualization water tunnels. A balance was designed that allows measuring normal and side forces, and pitching, yawing and rolling moments (no axial force). The balance mounts internally in the model and is used in a manner typical of wind tunnel balances. The key differences between a water tunnel balance and a wind tunnel balance are the requirement for very high sensitivity since the loads are very low (typical normal force is 90 grams or 0.2 lbs), the need for water proofing the gage elements, and the small size required to fit into typical water tunnel models. The five-component balance was calibrated and demonstrated linearity in the responses of the primary components to applied loads, very low interactions between the sections and no hysteresis. Static experiments were conducted in the Eidetics water tunnel with delta wings and F/A-18 models. The data were compared to forces and moments from wind tunnel tests of the same or similar configurations. The comparison showed very good agreement, providing confidence that loads can be measured accurately in the water tunnel with a relatively simple multi-component internal balance. The success of the static experiments encouraged the use of the balance for dynamic experiments. Among the advantages of conducting dynamic tests in a water tunnel are less demanding motion and data acquisition rates than in a wind tunnel test (because of the low-speed flow) and the capability of performing flow visualization and force/moment (F/M) measurements simultaneously with relative simplicity. This capability of simultaneous flow visualization and for F/M measurements proved extremely useful to explain the results obtained during these dynamic tests. In general, the development of this balance should encourage the use of water tunnels for a wider range of quantitative and qualitative experiments, especially during the preliminary phase of aircraft design.

Suarez, Carlos J.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Semispan Test Results of an Active Flow Control Enabled High-Lift Common Research Model in Landing Configuration

A 10%-scale semispan, Active Flow Control (AFC) enabled, simplified high-lift version of the Common Research Model (CRM-SHL-AFC) was tested in the 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center. The main objective of the test was to develop an AFC system that can provide the necessary lift recovery on a simple-hinged flap high-lift system while minimizing its pneumatic power requirement. Three new types of AFC approaches were examined: Double-Row Sweeping Jets (DRSWJ), Alternating Pulsed Jets (APJ), and High Efficiency Low Power (HELP) actuators. The DRSWJ and the APJ actuators used two rows of unsteady jets, whereas the HELP actuators used an upstream row of sweeping jets combined with a downstream row of steady jets to overcome strong adverse pressure gradients. The test was conducted mostly at a freestream Mach number of 0.20. For exploration purposes, a limited number of runs were made at lower Mach numbers or using vortex generators (VGs). Minimal sensitivity to Mach number or VGs, for the cases evaluated, were observed. The AFC-induced lift coefficient increment was maintained over the AFC-off case for most flow-control cases examined. The CRM-SHL-AFC configuration equipped with HELP actuation was the only actuator configuration able to match or exceed the targeted lift performance of a reference conventional high-lift configuration. The presented aerodynamic data include lift, drag, and pitching moment coefficients as a function of angle of attack, with and without the Transonic Wall Interference Correction System (TWICS) method applied. Lift increments as a function of AFC pneumatic power usage (i.e., nozzle pressure ratio, mass flow, momentum coefficient, and power coefficient) are also presented at a lower angle of attack (α = 8.9°) and at maximum lift (α= 17.1°). At the two angles of attack, the surface pressure distributions and autospectral densities from the unsteady pressure transducers for the AFC-off case and the best HELP actuation case are compared.

high-lift↗
DOE OSTI2010

Dry calibration of electromagnetic flowmeters based on numerical models combining multiple physical phenomena (multiphysics)

This paper presents a method for dry calibration of an electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF). This method, which determines the voltage induced in the EMF as conductive liquid flows through a magnetic field, numerically solves a coupled set of multiphysical equations with measured boundary conditions for the magnetic, electric, and flow fields in the measuring pipe of the flowmeter. Specifically, this paper details the formulation of dry calibration and an efficient algorithm (that adaptively minimizes the number of measurements and requires only the normal component of the magnetic flux density as boundary conditions on the pipe surface to reconstruct the magnetic field involved) for computing the sensitivity of EMF. Along with an in-depth discussion on factors that could significantly affect the final precision of a dry calibrated EMF, the effects of flow disturbance on measuring errors have been experimentally studied by installing a baffle at the inflow port of the EMF. Results of the dry calibration on an actual EMF were compared against flow-rig calibration; excellent agreements (within 0.3%) between dry calibration and flow-rig tests verify the multiphysical computation of the fields and the robustness of the method. As requiring no actual flow, the dry calibration is particularly useful for calibrating large-diameter EMFs where conventional flow-rig methods are often costly and difficult to implement.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

A Protocol for Electrochemical Evaluations and State of Charge Diagnostics of a Symmetric Organic Redox Flow Battery

Redox flow batteries have been considered as one of the most promising stationary energy storage solutions for improving the reliability of the power grid and deployment of renewable energy technologies. Among the many flow battery chemistries, nonaqueous flow batteries have the potential to achieve high energy density because of the broad voltage windows of nonaqueous electrolytes. However, significant technical hurdles exist currently limiting nonaqueous flow batteries to demonstrate their full potential, such as low redox concentrations, low operating currents, under-explored battery status monitoring, etc. In an attempt to address these limitations, we report a nonaqueous flow battery based on a highly soluble, redox-active organic nitronyl nitroxide radical compound, 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO). This redox materials exhibits an ambipolar electrochemical property with two reversible redox pairs that are moderately separated by a voltage gap of ~1.7 V. Therefore, PTIO can serve as both anolyte and catholyte redox materials to form a symmetric flow battery chemistry, which affords the advantages such as high effective redox concentrations and low irreversible redox material crossover. The PTIO flow battery shows decent electrochemical cyclability under cyclic voltammetry and flow cell conditions; an improved redox concentration of 0.5 M PTIO and operational current density of 20 mA cm-2 were achieved in flow cell tests. Moreover, we show that Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy could measure the PTIO concentrations during the PTIO flow battery cycling and offer reasonably accurate detection of the battery state of charge (SOC) as cross-validated by electron spin resonance measurements. This study suggests FTIR can be used as a reliable online SOC sensor to monitor flow battery status and ensure battery operations stringently in a safe SOC range.

FTIR↗
NASA NTRS1980

Plenum response to simulated disturbances of the model and fan inlet guide vanes in a transonic tunnel

In order to aid in the design of the National Transonic Facility (NTF) control system, test section/plenum response studies were carried out in a 0.186 scale model of the NTF high speed duct. Two types of disturbances, those induced by the model and those induced by the compressor inlet guide vanes were simulated. Some observations with regard to the test section/plenum response tests are summarized as follows. A resonance frequency for the test section/plenum area of the tunnel of approximately 50 Hz was observed for Mach numbers from 0.40 to 0.90. However, since the plenum is 3.1 times (based on volume) too large for the scaled size of the test section, care must be taken in extrapolating these data to NTF conditions. The plenum pressure data indicate the existence of pressure gradients in the plenum. The test results indicate that the difference between test section static pressure and plenum pressure is dependent on test section flow conditions. Plenum response to inlet guide vane type disturbances appears to be slower than plenum response to test section disturbances.

Gloss, B. B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Experimental evaluation of a translating nozzle sidewall radial turbine

An experimental performance evaluation was made of two movable sidewall variable area radial turbines. The turbine designs were representative of the gas generator turbine of a variable flow capacity rotorcraft engine. The first turbine was an uncooled design while the second turbine had a cooled nozzle but an uncooled rotor. The cooled nozzle turbine was evaluated both with and without coolant flow. The test results showed that the movable nozzle wall is a viable and efficient means to effectively control the flow capacity of a radial turbine. Peak efficiencies of the second turbine with and without nozzle coolant were 86.5 and 88 percent respectively. These values are comparable to pivoting vane variable geometry turbines; however, the decrease in efficiency as the flow was varied from the design value was much less for the movable wall turbine. Several design improvements which should increase the turbine efficiency one or two more points are identified. These design improvements include reduced leakage losses and relocation of the vane coolant ejection holes to reduce mainstream disturbance.

Roelke, Richard J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Measured and predicted aerodynamic coefficients and shock shapes for Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) configuration

Two scaled models of the Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) vehicle were tested in two air wind tunnels and one CF4 tunnel. The tests were to determine the static longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics, and shock shapes for the configuration in hypersonic continuum flow. The tests were conducted with a range of angle of attack to evaluate the effects of Mach number, Reynolds numbers, and normal shock density ratio.

Wells, William L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Conjugate heat transfer from a heated disk to a thin liquid film formed by a controlled impinging jet

An experimental and numerical study of the heat transfer from a heated horizontal disk to a thin film of liquid is described. The liquid was delivered to the disk by a collar arrangement such that the film thickness and radial velocity were known at the outer radius of the collar. This method of delivery is termed as a controlled impinging jet. Flow visualization tests were performed and heat transfer data were collected along the radius of the disk for different volumetric flow rates and inlet temperatures in the supercritical and subcritical regions. The heat transfer coefficient was found to increase with flow rate when both supercritical and subcritical regions were present on the heated surface. A numerical simulation of this free surface problem was performed, which included the effects of conjugate heat transfer within the heated disk and the liquid. The numerical predictions agree with the experimental results and show that conjugate heat transfer has a significant effect on the local wail temperature and heat transfer coefficient.

Faghri, A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Flow quality studies of the NASA Lewis Research Center Icing Research Tunnel diffuser

The purpose was to document the airflow characteristics in the diffuser of the NASA Lewis Research Center Icing Research Tunnel and to determine the effects of vortex generators on the flow quality in the diffuser. The results were used to determine how to improve the flow in this portion of the tunnel so that it can be more effectively used as an icing test section and such that overall tunnel efficiency can be improved. The demand for tunnel test time and the desire to test models that are too large for the test section were two of the drivers behind this diffuser study. For all vortex generator configurations tested, the flow quality was improved.

Arrington, E. Allen↗
NASA NTRS2002

Force Evaluation in the Lattice Boltzmann Method Involving Curved Geometry

The present work investigates two approaches for force evaluation in the lattice Boltzmann equation: the momentum- exchange method and the stress-integration method on the surface of a body. The boundary condition for the particle distribution functions on curved geometries is handled with second order accuracy based on our recent works. The stress-integration method is computationally laborious for two-dimensional flows and in general difficult to implement for three-dimensional flows, while the momentum-exchange method is reliable, accurate, and easy to implement for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional flows. Several test cases are selected to evaluate the present methods, including: (i) two-dimensional pressure-driven channel flow; (ii) two-dimensional uniform flow past a column of cylinders; (iii) two-dimensional flow past a cylinder asymmetrically placed in a channel (with vortex shedding); (iv) three-dimensional pressure-driven flow in a circular pipe; and (v) three-dimensional flow past a sphere. The drag evaluated by using the momentum-exchange method agrees well with the exact or other published results.

Mei, Renwei↗
NASA NTRS1992

Numerical simulation of transient hypervelocity flow in an expansion tube

Several numerical simulations of the transient flow of helium in an expansion tube are presented. The aim of the exercise is to provide further information on the operational problems of the NASA Langley expansion tube. The calculations were performed with an axisymmetric Navier-Stokes code based on a finite-volume formulation and upwinding techniques. Although laminar flow and ideal bursting of the diaphragms was assumed, the simulations showed some of the important features seen in the experiments. In particular, the discontinuity in the tube diameter at the primary diaphragm station introduced a transverse perturbation to the expanding driver gas, and this perturbation was seen to propagate into the test gas under some flow conditions. The disturbances seen in the test flow can be characterized as either 'small-amplitude' noise possibly introduced during shock compression or 'large-amplitude' noise associated with the passage of the reflected head of the unsteady expansion.

Jacobs, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The effect of test-cell pressure on resistojet nozzle flow

Previous experimental work has shown that measured resistojet thrust decreases from that obtained at hard vacuum conditions as the test-cell pressure rises above 0.001 torr. Thrust losses have been observed for both cold and heated flow conditions, and the most significant losses have been experienced using thrusters with low Reynolds number flow and high area ratio nozzles. In order to further investigate nozzle flow characteristics, a pressure probe having four degrees of freedom has been used to obtain stagnation pressure surveys across the nozzle exit planes of four resistojets. The surveys show a change in the ratio of the supersonic core to the viscous boundary layer flow areas as the test-cell pressure increases. The surveys are also used for detecting whether an oblique shock is present in an overexpanded nozzle flow. Thruster temperature measurements and nozzle exit plane pressure surveys indicate that thrust losses are the combined result of convection heat losses and nozzle flow momentum effects.

Penko, Paul F.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Gas flow analysis during thermal vacuum test of a spacecraft.

The pressures indicated by two tubulated ionization gages, one pointing to a spinning spacecraft undergoing thermal vacuum test and the other the walls of the chamber, have been used in a computer program to calculate important parameters of flow kinetics in the vacuum chamber. These parameters calculated as a function of time are: the self-contamination of the spacecraft (defined as the return of outgassed molecules on its critical surfaces either in orbit or while undergoing vacuum test); the spacecraft outgassing including leaks from sealed compartments; and the gas pumping performance of the vacuum chamber. The test indicated the feasibility of this type of evaluation and the improvements in instrumentations and arrangements needed for future tests.

Scialdone, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Vented Tank Resupply Experiment--Flight Test Results

This paper reports the results of the Vented Tank Resupply Experiment (VTRE) which was flown as a payload on STS 77. VTRE looks at the ability of vane Propellant Management Devices (PMD) to separate liquid and gas in low gravity. VTRE used two clear 0.8 cubic foot tanks one spherical and one with a short barrel section and transferred Refrigerant 113 between them as well as venting it to space. Tests included retention of liquid during transfer, liquid free venting, and recovery of liquid into the PMD after thruster firing. Liquid was retained successfully at the highest flow rate tested (2.73 gpm). Liquid free vents were achieved for both tanks, although at a higher flow rate (0.1591 cfm) for the spherical tank than the other (0.0400 cfm). Recovery from a thruster firing which moved the liquid to the opposite end of the tank from the PMD was achieved in 30 seconds.

David J. Chato↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Comparative Study of Compressive Effects on the Morphology and Performance of Carbon Paper and Cloth Electrodes in Redox Flow Batteries

Compressing porous carbon electrodes is a common approach to improve flow battery performance, but the resulting impact on electrode structure, fluid dynamics, and cell performance is not well understood. Herein, microtomographic imaging, load cell testing, and flow cell diagnostics are employed to characterize how compression‐induced changes impact pressure drop, polarization, and mass‐transfer scaling. Five different compressions are tested, spanning ranges typically used in literature, for AvCarb 1071 cloth (0%, 9%, 20%, 25%, 32%) and Freudenberg H23 paper (0%, 8%, 12%, 17%, 22%). It is found that the two electrode structures have distinct responses to compression, resulting in differing optimal conditions identified for each material; specifically, the Freudenberg H23 exhibits lower combined ohmic, charge‐transfer, and mass‐transport values at 8% compression, resulting in improved electrochemical performance across all compressive values, as compared to the optimal AvCarb 1071 compression (20%). Overall, Freudenberg H23 exhibits a greater sensitivity to compression with peak electrochemical activity correlating with increased permeability, whereas AvCarb 1071 is insensitive to compressive loads but produces lower electrochemical performance. Herein, the trade‐offs of mechanical robustness on fluid‐dynamic and electrochemical performance between the two electrodes are demonstrated by the aforementioned findings, suggesting each could be used for specific operating environments.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗