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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2006

General Flow-Solver Code for Turbomachinery Applications

Phantom is a computer code intended primarily for real-fluid turbomachinery problems. It is based on Corsair, an ideal-gas turbomachinery code, developed by the same authors, which evolved from the ROTOR codes from NASA Ames. Phantom is applicable to real and ideal fluids, both compressible and incompressible, flowing at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic speeds. It utilizes structured, overset, O- and H-type zonal grids to discretize flow fields and represent relative motions of components. Values on grid boundaries are updated at each time step by bilinear interpolation from adjacent grids. Inviscid fluxes are calculated to third-order spatial accuracy using Roe s scheme. Viscous fluxes are calculated using second-order-accurate central differences. The code is second-order accurate in time. Turbulence is represented by a modified Baldwin-Lomax algebraic model. The code offers two options for determining properties of fluids: One is based on equations of state, thermodynamic departure functions, and corresponding state principles. The other, which is more efficient, is based on splines generated from tables of properties of real fluids. Phantom currently contains fluid-property routines for water, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, kerosene, methane, and carbon monoxide as well as ideal gases.

Dorney, Daniel↗
NASA NTRS1992

Dynamics of the Venus atmosphere

The superrotation of the Venus atmosphere is a major unanswered problem in planetary science. At cloud-top levels (65-70 km altitude) the atmosphere rotates with a five-day period, corresponding to an equatorial wind speed of 90 m/s. Angular velocity is roughly constant on spherical shells, and decreases linearly with altitude to zero at the surface. The direction of rotation is the same as that of the solid planet, which is retrograde--opposite to the direction of orbital motion, but the 5-day period is short compared to the 243-day spin period of the solid planet or to the mean solar day, which is 117 Earth-days at the surface. The problem with the superrotation is that shearing stresses tend to transfer angular momentum downward, and would slow the atmosphere until it is spinning with the solid planet. Some organized circulation pattern is counteracting the tendency, but the pattern has not been identified. A simple Hadley-type circulation cannot do it because such a circulation is zonally symmetric and Hide's Theorem states that in an axisymmetric circulation an extremum in angular momentum per unit mass M can exist only at the surface. Venus violates the last condition, having a maximum of retrograde M on the equator at 70-80 km altitude. This leaves waves and eddies to maintain the superrotation but the length scales and forcing mechanisms for these motions need to be specified. Possible forcing mechanisms associated with waves, eddies and tides are discussed.

Ingersoll, A. P.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Development of algorithms for understanding the temporal and spatial variability of the earth's radiation balance

A brief description is given of how temporal and spatial variability in the earth's radiative behavior influences the goals of satellite radiation monitoring systems and how some previous systems have addressed the existing problems. Then, results of some simulations of radiation budget monitoring missions are presented. These studies led to the design of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). A description is given of the temporal and spatial averaging algorithms developed for the ERBE data analysis. These algorithms are intended primarily to produce monthly averages of the net radiant exitance on regional, zonal, and global scales and to provide insight into the regional diurnal variability of radiative parameters such as albedo and long-wave radiant exitance. The algorithms are applied to scanner and nonscanner data for up to three satellites. Modeling of dialy shortwave albedo and radiant exitance with satellite samling that is insufficient to fully account for changing meteorology is discussed in detail. Studies performed during the ERBE mission and software design are reviewed. These studies provide quantitative estimates of the effects of temporally sparse and biased sampling on inferred diurnal and regional radiative parameters. Other topics covered include long-wave diurnal modeling, extraction of a regional monthly net clear-sky radiation budget, the statistical significance of observed diurnal variability, quality control of the analysis, and proposals for validating the results of ERBE time and space averaging.

Brooks, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

On the problem of measuring interannual wind speed variations using SSMI data

The first Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSMI) was launched on the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F8 spacecraft in July 1987, and wind speed was no longer retrieved after December 1991. A second SSMI was launched on DMSP F10 in December 1990. Interpretation of the 1987-1993 (or longer) SSMI wind speed time series is dependent upon the space and time characteristics of the differences between F8 and F10 SSMI measurements. The 10 deg-zonal averaged monthly mean F8-F10 wind speed difference was negative (positive) for wind speeds less (greater) than 7.9 m/s, reaching -0.43 (0.32) m/s at 5(10) m/s. Between 60 deg S and 60 deg N the 10 deg-zonal averaged monthly mean F8-F10 wind speed bias was greater than +/- 0.5 m/s on several occasions. From 60 deg S - 60 deg N the 1991 average value of the monthly mean root-mean-square difference between daily F8 and F10 wind speeds in 10 deg-longitudinal bands was 2.0 m/s.In the 60 deg S - 60 deg N region, about 50% of the daily F8 and F10 wind speed differences was caused by measurement non-simultaneity and about 50% of the difference was attributed to other factors, such as instrument noise and the different azimuthal orientations of each SSMI.

Halpern, David↗
NASA NTRS1981

A study of the extended-range forecasting problem blocking

Wavenumber frequency spectral analysis of a 90 day winter (Jan. 15 - April 14) wind field simulated by a climate experiment of the GLAS atmospheric circulation model is made using the space time Fourier analysis which is modified with Tukey's numerical spectral analysis. Computations are also made to examine how the model wave disturbances in the wavenumber frequency domain are maintained by nonlinear interactions. Results are compared with observation. It is found that equatorial easterlies do not show up in this climate experiment at 200 mb. The zonal kinetic energy and momentum transport of stationary waves are too small in the model's Northern Hemisphere. The wavenumber and frequency spectra of the model are generally in good agreement with observation. However, some distinct features of the model's spectra are revealed. The wavenumber spectra of kinetic energy show that the eastward moving waves of low wavenumbers have stronger zonal motion while the eastward moving waves of intermediate wavenumbers have larger meridional motion compared with observation. Furthermore, the eastward moving waves show a band of large spectral value in the medium frequency regime.

Chen, T. C.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Liquid Cooling/Warming Garment

The NASA liquid cooling/ventilating garment (LCVG) currently in use was developed over 40 years ago. With the commencement of a greater number of extra-vehicular activity (EVA) procedures with the construction of the International Space Station, problems of astronaut comfort, as well as the reduction of the consumption of energy, became more salient. A shortened liquid cooling/warming garment (SLCWG) has been developed based on physiological principles comparing the efficacy of heat transfer of different body zones; the capability of blood to deliver heat; individual muscle and fat body composition as a basis for individual thermal profiles to customize the zonal sections of the garment; and the development of shunts to minimize or redirect the cooling/warming loop for different environmental conditions, physical activity levels, and emergency situations. The SLCWG has been designed and completed, based on extensive testing in rest, exercise, and antiorthostatic conditions. It is more energy efficient than the LCVG currently used by NASA. The total length of tubing in the SLCWG is approximately 35 percent less and the weight decreased by 20 percent compared to the LCVG. The novel features of the innovation are: 1. The efficiency of the SLCWG to maintain thermal status under extreme changes in body surface temperatures while using significantly less tubing than the LCVG. 2. The construction of the garment based on physiological principles of heat transfer. 3. The identification of the body areas that are most efficient in heat transfer. 4. The inclusion of a hood as part of the garment. 5. The lesser consumption of energy.

Koscheyev, Victor S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Suboptimal schemes for atmospheric data assimilation based on the Kalman filter

This work is directed toward approximating the evolution of forecast error covariances for data assimilation. The performance of different algorithms based on simplification of the standard Kalman filter (KF) is studied. These are suboptimal schemes (SOSs) when compared to the KF, which is optimal for linear problems with known statistics. The SOSs considered here are several versions of optimal interpolation (OI), a scheme for height error variance advection, and a simplified KF in which the full height error covariance is advected. To employ a methodology for exact comparison among these schemes, a linear environment is maintained, in which a beta-plane shallow-water model linearized about a constant zonal flow is chosen for the test-bed dynamics. The results show that constructing dynamically balanced forecast error covariances rather than using conventional geostrophically balanced ones is essential for successful performance of any SOS. A posteriori initialization of SOSs to compensate for model - data imbalance sometimes results in poor performance. Instead, properly constructed dynamically balanced forecast error covariances eliminate the need for initialization. When the SOSs studied here make use of dynamically balanced forecast error covariances, the difference among their performances progresses naturally from conventional OI to the KF. In fact, the results suggest that even modest enhancements of OI, such as including an approximate dynamical equation for height error variances while leaving height error correlation structure homogeneous, go a long way toward achieving the performance of the KF, provided that dynamically balanced cross-covariances are constructed and that model errors are accounted for properly. The results indicate that such enhancements are necessary if unconventional data are to have a positive impact.

Todling, Ricardo↗
NASA NTRS1982

Pulse asymptotics of the Charney baroclinic instability problem

The asymptotic response of the Charney baroclinic instability problem to a localized perturbation is determined using the formalism of Briggs (1964) and exploiting a recently obtained highly accurate WKB approximate dispersion relation (Lindzen and Rosenthal, 1981). Comparison is made with previous results for two-level and Eady models. Small scales and rapid growth characteristic of the initial stages of cyclogenesis are found and the linear dispersion relation, which can be obtained from observation of zonal wind and stability, emerges as a forecast tool for prediction of geographically local cyclogenesis.

Farrell, B. F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Radiatively driven interactions between stratocumulus and synoptic waves

Quasi-geostrophic disturbances on a midlatitude beta-plane channel forced by radiative heating perturbations due to synoptic-scale variations of low-level stratiform cloud are considered. The longitudinal phase of the cloud is linked to that of the low-level streamfunction. Cloudiness is wavelike with cooling above cloudy areas that decreases exponentially with height. No perturbation cooling occurs above cloud-free areas. Two background flows are considered: one is constant and the other has a jet centered near the tropopause. Forced linear steady waves are found. Though infinitesimal amplitude disturbances are considered, the problem is nonlinear because of the coupling between cloud and winds. The resulting structures are sensitive to the phase shift between cloud and streamfunction with strongest coupling for cloud to the west of surface troughs. The waves have vertical scales on the order of the troposphere depth. The stationary structures capture the summertime pattern of stratocumulus off California and its linkage to the mid-Pacific ridge. When zonal-mean cloud cooling is allowed, the mean westerlies are strengthened in the northern half of the channel near the lower boundary. Synoptic-scale amplitudes respond to the mean cloud cooling by increasing (decreasing) just above the cloud in the northern (southern) part of the channel.

Clark, John H. E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Nonlinear unstable auroral-arc driven thermospheric winds in an ionosphere-magnetosphere coupled model

The nonlinear evolution of thermospheric winds in an ionosphere-magnetosphere coupled model has been studied for the first time for a dynamic unstable auroral-arc environment. We treat the problem using a multi-layer, quasi-three-dimensional model which averages in altitude the thermospheric dynamics over each layer. For the upper thermosphere, we find that (1) the thermosphere can respond to the ionospheric Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability on temporal scales on the order of an hour, depending on ambient conditions, and on spatial scales of tens to hundreds of kilometers, (2) strong thermospheric meridional and zonal vortical flows with embedded nonlinear jet-like structures can be generated by the ionospheric/magnetospheric KH instability and (3) neutral thermospheric winds, vortices, and associated power spectra develop in a distinctly different manner in the presence of magnetospheric coupling effects. Comparison with recent observations is made.

Keskinen, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Science applications

Possible scientific applications in the field of the neutral ionized atmosphere and of the solid Earth in terms of the TSS are summarized. Studies of the vertical, zonal, and meridional neutral winds and temperature, whose extensive variations suggest the importance of energy transfer mechanism in modifying the structural properties of the region are reviewed. Layers below the F region of high plasma density that propagate to lower altitudes with drift velocities will be studied for their electron and ion composition and motion. These are to be measured by the TSS in conjunction with ground based radar observations. Basic fluid dynamics problems will be studied onboard tethered satellites. Studies will be conducted on the structure of the equatorial electrojet, in particular its longitudinal and meridional extent. Magnetic measurements will also be used to probe the tether current distribution in the plasma sheath.

Mariani, F.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Radiative equilibrium in a rectangular enclosure bounded by gray walls

Two-dimensional temperature and heat-flux distributions are calculated for an absorbing-emitting gray medium at radiative equilibrium in a rectangular enclosure. The bounding walls are gray and diffuse with arbitrary surface-temperature distributions, and heat generation may take place inside the medium. As a first approximation, the problem is solved for optically thick systems (differential approximation). These results are subsequently improved by the introduction of a number of geometrical parameters to yield good accuracy for all optical thicknesses. As examples, two cases are discussed in detail: (1) uniform heat generation in a black enclosure, and (2) an enclosure with one gray surface at constant temperature. Comparison with some numerical solutions generated by Hottel's /Hottel and Cohen (1958) and Einstein (1963)/ zonal method shows excellent agreement.

Modest, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A simulation of rotor-stator interaction using the Euler equations and patched grids

An unsteady Euler code to study rotor-stator interaction problem was developed. The code uses patched grids that move relative to each other to simulate the motion of the rotor airfoils with respect to the stator airfoils. The Osher integration scheme is used in conjunction with an implicit relaxation approach. The scheme is second order accurate in space and time, and is also TVD in each spatial direction. The numerical results were found to be periodic in time, thus demonstrating the capability of the integration and zonal schemes in simulating periodic time dependent flow. The pressure contours obtained are almost oscillation free because of the TVD nature of the scheme. A new procedure was developed to simulate flows about bodies that move relative to each other. This capability should prove to be very useful in the areas of rotor-stator interaction, propeller-nacelle interaction, and helicopter rotor-fuselage interaction.

Rai, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Unsteady transonic Navier-Stokes computations for an oscillating wing using single and multiple zones

Modern jet transports and maneuvering tactical fighters operating in the transonic regime often give rise to time-dependent fluid physics that interact with flexible structural components, e.g., vortical flow, shocks, and separation. Efficient computational fluid dynamic (CFD) methods are required to study such computationally intensive problems. In this work a numerical method is presented to address this problem. Time-dependent, compressible, Navier-Stokes equations are used to simulate unsteady transonic flow about a three-dimensional rigid wing undergoing a forced periodic motion in angle of attack. An efficient, implicit, diagonal algorithm is utilized because of its low operation count per time step compared to other methods that solve systems of block matrix equations. The formal time accuracy is addressed theoretically and demonstrated numerically by comparison of computational results with experimental data. A zonal grid approach, capable of treating complex geometries, is presented and its time accuracy is demonstrated by comparing a zonal computation with a single grid computation and experimental data.

Chaderjian, Neal M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Statistical wind profile gust model

A statistical wind profile gust model for the Space Transportation Operations and Trade Studies is developed by using 1800 Jimsphere wind profile data collected at Cape Kennedy during 1965 to 1972. Wind profiles from the surface to 20 km in component form, i.e., zonal and meridional are processed through the digital filters of different wave length ranges bases on the Martin-Graham cosine rolloff model. The residuals obtained from the filtering processes for the data base for the statistical analysis. For each wind component the gust and gust length at a specified reference altitude in a residual profile are defined. A two parameter gamma probability marginal distribution seems to fit the component gust amplitude and the gust length when redefined. The problem of finding an appropriate bivariate joint distribution of the gust amplitude and length remains to be solved. The probability distribution of the modulus of the gust amplitudes was derived under the assumption that they are independently distributed as gamma variates.

Doss, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Convective organization in the Pacific ITCZ: Merging OLR, TOVS, and SSM/I information

One of the most striking features of the planet's long-time average cloudiness is the zonal band of concentrated convection lying near the equator. Large-scale variability of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) has been well documented in studies of the planetary spatial scales and seasonal/annual/interannual temporal cycles of convection. Smaller-scale variability is difficult to study over the tropical oceans for several reasons. Conventional surface and upper-air data are virtually non-existent in some regions; diurnal and annual signals overwhelm fluctuations on other time scales; and analyses of variables such as geopotential and moisture are generally less reliable in the tropics. These problems make the use of satellite data an attractive alternative and the preferred means to study variability of tropical weather systems.

Hayes, Patrick M.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Studies of planetary scale waves and instabilities in support of the geophysical fluid flow cell experiment on USML-2

High resolution numerical simulations of thermal convection in a rapidly rotating channel with gravity perpendicular to the rotation vector are described. The convecting columns are subject to a beta-effect resulting from cross-channel topographic vortex stretching. The symmetries of the problem allow many invariant wavenumber sets, and this property is associated with the existence of stable multiple-equilibria at modest supercriticality. The transition to chaotic behavior involves the production of intermittent unstable orbits off a two-torus in energy space. At very high Rayleigh number (of order 10(exp 6) to 10(exp 7)) the motion can be turbulent, depending on the size of beta. However, the turbulence is usually characterized by an almost-periodic formation of patches of small scale convection that cause regular pulsations in the accompanying strong zonal jets. The processes maintaining these flows may be related to those responsible for the zonal currents on Jupiter and for cyclic variability on the Sun.

Hart, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Satellite Estimates of Momentum Fluxes from High-Impact Gravity Wave Events in the Stratosphere and Their Effects on Circulation

Recent assessments of chemistry-climate models (CCMs) reveal biases in temperatures and winds in, especially but not limited to, the Southern Hemisphere stratosphere, where winds are generally too strong and temperatures too cold. The reasons for these biases are not completely understood, but it is thought that missing wave drag in models is a major culprit. Observational and modeling studies support this idea by elucidating the role of infrequent but very high-impact gravity wave events in the stratosphere. These highly intermittent gravity wave events with large momentum fluxes are the most important drivers of circulation and transport in the stratosphere, yet they are not treated correctly in most global models. This has implications for the cold pole problem in the Southern Hemisphere and the global Brewer-Dobson circulation in general. In this presentation we show results combining HIRDLS and AIRS to derive detailed gravity wave properties and obtain new quantitative estimates of the local and intermittent gravity wave drag in the stratosphere. The combination of high-vertical resolution (1 km) and near-global (60°S to 80°N), close horizontal sampling (100 km) makes HIRDLS temperatures the best available dataset for retrieving gravity wave properties needed to diagnose gravity wave effects on circulation. We further exploit the close zonal sampling of HIRDLS near the turnaround latitude in the Southern Hemisphere to obtain estimates of the missing drag. We combine the HIRDLS results with AIRS brightness temperature images, which reveal high-spatial resolution detail of long vertical wavelength waves, to obtain 3-D, day-to-day variability in gravity wave properties and attribute the wave events to wave sources. The AIRS and HIRDLS datasets complement each other well since the two instruments have very different resolutions and horizontal sampling.

Holt, Laura↗