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At least 109 records · Page 6

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NASA NTRS1984

Effect of boundary layers on solid walls in three-dimensional subsonic wind tunnels

A solution for the tunnel wall boundary layer effects for three-dimensional subsonic tunnels is presented. The model potentials are represented with simple singularities placed on the centerline of the tunnel and Laplace's equation in cylindrical coordinates is solved for either the conventional homogeneous slotted-wall boundary condition, the solid-wall viscous boundary condition, or a combination of them. The most pronounced wall boundary layer effect is on solid blockage for completely closed wind tunnels. Boundary layers on the wall reduce the blockage from the solid-wall, no-boundary-layer case in a manner similar to opening slots in a solid wall. Additionally, for solid-wall tunnel configurations, the streamline curvature interference factor is reduced by a significant amount, whereas the lift interference factor at the model station does not depend on the boundary layer parameter. For combination wall configurations, the slot effect of the horizontal walls dominates the viscous effect of the solid sidewalls.

Adcock, J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Experiences with a high-blockage model tested in the NASA Ames 12-foot pressure wind tunnel

Representation of the flow around full-scale ships was sought in the subsonic wind tunnels in order to a Hain Reynolds numbers as high as possible. As part of the quest to attain the largest possible Reynolds number, large models with high blockage are used which result in significant wall interference effects. Some experiences with such a high blockage model tested in the NASA Ames 12-foot pressure wind tunnel are summarized. The main results of the experiment relating to wind tunnel wall interference effects are also presented.

Coder, D. W.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Velocity surveys in a turbine stator annular-cascade facility using laser Doppler techniques

A laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) was used to determine the flow conditions downstream of an annular cascade of stator blades operating at an exit critical velocity ratio of 0.87. Two modes of LDV operation (continuous scan and discrete point) were investigated. Conventional pressure probe measurements were also made for comparison with the LDV results. Biasing errors that occur in the LDV measurement of velocity components were also studied. In addition, the effect of pressure probe blockage on the flow conditions was determined with the LDV. Photographs and descriptions of the test equipment used are given.

Goldman, L. J.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Slotted test section dynamics of the NTF

A dynamic model of the National Transonic Facility (NTF) section and plenum chamber was developed. The model serves as a means for determining the dynamic performance of the NTF and the subsequent design of optimal control configurations, and is of one dimensional flow type as to facilitate computer simulation. The model allows for the simulation of the effects of test section blockage, boundary layer losses, slot flow required for supersonic flow generation, reentry flap position, and auxiliary plenum suction.

Gumas, G.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Bluff-body flameholder wakes - A simple numerical solution

Numerical finite difference predictions are made of recirculation zones behind bluff-body flame stabilizers, showing quantitatively the effects of forebody geometry, blockage ratio, lateral position of the blockage and inlet swirl on the central recirculation zone. A simple transient Navier-Stokes solution algorithm and laminar flow simulation are used with 'free slip' and 'no slip' wall boundary conditions, thus illustrating how a basic approach may be used to solve a sophisticated fluid dynamic problem.

Vatistas, G. H.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Application of panel methods to wind-tunnel wall interference corrections

Wind-tunnel wall interference effects were estimated using numerical solutions capable of computing the flow field over complex three-dimensional bodies. This approach was then tested by applying it to two typical wind tunnel experiments involving a high-lift wing and a fighter airplane model. In both cases, the static pressure signature along the test section walls was measured and computed for additional validation. The wind-tunnel wall correction method described here, which inherently includes effects of lift and blockage, provides more details than previous semiempirical methods.

Browne, Lindsey↗

NASA NTRS1999

Mixing Enhancement in Supersonic Jets by Delta-Tabs

The investigation includes carry out fundamental experiments studying mechanisms of effect: (1) experiments on subsonic and supersonic jets to assess influence of compressibility, (2) parametric study on tab geometry to optimize effect for given flow blockage (this effort led to "delta-tab"), (3) quantify mixing enhancement in the jet, and (4) analyze mechanism of streamwise vorticity generation.

Zaman, K. B. M. Q.↗

NASA NTRS2020

Simulation of Hydrogen Flow in a Nuclear-Thermal Propulsion Reactor Subsystem: Conjugate Heat Transfer in Surrogate Fuel Elements and Flow Through the Dome Inlet to the Fuel Elements

NASA is performing research related to a Nuclear-Thermal Propulsion (NTP) engine as a step toward future manned missions to Mars. BWX Technologies (BWXT), in conjunction with NASA, is developing the reactor subsystem for that NTP engine design. As a subset of the reactor subsystem, the fuel elements have continued to evolve in design, as well. A set of experiments within the Nuclear Thermal Reactor Element Environmental Simulator at NASA Marshall has been developed to compliment that design process, including a series of surrogate fuel elements. Before the experiments of each surrogate can be completed, they must be deemed safe using structural analysis, which itself requires thermal and conjugate heat transfer analyses of the articles. Therefore, conjugate heat transfer simulations of the hydrogen flow through the test article fuel element surrogates were developed to provide estimates of heating, as well as to provide assessments of the fluid flow through the elements. The set of simulations involved not only the separate test conditions, but also a sensitivity study to estimate the effect of physical parameter uncertainty on the selected quantities of interest. Additionally, the fluid flow through the fore section inner plenum dome to the entrances of the fuel elements, another section of the reactor subsystem still under active development, was simulated and analyzed. The simulations show the extent of non-uniformity in the mass flow distribution across the dome outlets. Furthermore, additional analyses estimate the effects of required flow blockages on the potential development of flow dynamics. These analyses were used in the design cycle to make improvements to the reactor subsystem design.

Kalen E. Braman↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aeroacoustic Computations of a Generic Low Boom Concept in Landing Configuration: Part 1 - Aerodynamic Simulations

Computational results are presented for a 15%-scale, full-span, generic low-boom concept aircraft model simulated as installed in the NASA Langley Research Center 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel and in free-air conditions. The simulations were conducted with the lattice Boltzmann solver PowerFLOW® to capture the time-accurate characteristics of the flow. The aerodynamic behavior of the aircraft was investigated with various combinations of flap and landing gear deployments. To replicate the flow speed used during tests of the model, a Mach number of approximately 0.20 was chosen while varying the angle of attack through a limited range. Analyses were performed on local flow quantities, global forces, as well as flow distributions between configurations. Aerodynamic quantities were shown to be sensitive to mesh resolution levels, especially with flap and landing gear systems retracted. When comparing wind tunnel to free-air simulations, the aerodynamic quantities sampled were found to be in good agreement, suggesting that tunnel blockage and model support effects did not adversely impact the aerodynamic behavior of the model during the wind tunnel test. The results of this study improve our understanding of the highly complex, vortical flow generated by configurations with swept, low aspect-ratio wings at speeds encountered during landing operations.

low boom↗

NASA NTRS1993

The 3-D viscous flow CFD analysis of the propeller effect on an advanced ducted propeller subsonic inlet

A time marching Navier-Stokes code called PARC3D was used to study the 3-D viscous flow associated with an advanced ducted propeller (ADP) subsonic inlet at take-off operating conditions. At a free stream Mach number of 0.2, experimental data for the inlet-with-propeller test model indicated that the airflow was attached on the cowl windward lip at an angle of attack of 25 degrees became unstable at 29 degrees, and separated at 30 degrees. An experimental study with a similar inlet and with no propeller (through-flow) indicated that flow separation occurred at an angle of attack a few degrees below the value observed when the inlet was tested with the propeller. This tends to indicate that the propeller exerts a favorable effect on the inlet performance. During the through-flow experiment a stationary blockage device was used to successfully simulate the propeller effect on the inlet flow field at angles of attack. In the present numerical study, this flow blockage was modeled via a PARC3D computational boundary condition (BC) called the screen BC. The principle formulation of this BC was based on the one-and-half dimension actuator disk theory. This screen BC was applied at the inlet propeller face station of the computational grid. Numerical results were obtained with and without the screen BC. The application of the screen BC in this numerical study provided results which are similar to the results of past experimental efforts in which either the blockage device or the propeller was used.

Iek, Chanthy↗

NASA NTRS1974

Design tradeoff study for reflector antenna systems for the shuttle imaging microwave system

A general tradeoff is made of the symmetric Cassegrain antenna with regard to the possibility of meeting a 90% beam efficiency. The effects of aperture taper and blockage are calculated using an adjustable sidelobe circular distribution. Numerical integration is used. For the feed spillover calculation, a low sidelobe symmetric feed pattern is used with the equivalent parabola and numerical integration. Reflector cross polarization is calculated using double numerical integration. Reflector back lobes are estimated from radiation pattern envelopes of commercial common carrier dish antennas. The curves allow a range of f/D to be determined for a specified edge taper and blockage diameter ratio, and with a table of Cassegrain parameters, a range of possible designs that meet the 90% beam efficiency is obtained. It is shown that the feed and reflector design and implementation must be carefully done.

Hansen, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Design and calibration of slotted walls for transonic airfoil wind tunnels

The traditional procedure for estimating the performance of slotted walls for airfoil wind tunnels is reviewed, and a modification which improves the accuracy of this procedure is described. Unlike the traditional procedure, the modified procedure indicates that the design of airfoil wind-tunnel walls which induce minimal blockage and streamline-curvature effects is feasible. The design and testing of such a slotted wall is described. It is shown experimentally that the presence of a model can affect the plenum pressure and thus make the use of the plenum pressure as a calibration reference questionable. Finally, an ONERA experiment which shows the effect of the sidewall boundary layer on the measured model normal force is discussed.

Barnwell, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Effect of Tabs on a Rectangular Nozzle Studied

In a continuing research program, jets from nozzles of different geometries are being investigated with the aim of increasing mixing and spreading in those flows. Flow fields from nozzles with elliptic, rectangular, and other more complex cross-sectional shapes are being studied in comparison to circular nozzles over a wide Mach number range. As noted by previous researchers, noncircular jets usually spread faster than circular jets. Another technique being investigated to increase jet spreading even further for a given nozzle is the use of "tabs" to generate vortices. A typical tab is a triangular-shaped protrusion placed at the nozzle exit, with the base of the triangle touching the nozzle wall and the apex leaning downstream at 45 to the stream direction. This geometry was determined by a parametric study to produce the optimum effect for a given area blockage. The tabs can increase jet spreading significantly. The underlying mechanism traces to a pair of counter-rotating streamwise vortices originating from each tab. These vortex pairs persist in the flow; and with the appropriate number and strength, they can increase spreading.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2009

Additive for Low-Temperature Operation of Li-(CF)n Cells

Some progress has been reported in continuing research on the use of anion-receptor compounds as electrolyte additives to increase the sustainable rates of discharge and, hence, the discharge capacities, of lithium-poly(carbon monofluoride) [Li-(CF)n, where n >1] primary electrochemical power cells. Some results of this research at a prior stage were summarized in Increasing Discharge Capacities of Li(CF)n Cells (NPO-42346), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 32, No. 2 (February 2008), page 37. A major difference between the present and previously reported results is that now there is some additional focus on improving performance at temperatures from ambient down to as low as 40 C. To recapitulate from the cited prior article: During the discharge of a Li-(CF)n cell, one of the electrochemical reactions causes LiF to precipitate at the cathode. LiF is almost completely insoluble in most non-aqueous solvents, including those used in the electrolyte solutions of Li- (CF)n cells. LiF is electrochemically inactive and can block the desired transport of electrons at the cathode, and, hence, the precipitation of LiF can form an ever-thickening film on the cathode that limits the rate of discharge. An anion-receptor electrolyte additive helps to increase the discharge capacity in two ways: It renders LiF somewhat soluble in the non-aqueous electrolyte solution, thereby delaying precipitation until a high concentration of LiF in solution has been reached. When precipitation occurs, it promotes the formation of large LiF grains that do not conformally coat the cathode. The net effect is to reduce the blockage caused by precipitation of LiF, thereby maintaining a greater degree of access of electrolyte to the cathode and greater electronic conductivity.

West, William↗

NASA NTRS2015

Earth-Facing Antenna Characterization in Complex Ground Plane/Multipath Rich Environment

The Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) Testbed was a Software Defined Radio (SDR)-based payload launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in July of 2012. The purpose of the SCAN Testbed payload was to investigate the applicability of SDRs to NASA space missions in an operational environment, which means that a proper model for system performance in said operational space environment is a necessary condition. The SCAN Testbed has line-of-sight connections to various ground stations with its S-Band Earth-facing Near-Earth-Network Low Gain Antenna (NEN-LGA). Any previous efforts to characterize the NEN-LGA proved difficult, therefore, the NASA Glenn Research Center built its own S-Band ground station, which became operational in 2015, and has been used successfully to characterize the NEN-LGA's in-situ pattern measurements. This methodology allows for a more realistic characterization of the antenna performance, where the pattern oscillation induced by the complex ISS ground plane, as well as shadowing effects due to ISS structural blockage are included into the final performance model. This paper describes the challenges of characterizing an antenna pattern in this environment. It will also discuss the data processing, present the final antenna pattern measurements and derived model, as well as discuss various lessons learned

ground station↗

NASA NTRS2015

Earth-Facing Antenna Characterization in a Complex Ground Plane/Multipath Rich Environment

The Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) Testbed was a Software Defined Radio (SDR)-based payload launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in July of 2012. The purpose of the SCAN Testbed payload was to investigate the applicability of SDRs to NASA space missions in an operational space environment, which means that a proper model for system performance in said operational space environment is a necessary condition. The SCAN Testbed has line-of-sight connections to various ground stations with its S-Band Earth-facing Near-Earth Network Low Gain Antenna (NEN-LGA). Any previous efforts to characterize the NEN-LGA proved difficult, therefore, the NASA Glenn Research Center built its own S-Band ground station, which became operational in 2015, and has been successfully used to characterize the NEN-LGAs in-situ pattern measurements. This methodology allows for a more realistic characterization of the antenna performance, where the pattern oscillation induced by the complex ISS ground plane, as well as shadowing effects due to ISS structural blockage are included into the final performance model. This paper describes the challenges of characterizing an antenna pattern in this environment. It will also discuss the data processing, present the final antenna pattern measurements and derived model, as well as discuss various lessons learned.

software defined radio↗

NASA NTRS2018

Summary of the 2017 Blockage Test in the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel

A limited blockage study was performed in December 2017 to explore exceeding the current published blockage curve for the NASA Glenn 10- by 10-Foot (10x10) Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) at two discrete operating conditions. For the two points tested, the tunnel was found to start outside of the published starting limitations curve, above a certain threshold of Mach and stagnation pressure. Blockage theory was reviewed to further understand these results. In order to gain a firm understanding of the aerodynamic effects a more-detailed follow up blockage study is recommended.

Tunnel Start↗

NASA NTRS1996

Magnetothermal Convection in Nonconducting Diamagnetic and Paramagnetic Fluids

Nonuniform magnetic fields exert a magnetic body force on electrically nonconducting classical fluids. These include paramagnetic fluids such as gaseous and liquid oxygen and diamagnetic fluids such as helium. Recent experiments show that this force can overwhelm the force of gravity even at the surface of the earth; it can levitate liquids and gases, quench candle flames, block gas flows, and suppress heat transport. Thermal gradients render the magnetic force nonuniform through the temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility. These thermal gradients can therefore drive magnetic convection analogous to buoyancy-driven convection. This magnetothermal convection can overwhelm convection driven by gravitational buoyancy in terrestrial experiments. The objectives of the proposed ground-based theoretical study are (a) to supply the magnetothermohydrodynamic theory necessary to understand these recent experiments and (b) to explore the consequences of nonuniform magnetic fields in microgravity. Even the linear theory for the onset of magnetothermal convection is lacking in the literature. We intend to supply the linear and nonlinear theory based on the thermohydrodynamic equations supplemented by the magnetic body force. We intend to investigate the effect of magnetic fields on gas blockage and heat transport in microgravity. Since magnetic fields provide a means of creating arbitrary, controllable body force distributions, we intend to investigate the possibility of using magnetic fields to position and control fluids in microgravity. We also intend to investigate the possibility of creating stationary terrestrial microgravity environments by using the magnetic force to effectively cancel gravity. These investigations may aid in the design of space-based heat-transfer, combustion, and human-life-support equipment.

Edwards, Boyd F.↗