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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.

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At least 1,099 records · Page 61

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NASA NTRS1983

Thermomechanical loading of multilayered cylindrical geometries in thermal cycling from 300 to 1300 K

The principal of multiple material layering is well known as an effective method of reducing heat transfer; however, thermal gradients can impose significant loads and lead to delamination and subsequent component failure. An analysis is developed and experimental data are discussed for the thermomechanical effects of multilayered materials on a heat sink substrate of cylindrical geometry subject to thermal cycling. The geometry is heated in cross-flow by a high-velocity flame and cooled in crossflow by ambient-temperature air from a critical flow orifice. Each layer of material possesses a threshold beyond which small changes in temperature or mechanical loading greatly influence the life in thermal cycling of the layered materials. Comparisons are made between the thermomechanical loads predicted by various numerical codes for the linear case and by a simplified analytic model.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Aerodynamic Conceptual Design of Boundary Layer Ingestion Propulsor Systems: A Quasi-2D Through Flow Analysis Method and Multi-Fidelity Propulsor Design Framework

A propulsor design framework for maximizing the benefits of boundary layer ingestion is presented. The performance of BLI is strongly affected by all propulsor components, including the boundary layer characteristics (displacement thickness and form factor) of the ingested boundary layer at the inlet, the radical loading characteristics if the fan and exit guide vane (EGV), the area contraction from inlet to nozzle, and flow expansion at the exhaust cone. A strategy and it's associated multi-fidelity design framework are proposed for an efficient conceptual design of the BLI proplusor which inherently differs from the conventional engine. In the frame work, a quasi-2D through flow model served as the underlying fidelity model is introduced to incorporate the radial effect of the boundary layer entering the propulsor. Multi-fidelity design work is conducted to maximize the predefined performance metrics. On top of this efficient quasi-2D model. computational fluid dynamics based 3-D propulsor models are implemented to refine and validate the design. A BLI propulsion system integrated with fuselage is designed to showcase the framework. The performance of the resulting BLI propulsor system is evaluated via body-force model in unstructured Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stoke (RANS) CFD and improvement is presented.

Lee, B. J.↗

NASA NTRS2019

High-fidelity Multidisciplinary Sensitivity Analysis and Design Optimization for Rotorcraft Applications

A multidisciplinary sensitivity analysis of rotorcraft simulations involving tightly coupled high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics and comprehensive analysis solvers is presented and evaluated. A sensitivity-enabled fluid dynamics solver and a nonlinear flexible multibody dynamics solver are coupled to predict aerodynamic loads and structural responses of helicopter rotor blades. A discretely consistent adjoint-based sensitivity analysis available in the fluid dynamics solver provides sensitivities arising from unsteady turbulent flows and unstructured dynamic overset meshes, while a complex-variable approach is used to compute structural sensitivities with respect to aerodynamic loads. The multidisciplinary sensitivity analysis is conducted through integrating the sensitivity components from each discipline of the coupled system. Accuracy of the coupled system is validated by conducting simulations for a benchmark rotorcraft model and comparing solutions with established analyses and experimental data. Sensitivities of lift computed by the multidisciplinary sensitivity analysis are verified by comparison with the sensitivities obtained by complex-variable simulations. Finally the multidisciplinary sensitivity analysis is applied to a constrained gradient-based design optimization for a HART-II rotorcraft configuration.

Wang, Li↗

NASA NTRS2008

Simulating the Gradually Deteriorating Performance of an RTG

Degra (now in version 3) is a computer program that simulates the performance of a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) over its lifetime. Degra is provided with a graphical user interface that is used to edit input parameters that describe the initial state of the RTG and the time-varying loads and environment to which it will be exposed. Performance is computed by modeling the flows of heat from the radioactive source and through the thermocouples, also allowing for losses, to determine the temperature drop across the thermocouples. This temperature drop is used to determine the open-circuit voltage, electrical resistance, and thermal conductance of the thermocouples. Output power can then be computed by relating the open-circuit voltage and the electrical resistance of the thermocouples to a specified time-varying load voltage. Degra accounts for the gradual deterioration of performance attributable primarily to decay of the radioactive source and secondarily to gradual deterioration of the thermoelectric material. To provide guidance to an RTG designer, given a minimum of input, Degra computes the dimensions, masses, and thermal conductances of important internal structures as well as the overall external dimensions and total mass.

Wood, Eric G.↗

NASA NTRS2013

A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of Swirling Flow Reduction by using Anti-vortex Baffle

An anti-vortex baffle is a liquid propellant management device placed adjacent to an outlet of the propellant tank. Its purpose is to substantially reduce or eliminate the formation of free surface dip and vortex, as well as prevent vapor ingestion into the outlet, as the liquid drains out through the flight. To design an effective anti-vortex baffle, Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations were undertaken for the NASA Ares I vehicle LOX tank subjected to the simulated flight loads with and without the anti-vortex baffle. The Six Degree-Of-Freedom (6- DOF) dynamics experienced by the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) during ascent were modeled by modifying the momentum equations in a CFD code to accommodate the extra body forces from the maneuvering in a non-inertial frame. The present analysis found that due to large moments, the CLV maneuvering has significant impact on the vortical flow generation inside the tank. Roll maneuvering and side loading due to pitch and yaw are shown to induce swirling flow. The vortical flow due to roll is symmetrical with respect to the tank centerline, while those induced by pitch and yaw maneuverings showed two vortices side by side. The study found that without the anti-vortex baffle, the swirling flow caused surface dip during the late stage of drainage and hence early vapor ingestion. The flow can also be non-uniform in the drainage pipe as the secondary swirling flow velocity component can be as high as 10% of the draining velocity. An analysis of the vortex dynamics shows that the swirling flow in the drainage pipe during the Upper Stage burn is mainly the result of residual vortices inside the tank due to conservation of angular momentum. The study demonstrated that the swirling flow in the drainage pipe can be effectively suppressed by employing the anti-vortex baffle.

Yang, H. Q.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Active Struts With Variable Spring Stiffness and Damping

An ultrasonic rock-abrasion tool (URAT) was developed using the same principle of ultrasonic/sonic actuation as that of the tools described in two prior NASA Tech Briefs articles: Ultrasonic/ Sonic Drill/Corers With Integrated Sensors (NPO-20856), Vol. 25, No. 1 (January 2001), page 38 and Ultrasonic/ Sonic Mechanisms for Drilling and Coring (NPO-30291), Vol. 27, No. 9 (September 2003), page 65. Hence, like those tools, the URAT offers the same advantages of low power demand, mechanical simplicity, compactness, and ability to function with very small axial loading (very small contact force between tool and rock). Like a tool described in the second of the cited previous articles, a URAT includes (1) a drive mechanism that comprises a piezoelectric ultrasonic actuator, an amplification horn, and a mass that is free to move axially over a limited range and (2) an abrasion tool bit. A URAT tool bit is a disk that has been machined or otherwise formed to have a large number of teeth and an overall shape chosen to impart the desired shape (which could be flat or curved) to the rock surface to be abraded. In operation, the disk and thus the teeth are vibrated in contact with the rock surface. The concentrated stresses at the tips of the impinging teeth repeatedly induce microfractures and thereby abrade the rock. The motion of the tool induces an ultrasonic transport effect that displaces the cuttings from the abraded area. The figure shows a prototype URAT. A piezoelectric-stack/horn actuator is housed in a cylindrical container. The movement of the actuator and bit with respect to the housing is aided by use of mechanical sliders. A set of springs accommodates the motion of the actuator and bit into or out of the housing through an axial range between 5 and 7 mm. The springs impose an approximately constant force of contact between the tool bit and the rock to be abraded. A dust shield surrounds the bit, serving as a barrier to reduce the migration of rock debris to sensitive instrumentation or mechanisms in the vicinity. A bushing at the tool-bit end of the housing reduces the flow of dust into the actuator and retains the bit when no axial load is applied.

Farley, Gary L.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Ultrasonically Actuated Tools for Abrading Rock Surfaces

Dolgin, Benjamin↗

NASA NTRS2017

A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of Swirling Flow Reduction by Using Anti-Vortex Baffle

An anti-vortex baffle is a liquid propellant management device placed adjacent to an outlet of the propellant tank. Its purpose is to substantially reduce or eliminate the formation of free surface dip and vortex, as well as prevent vapor ingestion into the outlet, as the liquid drains out through the flight. To design an effective anti-vortex baffle, Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations were undertaken for the NASA Ares I vehicle LOX tank subjected to the simulated flight loads with and without the anti-vortex baffle. The Six Degree-Of-Freedom (6-DOF) dynamics experienced by the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) during ascent were modeled by modifying the momentum equations in a CFD code to accommodate the extra body forces from the maneuvering in a non-inertial frame. The present analysis found that due to large moments, the CLV maneuvering has a significant impact on the vortical flow generation inside the tank. Roll maneuvering and side loading due to pitch and yaw are shown to induce swirling flow. The vortical flow due to roll is symmetrical with respect to the tank centerline, while those induced by pitch and yaw maneuverings showed two vortices side by side. The study found that without the anti-vortex baffle, the swirling flow caused surface dip during the late stage of drainage and hence early vapor ingestion. The flow can also be non-uniform in the drainage pipe as the secondary swirling flow velocity component can be as high as 10% of the draining velocity. An analysis of the vortex dynamics shows that the swirling flow in the drainage pipe during the Upper Stage burn is mainly the result of residual vortices inside the tank due to the conservation of angular momentum. The study demonstrated that the swirling flow in the drainage pipe can be effectively suppressed by employing the anti-vortex baffle.

Yang, H. Q.↗

NASA NTRS2017

A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of Swirling Flow Reduction by Using Anti-Vortex Baffle

An anti-vortex baffle is a liquid propellant management device placed adjacent to an outlet of the propellant tank. Its purpose is to substantially reduce or eliminate the formation of free surface dip and vortex, as well as prevent vapor ingestion into the outlet, as the liquid drains out through the flight. To design an effective anti-vortex baffle, Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations were undertaken for the NASA Ares I vehicle LOX tank subjected to the simulated flight loads with and without the anti-vortex baffle. The Six Degree-Of-Freedom (6-DOF) dynamics experienced by the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) during ascent were modeled by modifying the momentum equations in a CFD code to accommodate the extra body forces from the maneuvering in a non-inertial frame. The present analysis found that due to large moments, the CLV maneuvering has a significant impact on the vortical flow generation inside the tank. Roll maneuvering and side loading due to pitch and yaw are shown to induce swirling flow. The vortical flow due to roll is symmetrical with respect to the tank centerline, while those induced by pitch and yaw maneuverings showed two vortices side by side. The study found that without the anti-vortex baffle, the swirling flow caused surface dip during the late stage of drainage and hence early vapor ingestion. The flow can also be non-uniform in the drainage pipe as the secondary swirling flow velocity component can be as high as 10% of the draining velocity. An analysis of the vortex dynamics shows that the swirling flow in the drainage pipe during the Upper Stage burn is mainly the result of residual vortices inside the tank due to the conservation of angular momentum. The study demonstrated that the swirling flow in the drainage pipe can be effectively suppressed by employing the anti-vortex baffle.

Yang, H. Q.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Dynamics of two-phase face seals

An analytic study is presented of the effects of phase change on load support for parallel and tapered face seals. Consideration is given to an adiabatic model for low Reynolds number flow. Numerical integration is carried out of the descriptive fluid equations, giving the opening force due to fluid film pressure. The loci of steady-state solutions are then plotted for water to provide curves of load support as a function of film thickness. For axial excursions of the seal rings, a quasi-steady transient analysis is made. It is found that the load support generated by fluid pressure can be multivalued for a given film thickness. Another finding is that axial disturbances of the seal rings may lead to sudden drops in load support generated by fluid pressure with three possible results. The first is that sufficient damping may permit the seal to return to the previous equilibrium operating position. The second is that the seal may collapse to an equilibrium position of smaller film thickness where face contact is more likely and a significantly higher operating temperature is assured. The third is that a limit cycle of self-sustained oscillation in the axial direction may occur if damping is sufficiently low.

Beeler, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Pressure distributions induced by elevon deflections on swept wings and adjacent end-plate surfaces at Mach 6

Surface pressure distributions are presented for regions where three-dimensional separated flow effects are prominent on swept-wing-elevon-end-plate models of 0 degree, 50 degree, and 70 degree sweepback, and with 0 degree, 10 degree, 20 degree, and 30 degree elevon deflections. Surface-oil-flow photographs and pressure distributions on the flat-plate wing, elevon, and end-plate surfaces are presented for numerous geometric variations, including various spacings between the elevon and the end plate, with and without a tip fin. The data, for a free-stream Mach number of 6 and a wing-root-chord Reynolds number of 20 x 10 to the sixth power, reveal considerably larger regions of elevon induced loads on the adjacent end-plate surface than would be anticipated by using inviscid flow analyses.

Kaufman, L. G., II↗

NASA NTRS1973

Externally blown flap dynamic loads

Some of the principal results obtained in three series of measurements of fluctuating surface pressures induced on externally blown flaps by jet impingment are presented. Large- and small-scale models and hot- and cold-flow tests are considered. The discussion sets forth scaling parameters and consistent features of the root-mean-square values and spectra of the loading. Implications of these results with regard to sonic fatigue are indicated.

Lansing, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1927

Pressure Distribution Over Airfoils at High Speeds

This report deals with the pressure distribution over airfoils at high speeds, and describes an extension of an investigation of the aerodynamic characteristics of certain airfoils which was presented in NACA Technical Report no. 207. The results presented in report no. 207 have been confirmed and extended to higher speeds through a more extensive and systematic series of tests. Observations were also made of the air flow near the surface of the airfoils, and the large changes in lift coefficients were shown to be associated with a sudden breaking away of the flow from the upper surface. The tests were made on models of 1-inch chord and comparison with the earlier measurements on models of 3-inch chord shows that the sudden change in the lift coefficient is due to compressibility and not to a change in the Reynolds number. The Reynolds number still has a large effect, however, on the drag coefficient. The pressure distribution observations furnish the propeller designer with data on the load distribution at high speeds, and also give a better picture of the air-flow changes.

Briggs, L J↗

NASA NTRS1976

An improved method for the prediction of completely three-dimensional aerodynamic load distributions of configurations with leading edge vortex separation

The application of a higher-order subsonic potential flow panel method to the solution of three-dimensional flow about wing and wing-body combinations with leading-edge vortex separation is presented. The governing equations are the linear flow differential equation and nonlinear boundary conditions which require that the flow be parallel to the wing and body surfaces and that the free vortex sheet, springing from the leading and trailing edges, be aligned with the local flow and support no pressure jump. The vortex core is modeled as a simple line vortex which receives vorticity from the free sheet through a connecting sheet. The Kutta condition is imposed on all appropriate edges of the wing. This set of nonlinear equations is solved by an iterative procedure. The Goethert rule accounts for compressibility. The method has been programmed for the CDC 6600. Delta wings, gothic wings, arrow wings, cambered wings, and wing with body have been analyzed. Initial studies involving variations of panel density, vortex sheet sizing, Jacobian update, and initial geometry demonstrate that the present method generally exhibits good convergence characteristics.

Rubbert, p. E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Studies of shock/shock interaction on smooth and transpiration-cooled hemispherical nosetips in hypersonic flow

Experimental studies are conducted to examine the utilization of transpiration cooling to reduce the peak-heating loads in areas of shock/shock interaction. Smooth and transpiration-cooled nosetip models, 12 inches in diameter, were employed in these studies, which focused on defining the pressure distributions and heat transfer in type III and IV interaction areas. Transpiration cooling was determined to significantly increase the size of the shock layer and to move the peak-heating point around the body. A transpiration-cooling rate of more than 30 percent of the freestream maximum flux did not lower the peak-heating level more than 10 percent, but the integrated heating loads were reduced.

Holden, M. S.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Prediction of unsteady aerodynamic loads in cascades using the linearized Euler equations on deforming grids

A linearized Euler solver for calculating unsteady flows in turbomachinery blade rows due to both incident gusts and blade motion is presented. Using the linearized Euler technique, one decomposes the flow into a mean (or steady) flow plus an unsteady, harmonically varying, small disturbance flow. Linear variable coefficient equations describe the small disturbance behavior of the flow, and are solved using a pseudo-time marching Lax-Wendroff scheme. For the blade motion problem, a harmonically deforming computational rid that conforms to the motion of vibrating blades eliminates large error producing mean flow gradient terms that would otherwise appear in the unsteady flow tangency boundary condition. The paper also presents a new, numerically exact, nonreflecting far-field boundary condition based on an eigenanalysis of the discretized equations. Computed flow solutions demonstrate the computational accuracy and efficiency of the present method. The solution of the linearized Euler equations requires one to two orders of magnitude less computer time than solution of the nonlinear Euler equations using traditional time-accurate time-marching techniques. In addition, the deformable grid significantly improves the accuracy of the solution.

Hall, Kenneth C.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Wing loading on a 60 degree delta wing with vortex flaps

Wind tunnel tests were conducted on a 60 deg delta wing with three vortex flap designs to determine pressure distributions over the wing and flap. The results showed that an optimum vortex flap design depends on proper definition of the vortex flap deflection angle. They also revealed that flap thickness plays an important role in the behavior of the vortex flow over the flap and wing and can have a substantial effect on wing and flap pressure loading. Design codes which fail to account for thickness may result in a much less than optimum flap and deprive the designer of an important tool in designing an effective flap with optimum loading.

Marchman, J. F., III↗

NASA NTRS1994

Partly Loading A Disengaged Ball Bearing To Reduce Wear

Ball bearing carrying transient axial loads at beginning and end of operation of turbopump modified to reduce wear during normal steady operation, according to proposal. Bearing forced into normal contact by flow of pumped fluid during high-speed operation. Modification intended to reduce influence of fluid in making balls spin and to apply enough axial load to ensure normal rolling contact with races. Three main features of design: narrow-gap clearance (labyrinth) seal between shaft and inner race, narrow-gap clearance seal between inner and outer races, and extension of inner race to enlarge its upstream-facing area.

Butner, Myles F.↗