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At least 1,099 records · Page 61

Effect of Plasma Sheaths on Earth Re-entry MHD Processes

The first study of the full coupling between the aerothermodynamics, the magnetohydrodynamics, and the plasma sheaths within earth entry flows is here per-formed. The problem tackled herein is representative of a force-generating MHD patch located between the plenum and the frustum of a capsule entering the earth’s atmosphere at Mach 34. The reactions are obtained from a modified 11-species Park chemical solver. The physical model fully couples the drift-diffusion model for the sheaths to the multispecies Navier-Stokes equations for the plasma flow. The Hall and ion slip effects are taken into consideration within the plasma flow and within the sheaths. Results obtained indicate that the cathode sheath can exert significant resistance to current flow and thus reduce the MHD-generated force by 40% or more. The effect of the sheath on the MHD force is found to be more pronounced at lower applied magnetic field.

Earth Re-entry↗

Effect of Plasma Sheaths on Earth Re-entry MHD Processes

The first study of the full coupling between the aerothermodynamics, the magnetohydrodynamics, and the plasma sheaths within earth entry flows is here per-formed. The problem tackled herein is representative of a force-generating MHD patch located between the plenum and the frustum of a capsule entering the earth’s atmosphere at Mach 34. The reactions are obtained from a modified 11-species Park chemical solver. The physical model fully couples the drift-diffusion model for the sheaths to the multispecies Navier-Stokes equations for the plasma flow. The Hall and ion slip effects are taken into consideration within the plasma flow and within the sheaths. The effect of the electrode material on the MHD process is studied. Using thoriated tungsten instead of graphite leads to a four-fold increase in the Lorentz forces and also leads to significantly reduced heat fluxes on the cathode. This is attributed to the much higher electrical conductivity of the thoriated tungsten sheath reducing by orders of magnitude the plasma electrical resistance near the surfaces.

Bernard Parent↗

Recent computation of viscous effects in transonic flow

The paper describes some improvements to a method of solving the time-dependent Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations for two-dimensional compressible flows for describing the coupling between viscous and inviscid regions in transonic flows. Mesh patching is implemented at the sublayer-boundary layer interfaces and the boundary layer-inviscid flow interface. Mesh stretching is geometric and is small in regions of large gradients and large in regions of small gradients, thus preserving second-order accuracy. Mesh lines are arranged so as to accommodate MacCormack's rapid solver for hyperbolic systems and a wider class of turbulent transport models. Results of computations of transonic flows over lifting airfoils are compared with experimental data and other solutions.

Deiwert, G. S.↗

Flow-thermal-structural study of aerodynamically heated leading edges

A finite element approach for integrated fluid-thermal-structural analysis of aerodynamically heated leading edges is presented. The Navier-Stokes equations for high speed compressible flow, the energy equation, and the quasi-static equilibrium equations for the leading edge are solved using a single finite element approach in one integrated, vectorized computer program called LIFTS. The fluid-thermal-structural coupling is studied for Mach 6.47 flow over a 3-inch diameter cylinder for which the flow behavior and the aerothermal loads are calibrated by experimental data. Issues of the thermal-structural response are studied for hydrogen cooled, super thermal conducting leading edges subjected to intense aerodynamic heating.

Dechaumphai, Pramote↗

Numerical experiments on stability and transition in plane channel flow

Various secondary and tertiary instabilities in plane channael flow are explored via time-dependent numerical simulations using the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. Comparisons are made between transitional flows at Reynolds numbers 1500, 5000, and 8000. The lambda vortex, detached shear layer, and inverted vortex regions are identified, and the origin of the latter is explained. The laminar breakdown of the Re = 1500 flow is computed with high resolution, and the nature of its ensuing hairpin eddies is clarified by numerical particle paths. The potential of center-mode, rather than wall-mode transitions is proposed, and the resulting flow structure is described.

Zang, Thomas A.↗

Numerical Solutions of Supersonic and Hypersonic Laminar Compression Corner Flows

An efficient time-splitting, second-order accurate, numerical scheme is used to solve the complete Navier-Stokes equations for supersonic and hypersonic laminar flow over a two-dimensional compression corner. A fine, exponentially stretched mesh spacing is used in the region near the wall for resolving the viscous layer. Good agreement is obtained between the present computed results and experimental measurement for a Mach number of 14.1 and a Reynolds number of 1.04 x 10(exp 5) with wedge angles of 15 deg, 18 deg, and 24 deg. The details of the pressure variation across the boundary layer are given, and a correlation between the leading edge shock and the peaks in surface pressure and heat transfer is observed.

Hung, C. M.↗

A Flow Solver for Three-Dimensional DRAGON Grids

DRAGONFLOW code has been developed to solve three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations over a complex geometry whose flow domain is discretized with the DRAGON grid-a combination of Chimera grid and a collection of unstructured grids. In the DRAGONFLOW suite, both OVERFLOW and USM3D are presented in form of module libraries, and a master module controls the invoking of these individual modules. This report includes essential aspects, programming structures, benchmark tests and numerical simulations.

Liou, Meng-Sing↗

Implicit Coupling Approach for Simulation of Charring Carbon Ablators

This study demonstrates that coupling of a material thermal response code and a flow solver with nonequilibrium gas/surface interaction for simulation of charring carbon ablators can be performed using an implicit approach. The material thermal response code used in this study is the three-dimensional version of Fully Implicit Ablation and Thermal response program, which predicts charring material thermal response and shape change on hypersonic space vehicles. The flow code solves the reacting Navier-Stokes equations using Data Parallel Line Relaxation method. Coupling between the material response and flow codes is performed by solving the surface mass balance in flow solver and the surface energy balance in material response code. Thus, the material surface recession is predicted in flow code, and the surface temperature and pyrolysis gas injection rate are computed in material response code. It is demonstrated that the time-lagged explicit approach is sufficient for simulations at low surface heating conditions, in which the surface ablation rate is not a strong function of the surface temperature. At elevated surface heating conditions, the implicit approach has to be taken, because the carbon ablation rate becomes a stiff function of the surface temperature, and thus the explicit approach appears to be inappropriate resulting in severe numerical oscillations of predicted surface temperature. Implicit coupling for simulation of arc-jet models is performed, and the predictions are compared with measured data. Implicit coupling for trajectory based simulation of Stardust fore-body heat shield is also conducted. The predicted stagnation point total recession is compared with that predicted using the chemical equilibrium surface assumption

Ablation↗

Burnett solutions along the stagnation line of a cooled cylinder in low-density hypersonic flows

The Burnett equations in the cylindrical coordinate system have been applied to the hypersonic flow over a cylinder in low density environments. Through a local similarity transformation, the Burnett equations are degenerated into nonlinear third-order ordinary differential equations which are only valid along the stagnation line. These equations are solved by the multi-staged Runge-Kutta integration technique. Steady state solutions are asymptotically reached by the time-marching procedure. A newly-developed computer code is used to solve both the Navier-Stokes and the Burnett equations within the shock layer. The computed heat transfer coefficients are consistent with wind-tunnel and STS flight data. Comparisons with the DSMC solutions and the Boltzmann solutions show that the Burnett equations are more appropriate as the governing equations than the Navier-Stokes equations in the transitional flow regime.

Liaw, G. S.↗

Analysis of three-dimensional unsteady flow around oscillating wings

A method based on the Navier-Stokes equations was developed for determining analytically the three-dimensional unsteady flow patterns around oscillating wings. The Helmholz vorticity transport equations were discretized in three-dimensional finite element form from a variational formulation and integrated numerically. At each time step of the numerical integration the velocity field was calculated from the representation of the three-dimensional wing by a system of optimized distribution of vortices in space. During the numerical integration of the vorticity transport equations the time-dependent boundary conditions on the wing were specified as external constraint conditions. Examples of obtained results describing the three-dimensional unsteady flow around a wing were presented.

Bratanow, T.↗

Numerical simulation of steady supersonic flow over an ogive-cylinder-boattail body

A recently reported parabolized Navier-Stokes code has been employed to compute the supersonic flow field surrounding an ogive-cylinder-boattail body at incidence. The computations were performed for flow conditions where an extensive series of experimental surface pressure and turbulent boundary-layer profile measurements had been obtained. Comparison between the computational results and experimental measurements for angles of attack up to 6 deg show excellent agreement. At angles greater than 6 deg discrepancies are observed which are tentatively attributed to three-dimensional turbulence modeling errors.

Schiff, L. B.↗

Three-dimensional analysis of the Pratt and Whitney alternate design SSME fuel turbine

The three dimensional viscous time-mean flow in the Pratt and Whitney alternate design space shuttle main engine fuel turbine is simulated using the average passage Navier-Stokes equations. The migration of secondary flows generated by upstream blade rows and their effect on the performance of downstream blade rows is studied. The present simulation confirms that the flow in this two stage turbine is highly three dimensional and dominated by the tip leakage flow. The tip leakage vortex generated by the first blade persists through the second blade and adversely affects its performance. The greatest mixing of the inlet total temperature distortion occurs in the second vane and is due to the large leakage vortex generated by the upstream rotor. It is assumed that the predominant spanwise mixing mechanism in this low aspect ratio turbine is the radial transport due to the deterministically unsteady vortical flow generated by upstream blade rows. A by-product of the analysis is accurate pressure and heat loads for all blade rows under the influence of neighboring blade rows. These aero loads are useful for advanced structural analysis of the vanes and blades.

Kirtley, K. R.↗

A New Modular Approach for Tightly Coupled Fluid/Structure Analysis

Static aeroelastic computations are made using a C++ executive suitable for closely coupled fluid/structure interaction studies. The fluid flow is modeled using the Euler/Navier Stokes equations and the structure is modeled using finite elements. FORTRAN based fluids and structures codes are integrated under C++ environment. The flow and structural solvers are treated as separate object files. The data flow between fluids and structures is accomplished using I/O. Results are demonstrated for transonic flow over partially flexible surface that is important for aerospace vehicles. Use of this development to accurately predict flow induced structural failure will be demonstrated.

Guruswamy, Guru↗

Tip vortices of wings in subsonic and transonic flow: A numerical simulation

Thin layer Navier-Stokes and Euler equations are numerically solved using a multi-block zonal approach to simulate the formation and roll up of tip vortices of wings in subsonic and transonic flows. Several wing planforms were considered to examine the influence of tip-cap shape, planform geometry and free stream Mach number on the formation process. A good definition of the formation and qualitative roll up of tip vortices was achieved.

Srinivasan, G. R.↗

Application of CFD to sonic boom near and mid flow-field prediction

A 3-D parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) code was used to calculate the supersonic overpressures from three different geometries at near- and mid-flow fields. Wind tunnel data is used for code validation. Comparison of the computed results with different grid refinements is shown. It is observed that a large number of grid points is needed to resolve the tail shock/expansion fan interaction. Therefore, an adaptive grid approach is employed to calculate the flow field. The agreement between the numerical results and the wind tunnel data confirms that computational fluid dynamics can be applied to the problem of sonic boom prediction.

Cheung, Samson H.↗

A three-dimensional pressure flux-split RNS application to sub/supersonic flow in inlets and ducts

The reduced Navier-Stokes (RNS) formulation is combined with a pressure based flux split procedure for the computational analysis of three dimensional flow. Only lowest order diffusion, that is required to satisfy the no-slip boundary condition is retained in this approximation. The governing equations are appropriately differenced such that the physical boundary conditions are closely coupled and combined to form a closed discrete system. No numerical or characteristic type boundary conditions are required. A global pressure relaxation procedure, i.e. multi-sweep PNS, is considered. A sparse matrix direct solver is applied to the crossplane solution. At the outflow boundary only the pressure or pressure gradient is prescribed. The resulting formulation has been applied to the solution of three-dimensional subsonic/supersonic internal flows in inlets and ducts.

Khosla, P. K.↗

Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of the Stall Characteristics of a Wing Designed Based on Prandtl's Mininum Induced Drag

Stall characteristics of a wing designed based on Prandtls minimum induced drag solution using the bending moment as the design constraint is presented. Flow field is resolved using the Reynold-Averaged Navier Stokes solver OVERFLOW, version 2.2l, with fully turbulent flow approximation. The turbulence was resolved using the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model with rotational and curvature correction. Grid independence study show acceptable grid resolution is achieved. The stall angle-of-attack was predicted at 17.25. CFD analysis show that large separations begins inboard, near the symmetry plane, and exists at stall. However, the separated region remain localized and the flow at the wing tip remain attached.

drag↗

Stability of mean flows over an infinite flat plate

The present investigation is mainly concerned with a stability analysis for the linearized Navier-Stokes equations for parallel and nonparallel mean flows over an infinite flat plate. The system of equations for parallel flows is presented. The system is viewed as a generalized Orr-Sommerfeld equation. Attention is given to an explicit criterion characterizing the case when the stability of all physically reasonable solutions is determined by the eigenvalues. The proof given in the investigation is applicable to both the generalized Orr-Somerfeld equations and the modified equations for nonparallel flow. The fact that the criterion is independent of the completeness or incompleteness of eigenfunctions is contrary to some expectations.

Miklavcic, M.↗