Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “edge”

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 1,099 records · Page 61

Synchronization using pulsed edge tracking in optical PPM communication system

A pulse position modulated (PPM) optical communication system using narrow pulses of light for data transmission requires accurate time synchronization between transmitter and receiver. The presence of signal energy in the form of optical pulses suggests the use of a pulse edge tracking method of maintaining the necessary timing. The edge tracking operation in a binary PPM system is examined, taking into account the quantum nature of the optical transmissions. Consideration is given first to pure synchronization using a periodic pulsed intensity, then extended to the case where position modulation is present and auxiliary bit decisioning is needed to aid the tracking operation. Performance analysis is made in terms of timing error and its associated statistics. Timing error variances are shown as a function of system signal to noise ratio.

Gagliardi, R.↗

Calculation of heat transfer on shuttle type configurations including the effects of variable entropy at boundary layer edge

A relatively simple method is presented for including the effect of variable entropy at the boundary-layer edge in a heat transfer method developed previously. For each inviscid surface streamline an approximate shockwave shape is calculated using a modified form of Maslen's method for inviscid axisymmetric flows. The entropy for the streamline at the edge of the boundary layer is determined by equating the mass flux through the shock wave to that inside the boundary layer. Approximations used in this technique allow the heating rates along each inviscid surface streamline to be calculated independent of the other streamlines. The shock standoff distances computed by the present method are found to compare well with those computed by Maslen's asymmetric method. Heating rates are presented for blunted circular and elliptical cones and a typical space shuttle orbiter at angles of attack. Variable entropy effects are found to increase heating rates downstream of the nose significantly higher than those computed using normal-shock entropy, and turbulent heating rates increased more than laminar rates. Effects of Reynolds number and angles of attack are also shown.

Dejarnette, F. R.↗

Time-dependent edge-notch sensitivity of oxide and gamma prime dispersion strengthened sheet materials at 1000 to 1800 F (538 - 982 C)

Research was carried out to determine whether an oxide dispersion hardened alloy, TD-Ni, Cr, and low volume fraction gamma prime strengthened nickel-base alloy, Modified Waspaloy, were susceptible to time-dependent edge-notch sensitivity. The results were evaluated in terms of the mechanical characteristics of the alloys and the dislocation motion mechanisms operative. As far as could be determined, the results of the investigation were consistent with the following important concepts developed for Waspaloy and Inconel 718: (1) Time-dependent edge-notch sensitivity occurs when notched specimens are loaded below the approximate 0.2 percent smooth specimen offset yield strength and when data from smooth specimens indicate that small amounts of creep consume large rupture life fractions. (2) When precipitate particles are sheared by dislocations, the deformation is localized and time-dependent notch sensitivity occurs. When dislocations by-pass precipitate particles the deformation is homogeneous. Under these conditions, no time-dependent notch sensitivity has been observed.

Wilson, D. J.↗

A Study of Trailing Edge Blowing as a Means of Reducing Noise Generated by the Interaction of Flow with a Surface

A system for reducing the noise generated when a jet impinges against a flap is described. The eddies formed by the alternate zones of positive and negative pressure on the flap surface are identified as the sound source. In the proposed concept, a stream of low velocity secondary air is ejected from a slot near the trailing edge of the flap as a buffer between the flap and the primary air jet to reduce the intensity of the fluctuating surface pressure field near the flap edge and thus reduce the intensity of the aerodynamic noise.

Scharton, T. D.↗

Alternating method applied to edge and surface crack problems.

The alternating method, which intimately combines analytical results with numerical calculations, as applied to edge crack problems in two dimensions and surface crack problems in three dimensions, is treated. The case of a crack perpendicular to the edge of a semiinfinite material is considered. One of the crack geometries that has received continual interest in fracture mechanics is that of a semielliptical crack whose major axis lies on a stress free surface. In order to demonstrate the sensitivity of the solution to the influence of the free surface the semicircular crack problem is again treated by the alternating method.

Hartranft, R. J.↗

Unsteady aerodynamic analysis of space shuttle vehicles. Part 2: Steady and unsteady aerodynamics of sharp-edged delta wings

An analysis of the steady and unsteady aerodynamics of sharp-edged slender wings has been performed. The results show that slender wing theory can be modified to give the potential flow static and dynamic characteristics in incompressible flow. A semiempirical approximation is developed for the vortex-induced loads, and it is shown that the analytic approximation for sharp-edged slender wings gives good prediction of experimentally determined steady and unsteady aerodynamics at M = 0 and M = 1. The predictions are good not only for delta wings but also for so-called arrow and diamond wings. The results indicate that the effects of delta planform lifting surfaces can be included in a simple manner when determining elastic launch vehicle dynamic characteristics. For Part 1 see (N73-32763).

Ericsson, L. E.↗

Edge diffracted caustic fields

The fields near a caustic created by an edge diffraction process are computed using the equivalent current concept. These fields are shown to have the property commonly associated with ray optical analysis or the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (GTD), e.g., a 90 deg phase shift as the ray passes through the caustic. The present effort is directed toward consideration of the caustic created by an edge diffraction process. Particular attention is focused on electromagnetic excitation. The acoustic excitation for the hard boundary condition is outlined in an appendix. In addition, goal is to establish the extent of the caustic region. This is of particular importance when a ray optical solution involves multiply-diffracted terms in that the minimum size of the body that can be analyzed may be restricted by the extent of the caustic, i.e., the 90 deg phase shift used in ray optical analysis may be introduced only if the caustic is contained on the surface being studied.

Burnside, W. D.↗

Computer program for calculation of real gas turbulent boundary layers with variable edge entropy

A user's manual for a computer program which calculates real gas turbulent boundary layers with variable edge entropy on a blunt cone or flat plate at zero angle of attack is presented. An integral method is used. The method includes the effect of real gas in thermodynamic equilibrium and variable edge entropy. A modified Crocco enthalpy velocity relationship is used for the enthalpy profiles and an empirical correlation of the N-power law profile is used for the velocity profile. The skin-friction-coefficient expressions of Spalding and Chi and Van Driest are used in the solution of the momentum equation and in the heat-transfer predictions that use several modified forms of Reynolds analogy.

Boney, L. R.↗

Theoretical and experimental longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of an aspect ratio 0.25 sharp-edge delta wing at subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic speeds

The suction analogy concept of Polhamus for predicting vortex lift in conjunction with an appropriate potential-flow solution is called the present method. This method is applied to an aspect ratio 0.25 sharp-edge delta wing from a Mach number of 0.143 to 10.4 in free air and at 0.074 in ground effect, and also to an aspect ratio 0.35 triangular crosssectional body at a Mach number of 6.9. The models had subsonic leading edges at the test Mach numbers. Vortex-flow effects could be neither confirmed nor denied to exist at high speeds because of the lack of flow visualization above a Mach number of 0.143. The data, however, could be better predicted by including a vortex-flow effect, although not always to the extent predicted from the present method because of the presence of actual and hypothesized unmodeled flow situations. The method of Nenni and Tung (NASA CR-1860) tended to confirm the existence of vortex flow at hypersonic speeds. The hypersonic-tangent-cone method predicted best the delta-wing results over the test angle-of-attack range and hypersonic Mach number range and did equally as well as the present method for the triangular body.

Fox, C. H., Jr.↗

Aerodynamic characteristics of three slender sharp-edge 74 degrees swept wings at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic Mach numbers

Slender sharp-edge wings having leading-edge sweep angles of 74 deg have been studied at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 2.80, at angles of attack from about minus 4 deg to 22 deg, and at angles of sideslip from 0 deg to 5 deg. The wings had delta, arrow, and diamond planforms. The experimental tests were made in the Langley 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel and the Langley Unitary Plan wind tunnel test section number 1. The theoretical predictions were made using the theories of NASA TN D-3767 and NASA TN D-6243. The results of the study indicated that the lift and drag characteristics as affected by planform and Mach number could be reasonably well predicted for the delta wing in the subsonic and transonic Mach number range. In the supersonic range, the delta and diamond wings were about equally good in the degree of agreement between experiment and theory. In making drag-due-to-lift predictions the vortex lift effects must be taken into account if reasonable results are to be obtained at moderate or high lift coefficients.

Davenport, E. E.↗

Detection of radon emission at the edges of lunar maria with the Apollo alpha-particle spectrometer

The distribution of radioactive polonium-210, a decay product of radon-222, shows enhanced concentrations at the edges of lunar maria. Enhancements are seen at the edges of Mare Fecunditatis, Mare Crisium, Mare Smythii, Mare Tranquillitatis, Mare Nubium, Mare Cognitum, and Oceanus Procellarum. The observation is indicative of the transient emission of radon gas from the perimeters of lunar maria.

Gorenstein, P.↗

Extension of a vortex-lattice method to include the effects of leading-edge separation

Vortex-lattice methods have been used successfully to obtain the aerodynamic coefficients of lifting surfaces without leading-edge separation. It is shown how an existing vortex-lattice method can be modified to include the effects of leading-edge separation. The modified version is then used to calculate the aerodynamic loads on a highly swept delta wing. The results are compared with Peckham's (1958) experimental data.

Mook, D. T.↗

Investigation of acoustic effects of leading-edge serrations on airfoils

This paper presents and interprets a series of extensive studies of the application of leading-edge serrations as a device for reducing the vortex noise radiated from stationary and rotating airfoils in low Reynolds number flow. In these studies, a variety of serrations were attached at selected locations near the leading edge of stationary and rotating airfoils. The noise levels of the airfoils were reduced considerably with the serrations attached. An explanation of the aeroacoustic flow mechanisms involved is given.

Hersh, A. S.↗

Effects of various runway lighting parameters upon the relation between runway visual range and visual range of centerline and edge lights in fog

Thirty six students and 54 commercial airline pilots were tested in the fog chamber to determine the effect of runway edge and centerline light intensity and spacing, fog density, ambient luminance level, and lateral and vertical offset distance of the subject from the runway's centerline upon horizontal visual range. These data were obtained to evaluate the adequacy of a balanced lighting system to provide maximum visual range in fog viewing both centerline and runway edge lights. The daytime system was compared against two other candidate lighting systems; the nighttime system was compared against other candidate lighting systems. The second objective was to determine if visual range is affected by lights between the subject and the farthestmost light visible through the fog. The third objective was to determine if college student subjects differ from commercial airline pilots in their horizontal visual range through fog. Two studies were conducted.

Haines, R. F.↗

Analysis of noise produced by jet impingement near the trailing edge of a flat and a curved plate

The sound fields produced by the interaction of a subsonic cold gas jet with the trailing edge of a large flat plate and a curved plate were analyzed. The analyses were performed to obtain a better understanding of the dominant noise source and the mechanism governing the peak sound-pressure-level frequencies of the broadband spectra. An analytical expression incorporating an available theory and experimental data predicts sound field data over an arc of approximately 105 deg measured from the upstream jet axis for the two independent sets of data. The dominant noise as detected on the impingement side of either plate results from the jet impact (eighth power of the velocity dependence) rather than a trailing-edge disturbance (fifth or sixth power of the velocity dependence). Also, the frequency of the peak SPL may be governed by a phenomenon which produces periodic formation and shedding of ring vortices from the nozzle lip.

Mckinzie, D. J., Jr.↗

Design and fabrication of a high temperature leading edge heating array, phase 1

Progress during a Phase 1 program to design a high temperature heating array is reported for environmentally testing full-scale shuttle leading edges (30 inch span, 6 to 15 inch radius) at flight heating rates and pressures. Heat transfer analyses of the heating array, individual modules, and the shuttle leading edge were performed, which influenced the array design, and the design, fabrication, and testing of a prototype heater module.

Source record↗

A uniform geometrical theory of diffraction for an edge in a perfectly conducting surface

A compact dyadic diffraction coefficient for electromagnetic waves obliquely incident on a curved edge formed by perfectly conducting curved or plane surfaces is obtained. This diffraction coefficient remains valid in the transition regions adjacent to shadow and reflection boundaries, where the diffraction coefficients of Keller's original theory fail. Our method is based on Keller's method of the canonical problem, which in this case is the perfectly conducting wedge illuminated by plane, cylindrical, conical, and spherical waves. When the proper ray-fixed coordinate system is introduced, the dyadic diffraction coefficient for the wedge is found to be the sum of only two dyads, and it is shown that this is also true for the dyadic diffraction coefficients of higher order edges. One dyad contains the acoustic soft diffraction coefficient; the other dyad contains the acoustic hard diffraction coefficient. The expressions for the acoustic wedge diffraction coefficients contain Fresnel integrals, which ensure that the total field is continuous at shadow and reflection boundaries.

Kouyoumjian, R. G.↗

Active flutter suppression using trailing-edge and tab control surfaces

An optimization procedure, based on the Aerodynamic Energy concept, is applied to the problem of flutter suppression using trailing-edge (T.E.) and tab control surfaces. A control law is assumed which allows the T.E.-Tab system to be driven by both linear and rotational sensors, and the optimum control law parameters are determined. Results are presented which indicate the capability of the T.E.-Tab control system to suppress flutter. A comparison is also made between the T.E.-Tab and the leading edge (L.E.)-T.E. control systems which shows their relative effectiveness together with some aspects connected to the realization of the control law.

Nissim, E.↗