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At least 1,225 records · Page 68

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DOE OSTI2021

Divertor detachment in the pre-fusion power operation phase in ITER during application of resonant magnetic perturbations

Detachment of the divertor plasma during application of resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) fields is evaluated for hydrogen H-mode plasma during the first pre-fusion power operation (PFPO-1) phase in ITER by 3D plasma boundary modelling with EMC3–EIRENE. Plasma response effects from a linearized, resistive, single fluid MHD model are discussed, which includes partial screening of the externally applied field—but also field amplification near the separatrix. Furthermore, this field amplification is found to play a pivotal role for the magnetic footprint on the divertor targets, but is sensitive to model parameters. Extensions of the footprint beyond the straight portions of the ITER vertical divertor targets, optimized for high stationary heat flux handling, may be possible depending on the level of toroidal rotation in the plasma. Exhaust from the bulk plasma is guided by the helical corrugations (lobes) of the perturbed separatrix, and this results in an upstream heat flux that is distributed over these lobes with lower peak values than in the typical radial heat flux profiles seen in the absence of magnetic perturbations. As a consequence, an earlier onset (with respect to the upstream density) of detachment is found in the traditional strike zone when RMPs are applied, but secondary, non-axisymmetric strike locations appear—and those remain attached at temperatures above 10 eV. Neon seeding can mitigate these non-axisymmetric heat loads, but this becomes less efficient for large magnetic footprints.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

NASA NTRS1985

Hormone Purification by Isoelectric Focusing

Various ground-based research approaches are being applied to a more definitive evaluation of the natures and degrees of electroosmosis effects on the separation capabilities of the Isoelectric Focusing (IEF) process. A primary instrumental system for this work involves rotationally stabilized, horizontal electrophoretic columns specially adapted for the IEF process. Representative adaptations include segmentation, baffles/screens, and surface coatings. Comparative performance and development testing are pursued against the type of column or cell established as an engineering model. Previously developed computer simulation capabilities are used to predict low-gravity behavior patterns and performance for IEF apparatus geometries of direct project interest. Three existing mathematical models plus potential new routines for particular aspects of simulating instrument fluid patterns with varied wall electroosmosis influences are being exercised.

Bier, M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Computation of nonequilibrium radiating shock layers

A computational technique of coupling radiative transfer to fluid motion is developed for axisymmetric blunt body shock layer flows in a thermochemical nonequilibrium environment. The coupled formulation of radiation and flowfield leads to a governing set of integro-differential equations. This equation set is solved using a modified Gauss-Seidel line relaxation techniques which incorporates the inversion of full block matrix associated with radiative transfer using a block iteration method. The thermodynamic state of the gas is described by three temperatures: translational, rotational, and vibrational-electronic. Radiation phenomenon is assumed to be governed by the vibrational-electronic temperature. The radiative properties are described by a spectrally detailed model. The computations are presented for two cases, including the Fire II flight experiment. It is shown that the method converges and the calculated spectra qualitatively agree with the experimental data for the two test cases. The calculated total radiative flux underestimates the measured values owing to the low vibrational-electronic temperature predicted in the flowfield calculation.

Gokcen, Tahir↗

NASA NTRS1994

Radiative properties of molecular nitrogen ions produced by helium Penning ionization and argon effects

The development of hypersonic aerospace vehicles requires a better understanding on the thermal and chemical nonequilibrium kinetics of participating species in shock layers. The computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes developed for such flowfields overestimate the radiation in the spectral region of 300 - 600 nm. A speculation for this overestimation is that inclusion of Ar, CO2, and H2O at the upper atmosphere flight region makes a significant impact on radiative kinetics of molecular nitrogen ions. To define the effects of minority species on the radiative kinetics of N2(+), an experimental setup was made by using the helium Penning ionization. The vibrational and rotational temperature were measured by mapping the vibrational and rotational distributions of N2(+) emission with high spectroscopic resolution and absolute intensity measurements. Measured vibrational temperatures were in the range from 18,000 to 36,000 K, and rotational temperatures were in the range from 300 to 370 K. The irradiance of 391.44 nm line and rotational and vibrational temperatures were analyzed to define argon and CO2 effects on the N2(+) emission. When Ar or CO2 is injected with N2, the rotational temperature did not change. The irradiances were reduced by 34 percent and 78 percent for the 50 percent of mixture of Ar and CO2, respectively. The vibrational temperatures were increased by 24.1 percent and 82.9 percent for the 50 percent of mixture of Ar and CO2, respectively. It appears that there are no significant effects from small concentrations of Ar and CO2 at the upper atmosphere flight region.

Miller, George, III↗

NASA NTRS1975

A flying hot wire study of the turbulent near wake of a circular cylinder at Reynolds number of 140,000

The phenomenology was studied of the processes of vortex formation and transport in the near wake, at a Reynolds number sufficiently high to insure a fully turbulent wake, but low enough to insure a laminar separation. The apparatus developed for measuring this flow consisted of X-array hot wire probes mounted on the ends of a pair of whirling arms. A computer controlled data acquisition system was slaved to the position of the rotating arm and managed, monitored, edited, and recorded the vast profusion of data which is continuously poured out by the device. Results are presented which show the instantaneous velocity, intermittency, vorticity, and stress fields as a function of phase for the first six diameters of the near wake. The stresses in the near wake emerge as a concatenation of peaks and valleys, some the result of strong induced motions in the outer flow which cause free stream fluid to move rapidly inward toward the center of the wake, others the result of the random motions of the background turbulence.

Cantwell, B. J.↗

NASA NTRS1978

A three-dimensional model of corotating streams in the solar wind. I - Theoretical foundations

The paper is concerned with the development of the theoretical and mathematical background pertinent to the study of steady, corotating solar wind structure in all three spatial dimensions. The dynamical evolution of the plasma in interplanetary space (defined as the region beyond roughly 35 Rs where the flow is supersonic) is approximately described by the nonlinear, single-fluid, polytropic magnetohydrodynamic or hydrodynamic equations. Efficient numerical techniques are outlined for solving this complex system of coupled, hyperbolic partial differential equations. The present formulation is inviscid and nonmagnetic, but the methods used allow for the potential inclusion of both features with only modest modifications. A simple, highly idealized hydrodynamic model stream is examined to illustrate the fundamental processes involved in the three-dimensional dynamics of stream evolution. It is found that spatial variations in the rotational stream interaction mechanism produce small nonradial flows on a global scale that lead to the transport of mass, energy, and momentum away from regions of relative compression and into regions of relative rarefaction. Comparison with simpler models demonstrates the essential nonlinear, multidimensional nature of the interplanetary dynamics.

Pizzo, V.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Seals/Secondary Fluid Flows Workshop 1997; Volume II: HSR Engine Special Session

The High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) will be the largest engine ever built and operated at maximum conditions for long periods of time. It is being developed collaboratively with NASA, FAA, Boeing-McDonnell Douglas, Pratt & Whitney, and General Electric. This document provides an initial step toward defining high speed research (HSR) sealing needs. The overview for HSR seals includes defining objectives, summarizing sealing and material requirements, presenting relevant seal cross-sections, and identifying technology needs. Overview presentations are given for the inlet, turbomachinery, combustor and nozzle. The HSCT and HSR seal issues center on durability and efficiency of rotating equipment seals, structural seals and high speed bearing and sump seals. Tighter clearances, propulsion system size and thermal requirements challenge component designers.

Hendricks, Robert C.↗

NASA NTRS2021

Raman Temperature and Density Measurements in Supersonic Jets

Prediction of flow-field properties in supersonic jets using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code predictions has become routine; however, obtaining accurate solutions becomes more challenging when there is a significant temperature difference between the jet core and the ambient air and/or compressibility effects are significant. Benchmark sets of flow field property data are required in order to assess current CFD capabilities and develop better modeling approaches for these turbulent flow fields where accurate calculation of temperatures and turbulent heat flux is important. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), spontaneous rotational Raman scattering (SRS) spectroscopy and Background Oriented Schlieren (BOS) have been previously used to acquire measurements of the mean and root mean square (rms) velocities, the mean and rms gas temperatures and density gradients in subsonic jet flows and film cooling flows. In this work, the ability to measure density is added to the list of measurands available using the acquired Raman spectra. The suite of measurement techniques are now applied to supersonic jet flows. The computation of the local gas pressure in the potential core of an over-expanded jet is demonstrated using the Raman measured gas temperature and density. Additionally, a unique density feature in temperature matched, perfectly expanded jet flow shear layers identified using BOS was verified using the Raman measurement technique. These non-intrusive flow measurements are compared against RANS predictions of the supersonic jet flow properties as a means of assessing their prediction accuracy.

Raman Spectroscopy↗

DOE OSTI2025

Mixing by internal gravity waves in stars: assessing numerical simulations against theory

ABSTRACT Here we present a study of radial chemical mixing in non-rotating massive main-sequence stars driven by internal gravity waves (IGWs), based on multidimensional hydrodynamical simulations with the fully compressible code MUSIC. We examine two proposed mechanisms of material mixing in stars by IGWs that are commonly quoted, relating to thermal diffusion and sub-wavelength shearing. Thermal diffusion provides a non-restorative effect to the waves, leaving material displaced from its previous equilibrium, while shearing arising within the waves drives weak localized flows, mixing the fluid there. Using IGW spectra from the simulations, we evaluate theoretical predictions of mixing rates due to these mechanisms. We show, for $20\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ main-sequence stars, that neither of these mechanisms are likely to create mixing sufficient to correct inaccuracies in current stellar evolution models. Furthermore, we compare these predictions to results obtained from Lagrangian tracer particles, following a method recently used for global simulations of stellar interiors to measure mixing by IGWs in their radiative zones. We demonstrate that tracer particle methods face significant numerical challenges in measuring the small diffusion coefficients predicted by the aforementioned theories, for which they are prone to yielding artificially enhanced coefficients. Diffusion coefficients based on such methods are currently used with stellar evolution codes for asteroseismic studies, but should be viewed with caution. Finally, in a case where tracer particles do not suffer from numerical artefacts, we suggest that a diffusion model is not suitable for time-scales typically considered by 2D numerical simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS2012

Rotation Rate of Saturn's Magnetosphere using CAPS Plasma Measurements

We present the present status of an investigation of the rotation rate of Saturn 's magnetosphere using a 3D velocity moment technique being developed at Goddard which is similar to the 2D version used by Sittler et al. (2005) [1] for SOI and similar to that used by Thomsen et al. (2010). This technique allows one to nearly cover the full energy range of the CAPS IMS from 1 V less than or equal to E/Q less than 50 kV. Since our technique maps the observations into a local inertial frame, it does work during roll manoeuvres. We have made comparisons with Wilson et al. (2008) [2] (2005-358 and 2005-284) who performs a bi-Maxwellian fit to the ion singles data and our results are nearly identical. We will also make comparisons with results by Thomsen et al. (2010) [3]. Our analysis uses ion composition data to weight the non-compositional data, referred to as singles data, to separate H+, H2+ and water group ions (W+) from each other. The ion data set is especially valuable for measuring flow velocities for protons, which are more difficult to derive using singles data within the inner magnetosphere, where the signal is dominated by heavy ions (i.e., proton peak merges with W+ peak as low energy shoulder). Our technique uses a flux function, which is zero in the proper plasma flow frame, to estimate fluid parameter uncertainties. The comparisons investigate the experimental errors and potential for systematic errors in the analyses, including ours. The rolls provide the best data set when it comes to getting 4PI coverage of the plasma but are more susceptible to time aliasing effects. Since our analysis is a velocity moments technique it will work within the inner magnetosphere where pickup ions are important and velocity distributions are non-Maxwellian. So, we will present results inside Enceladus' L shell and determine if mass loading is important. In the future we plan to make comparisons with magnetic field observations, use Saturn ionosphere conductivities as presently known and the field aligned currents necessary for the planet to enforce corotation of the rotating plasma.

Sittler, E.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Characterization of lift force and torque in prolate ellipsoid suspensions

The paper derives correlations for lift force and fluid torques acting on stationary prolate ellipsoid suspensions of aspect ratio (AR) 2.5, 5, and 10 subjected to uniform flow. Here, Particle Resolved Simulations (PRS) are conducted on a suspension of infinite extent in two directions for Reynolds number 10≤Re≤200 and solid fractions (φ) between 0.1≤φ≤0.3.The suspension-mean lift-to-drag ratio varies between 7% to 14% at Re=10 which increases to 14%~22% at Re=200. The torque-induced tip rotational acceleration can reach 38%~85% of drag-induced translational acceleration at Re=200. Single particle lift force and torque correlations of (Fröhlich et al., 2020) are modified and adapted to predict current angular-mean lift and torque data. The resulting lift correlation captures the PRS data within an average deviation below 7%. Torque exhibits a somewhat more complex dependency at AR=10 than the assumed sinθ ∙ cosθ variation but nevertheless the correlations predict angular-mean values with mean relative deviations of 16.6% at AR=10.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2026

Numerical Modeling of a Two-Stage Ocean Current Turbine

The Equinox Ocean Turbines (EQOT) current energy converter has a unique design with power generation in two small-diameter turbines attached to the tips of a large-diameter passive rotor. This configuration offers some key advantages for capturing ocean currents. With no centrally placed generator, almost no reaction torque is required at the nacelle of the main large-diameter rotor, and the small-diameter tip turbine generators operate at a higher speed and lower torque. The physics that determine the performance and loads on the turbine are also unique. The interactions of the flow field between the two stages and the general architecture of the system cannot be captured with traditional mid-fidelity modeling tools. For design iterations and large sets of load cases, it is important to have mid-fidelity models that can capture the important phenomenon with enough accuracy to identify global trends. This work uses a limited set of high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to help inform the selection of and construction of a custom mid-fidelity model. Mid-fidelity modeling approaches were verified by comparing key turbine performance quantities to those found with the CFD model. Hydrodynamic interactions of the two-stage rotor were identified through high-fidelity CFD modeling. This highlighted the impact of the main rotor tip vortex and wake on the secondary rotor apparent inflow. This results in a relative flow rotation and sharp deficit, that change the optimal secondary rotor rotation speed and adds unsteadiness to the blade loading respectively. Multiple mid-fidelity approaches were evaluated for their ability to capture these effects. A simple approximation of the combined-stage performance based on single-stage BEM provides a reasonable rough prediction, especially near the peak TSR values, with some larger discrepancy at higher TSRs. Predicting the combined-stage performance based on single-stage CFD data improves this prediction across the TSR range. Although the combined-stage modeling in OLAF was not successful in this stage of the project, it showed promise as a mid-fidelity method, assuming the parameters can be tuned to account for the significant differences in time and length scales between the main and secondary rotors. This may be addressed through code changes in future work. A significant finding from the OLAF work was the agreement between the vortex core radius values found independently via a parameter space search and via CFD. The technique of using single-stage secondary rotor BEM, with a custom inflow taken from single-stage main rotor CFD or OLAF, provides an efficient method to capture one-way coupled flow interactions. This method provided generally good predictions of the impact of the flow rotation on the secondary rotor but struggled to accurately predict the peaks of the unsteady load progression. Future work could include some superposition of a tuned main rotor trailing edge viscous wake into the custom inflow to better predict this interaction.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

NASA NTRS1983

Analytical and Experimental Study of Flow Through an Axial Turbine Stage with a Nonuniform Inlet Radial Temperature Profile

Results are presented for a typical nonuniform inlet radial temperature profile through an advanced single-stage axial turbine and compared with the results obtained for a uniform profile. Gas temperature rises of 40 K to 95 K are predicted at the hub and tip corners at the trailing edges of the pressure surfaces in both the stator and rotor due to convection of hot fluid from the mean by the secondary flow. The inlet temperature profile is shown to be mixed out at the rotor exit survey plane (2.3 axial chords downstream of the rotor trailing edge) in both the analysis and the experiment. The experimental rotor exit angle profile for the nonuniform inlet temperature profile indicates underturning at the tip caused by increased clearance. Severe underturning also occurs at the mean, both with and without the nonuniform inlet temperature profile. The inviscid rotational flow code used in the analysis fails to predict the underturning at the mean, which may be caused by viscous effects.

Schwab, J. R.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Analytical and experimental study of flow through an axial turbine stage with a nonuniform inlet radial temperature profile

Schwab, J. R.↗

NASA NTRS1991

In-flight leading-edge vortex flow-field survey measurements on a F-18 aircraft at high angle of attack

A rotating rake with 16 hemispherical-tipped five-hole probes was used to obtain flow-field measurements of the leading-edge-extension (LEX) vortex of the F-18 aircraft. The measurements were carried out under 1-g flight conditions at quasi-stabilized angles of attack of 10-52 deg and at Reynolds numbers based on a mean aerodynamic cord up to 16 x 10 to the 6th. Correlations with surface pressure, flow visualization, and computational fluid dynamics results are presented for angles of attack of 19 and 30 deg.

Richwine, David M.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Computational Aerodynamic Simulations of a 1215 ft/sec Tip Speed Transonic Fan System Model for Acoustic Methods Assessment and Development

Computational Aerodynamic simulations of a 1215 ft/sec tip speed transonic fan system were performed at five different operating points on the fan operating line, in order to provide detailed internal flow field information for use with fan acoustic prediction methods presently being developed, assessed and validated. The fan system is a sub-scale, low-noise research fan/nacelle model that has undergone extensive experimental testing in the 9- by 15-foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Details of the fan geometry, the computational fluid dynamics methods, the computational grids, and various computational parameters relevant to the numerical simulations are discussed. Flow field results for three of the five operating points simulated are presented in order to provide a representative look at the computed solutions. Each of the five fan aerodynamic simulations involved the entire fan system, which for this model did not include a split flow path with core and bypass ducts. As a result, it was only necessary to adjust fan rotational speed in order to set the fan operating point, leading to operating points that lie on a fan operating line and making mass flow rate a fully dependent parameter. The resulting mass flow rates are in good agreement with measurement values. Computed blade row flow fields at all fan operating points are, in general, aerodynamically healthy. Rotor blade and fan exit guide vane flow characteristics are good, including incidence and deviation angles, chordwise static pressure distributions, blade surface boundary layers, secondary flow structures, and blade wakes. Examination of the flow fields at all operating conditions reveals no excessive boundary layer separations or related secondary-flow problems.

Tweedt, Daniel L.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Preliminary Computational Assessment of Disk Rotating Detonation Engine Configurations

The pressure gain combustion (PGC) community is currently investigating rotating detonation engine (RDE) configurations where the flow direction is predominantly radial while the detonation travels circumferentially. These configurations are sometimes referred to as disk rotating detonation engines (DRDE) due to their nominal appearance as two disks in parallel with a gap between them. Having radial flow between disks, as opposed to the conventional RDE with axial flow in an annulus, may have profound effects on both the flow field and the performance. It may also yield extraordinarily compact devices which are well suited to particular propulsion and power applications. This presentation describes a preliminary effort to model the DRDE using a modified computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code originally written for analyzing ordinary RDE's. The quasi-two-dimensional code modifications are described, and some simple test flows are analyzed to insure that the modifications are functioning as envisioned. The code is then used to examine several DRDE scenarios such as radially inward and radially outward devices to see if stable operation is possible and if so, to assess the performance in terms of pressure gain. It is found that several flow scenarios are not only stable, but show superior performance to the ordinary RDE.

Paxson, Daniel E.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Microbial Mutualism in (Modeled) Microgravity: Measuring the Effects of A Spaceflight-Like Fluid Environment on Cross-Feeding Communities

Microorganisms grow differently in spaceflight than they do on Earth. While numerous factors likely contribute, one ubiquitous feature of the space environment is altered gravity - but because microbes are generally considered too small to detect gravity directly, they likely experience the effects of gravity via changes in their fluid environment, primarily a reduction in convective mixing. This theory is supported by evidence that individual microbial strains experience starvation and acid stress in microgravity. If it is true, then microgravity would also have measurable effects on microbes in mixed communities, because many interspecies interactions involve the exchange of soluble metabolites through their medium (cross-feeding). Specifically, cooperative cross-feeding communities would grow more slowly in microgravity, and this effect should be reproducible in ground-based rotational culture systems (rotating wall vessels, RWVs) designed to simulate the quiescent environment of microgravity. Here we present preliminary results of our efforts to test this hypothesis using using a model system of Eschericia coli and Salmonella enterica that grow only when they can exchange methionine and acetate through the medium. We report on the development of a novel laboratory system that allows us measure growth rates and species ratios in real-time using fluorescence spectrometry as the organisms grow in RWVs. We are able to track growth rates of individual species and the co-culture continuously with high temporal resolution for several hours, a substantial improvement over prior RWV systems that require destructive sampling. We vary the fidelity of the microgravity simulation by varying the rotation rate, and find that rotation rate affects growth rates of the community more than that of individual strains, consistent with the claim that RWVs can simulate a microgravity-like quiescent environment. While more work needs to be done to probe the mechanisms of this effect, we hope that our system will ultimately allow us to generate quantitative predictions about the effects of spaceflight on organisms that are tiny but essential to sustaining long-term human space exploration.

microgravity↗