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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Neutron and high speed photogrammetric arcjet diagnosis

Two methods for real time internal diagnostics of arcjet engines are described. One method uses cold, thermal, or epithermal neutrons. Cold neutrons are used to detect the presence and location of hydrogenous propellants. Thermal neutrons are used to delineate the edge contours of anode and cathode surfaces and to measure stress/strain. Epithermal neutrons are used to measure temperatures on arcjet surfaces, bulk material temperatures, and point temperatures in bulk materials. It is found that this method, with an exposure time of 10 min, produces at temperature accuracy for W or Re of + or - 2.5 C. The other method uses visible-light high-speed photogrammetry to obtain images of the transient behavior of the arc during start-up and to relate this behavior to electrial supply characteristics such as voltage, current, and ripple.

Stewart, P. A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1957

Free-Flight Skin Temperature and Pressure Measurements on a Slightly Blunted 25 Deg Cone-Cylinder-Flare Configuration to a Mach Number of 9.89

Skin temperatures and surface pressures have been measured on a slightly blunted cone-cylinder-flare configuration to a maximum Mach number of 9.89 with a rocket-propelled model. The cone had a t o t a l angle of 25 deg and the flare had a 10 deg half-angle. Temperature data were obtained at eight cone locations, four cylinder locations, and seven flare locations; pressures were measured at one cone location, one cylinder location, and three flare locations. Four stages of propulsion were utilized and a reentry type of trajectory was employed in which the high-speed portion of flight was obtained by firing the last two stages during the descent of the model from a peak altitude of 99,400 feet. The Reynolds number at peak Mach number was 1.2 x 10(exp 6) per foot of model length. The model length was 6.68 feet. During the higher speed portions of flight, temperature measurements along one element of the nose cone indicated that the boundary layer was probably laminar, whereas on the opposite side of the nose the measurements indicated transitional or turbulent flow. Temperature distributions along one meridian of the model showed the flare to have the highest temperatures and the cylinder generally to have the lowest. A maximum temperature of 970 F was measured on the cone element showing the transitional or turbulent flow; along the opposite side of the model, the maximum temperatures of the cone, cylinder, and flare were 545 F, 340 F, and 680 F, respectively, at the corresponding time.

Bond, Aleck C.↗
NASA NTRS1950

Data from Tests of a 1/5-Scale Model of a Proposed High-Speed Submarine in the Langley Full-Scale Tunnel

Tests of a 1/5 scale model of a proposed 153-foot high-speed submarine have been conducted in the Langley full-scale tunnel at the request of the Bureau of Ships, Department of the Navy. The test program included: (1) force tests to determine the drag, control effectiveness, and static stability characteristics for a number of model configurations, both in pitch and in yaw, (2) pressure measurements to determine the boundary-layer conditions and flow characteristics in the region of the propeller, and (3) an investigation of the effects of propeller operation on the model aerodynamic characteristics. In response to oral requests from the Bureau of Ships representatives t hat the basic data obtained in these tests be made available to them as rapidly as possible, this data report has been prepared to present some of the more pertinent results. All test results given in the present paper are for the propeller-removed condition and were obtained at a Reynolds number of approximately 22,300,000 based on model length.

Cocke, Bennie W.↗
NASA NTRS1939

Tests of Airfoils Designed to Delay the Compressibility Burble

Development of airfoil sections suitable for high-speed applications has generally been difficult because little was known of the flow phenomenon that occurs at high speeds. A definite critical speed has been found at which serious detrimental flow changes occur that lead to serious losses in lift and large increases in drag. This flow phenomenon, called the compressibility burble, was originally a propeller problem, but with the development of higher speed aircraft serious consideration must be given to other parts of the airplane. Fundamental investigations of high-speed airflow phenomenon have provided new information. An important conclusion of this work has been the determination of the critical speed, that is, the speed at which the compressibility burble occurs. The critical speed was shown to be the translational velocity at which the sum of the translational velocity and the maximum local induced velocity at the surface of the airfoil or other body equals the local speed of sound. Obviously then higher critical speeds can be attained through the development of airfoils that have minimum induced velocity for any given value of the lift coefficient. Presumably, the highest critical speed will be attained by an airfoil that has uniform chordwise distribution of induced velocity or, in other words, a flat pressure distribution curve. The ideal airfoil for any given high-speed application is, then, that form which at its operating lift coefficient has uniform chordwise distribution of induced velocity. Accordingly, an analytical search for such airfoil forms has been conducted and these forms are now being investigated experimentally in the 23-inch high-speed wind tunnel. The first airfoils investigated showed marked improvement over those forms already available, not only as to critical speed buy also the drag at low speeds is decreased considerably. Because of the immediate marked improvement, it was considered desirable to extend the thickness and lift coefficient ranges for which the original forms had been designed before further extending the investigation.

Stack, John↗
NASA NTRS1986

Propeller noise caused by blade tip radial forces

New experimental evidence which indicates the presence of leading edge and tip edge vortex flow on Prop-Fans is examined, and performance and noise consequences are addressed. It was shown that the tip edge vortex is a significant noise source, particularly for unswept Prop-Fan blades. Preliminary calculations revealed that the addition of the tip side edge source to single rotation Prop-Fans during take off conditions improved the agreement between experiment and theory at blade passing frequency. At high-speed conditions such as the Prop-Fan cruise point, the tip loading effect tends to cancel thickness noise.

Hanson, D. B.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fabrication, oxidation, and combustion of nanoscale magnesium diboride and tetraboride

The difficult ignition of boron decreases the combustion efficiency of boron-loaded, fuel-rich propellants. One approach to solving this problem involves the use of magnesium diboride (MgB2), which ignites easier than boron. Magnesium tetraboride (MgB4) offers greater energy density owing to its higher boron content. However, the effect of B/Mg ratio on the ignition and combustion is unknown. Additionally, while nanoscale MgB₂ particles and quasi-2D structures were recently recognized as promising energetic additives, the oxidation and combustion properties of nanoscale MgB₄ have not been explored. The objectives of the present work included synthesis, purification, and high-energy ball milling of MgB2 and MgB4 powders as well as investigation of their thermal decomposition, oxidation, and combustion. The MgB2 and MgB4 powders were fabricated by combustion synthesis in the chemical oven mode and by heating Mg/B mixtures in a tube furnace. The latter method was superior in the synthesis of MgB4. Oxide impurities in the synthesized powders were removed by acid leaching. Nanoscale powders were obtained by high-energy ball milling. Thermal decomposition and oxidation of the obtained MgB₂ and MgB₄ powders were investigated by conducting non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) at temperatures up to 1550 °C in argon and oxygen flows. Combustion of B, MgB₂, and MgB₄ powders with oxygen at atmospheric pressure was studied in a windowed chamber using laser ignition and high-speed video recording. The TGA has shown multi-step decomposition of both magnesium borides in an argon environment. The maximum oxidation rate of MgB4 in oxygen was observed at a much lower temperature than in the case of MgB2. In the combustion experiments, both magnesium borides burned much faster than submicron boron. Ball milling of the borides further increased their burning rates. It has been concluded that nanoscale magnesium tetraboride is a promising ingredient for fuel-rich propellants owing to its high energy density, efficient oxidation, and rapid combustion.

Molina, Andre [The University of Texas at El Paso]↗
NASA NTRS1988

Optical measurement of unducted fan blade deflections

A nonintrusive optical method for measuring unducted fan (or propeller) blade deflections is described and evaluated. The measurement does not depend on blade surface reflectivity. Deflection of a point at the leading edge and a point at the trailing edge in a plane nearly perpendicular to the pitch axis is obtained with a single light beam generated by a low-power, helium-neon laser. Quantitiative analyses are performed from taped signals on a digital computer. Averaging techniques are employed to reduce random errors. Measured static deflections from a series of high-speed wind tunnel tests of a counterrotating unducted fan model are compared with available, predicted deflections, which are also used to evaluate systematic errors.

Kurkov, Anatole P.↗
NASA NTRS1941

Cooling Tests of an Airplane Equipped with an NACA Cowling and a Wing-duct Cooling System

Cooling tests were made of a Northrop A-17A attack airplane successively equipped with a conventional.NACA cowling and with a wing-duct cooling system. The method of cooling the engine by admitting air from the propeller slipstream into wing ducts, passing it first through the accessory compartment and then over the engine from rear to front, appeared to offer possibilities for improved engine cooling, increased cooling of the accessories, and better fairing of the power-plant installation. The results showed that ground cooling for the wing duct system without cowl flap was better than for the NACA cowling with flap; ground cooling was appreciably improved by installing a cowl flap. Satisfactory temperatures were maintained in both climb and high-speed flight, but, with the use of conventional baffles, a greater quantity of cooling air appeared to be required for the wing duct system.

Turner, L I , Jr↗
NASA NTRS1988

Optical measurement of propeller blade deflections

A nonintrusive optical method for measurement of propeller blade deflections is described and evaluated. It does not depend on the reflectivity of the blade surface but only on its opaqueness. Deflection of a point at the leading edge and a point at the trailing edge in a plane nearly perpendicular to the pitch axis is obtained using a single light beam generated by a low-power helium-neon laser. Quantitative analyses are performed from taped signals on a digital computer. Averaging techniques are employed to reduce random errors. Measured deflections from a static and a high-speed test are compared with available predicted deflections which are also used to evaluate systematic errors.

Kurkov, Anatole P.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fabrication and characterization of nanoscale magnesium diboride and tetraboride for propulsion and hydrogen storage applications

Abstract: Boron-loaded propellants have the potential to dramatically increase the performance of solid fuel ramjets, ducted rockets, and hybrid rocket engines. However, difficult ignition of boron decreases the combustion efficiency of these propellants. One approach to solving this problem involves the use of magnesium diboride, MgB2, which ignites easier than boron. Magnesium tetraboride, MgB4, potentially offers greater energetic performance as B has a higher energy density than Mg. However, the effect of the higher boron/metal ratio on the ignition and combustion is unclear. Nanoscale MgB2 particles and quasi 2D structures are promising propellant ingredients, but the oxidation and combustion properties of nanoscale MgB4 remain unknown. Nanoscale magnesium borides are also of interest as precursors for the synthesis of magnesium borohydride, Mg(BH4)2, a promising hydrogen storage material, but hydrogenation of MgB4 has not been studied yet. The objectives of the present work included synthesis, purification, and high-energy ball milling of MgB2 and MgB4 powders as well as investigation of their hydrogen uptake, thermal decomposition, oxidation, and combustion. The powders were fabricated by combustion synthesis and by heating in a tube furnace. The latter method was superior in the synthesis of MgB4. Oxide impurities in the synthesized powders were removed by acid leaching. Nanoscale powders were obtained by ball-mill exfoliation. The hydrogen intake of the obtained magnesium borides was examined at 700 bar and 300 ℃ and did not reveal any advantage of MgB4 over MgB2. Their thermal decomposition and oxidation were investigated with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), while their combustion was studied using laser ignition and high-speed video recording. TGA has confirmed prior observations of multistep decomposition of magnesium borides, where each step involves formation of a boride with a higher B/Mg ratio and evaporation of formed magnesium. The oxidation rates of the borides are much higher than that of boron at temperatures over 1200 °C for MgB2 and over 900 °C for MgB4. The burning rates of non-milled MgB₂ and MgB₄ powders were much higher than for the used submicron boron. Milling the MgB₂ and MgB₄ powders further increased their burning rates. The milled MgB4 burned 7.5 times faster than submicron boron.

Combustion of metals, Solid fuels, Propellants, Hy↗
DOE OSTI2025

High‐Speed Embedded Ink Writing of Anatomic‐Size Organ Constructs

Embedded ink writing (EIW) is an emerging 3D printing technique that fabricates complex 3D structures from various biomaterial inks but is limited to a printing speed of ∼10 mm s −1 due to suboptimal rheological properties of particulate-dominated yield-stress fluids when used as liquid baths. In this work, a particle-hydrogel interactive system to design advanced baths with enhanced yield stress and extended thixotropic response time for realizing high-speed EIW is developed. In this system, the interactions between particle additive and three representative polymeric hydrogels enable the resulting nanocomposites to demonstrate different rheological behaviors. Accordingly, the interaction models for the nanocomposites are established, which are subsequently validated by macroscale rheological measurements and advanced microstructure characterization techniques. Filament formation mechanisms in the particle-hydrogel interactive baths are comprehensively investigated at high printing speeds. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed high-speed EIW method, an anatomic-size human kidney construct is successfully printed at 110 mm s −1 , which only takes ∼4 h. This work breaks the printing speed barrier in current EIW and propels the maximum printing speed by at least 10 times, providing an efficient and promising solution for organ reconstruction in the future.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1977

Advanced turboprop technology development

The efficiency of high-speed turboprop propulsion systems is considered with emphasis on fuel savings. Specific topics discussed include: (1) high efficiency and low noise of propeller design; (2) fuselage noise attenuation; (3) propeller and gear box maintenance; and (4) engine-airframe integration.

Dugan, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Farfield inflight measurement of high-speed turboprop noise

A flight program was carried out to determine the variation of noise level with distance from a model high speed propeller. Noise measurements were obtained at different distances from a SR-3 propeller mounted on a JetStar aircraft, with the test instrumentation mounted on a Lear jet flown in formation. The propeller was operated at 0.8 flight Mach number, 1.12 helical tip Mach number and at 0.7 flight Mach number, 1.0 helical tip Mach number. The instantaneous pressure from individual blades was observed to rise faster at the 0.8 M flight speed, than at the 0.7 M flight speed. The measured levels appeared to decrease in good agreement with a 6 dB/doubling of distance decay, over the measurement range of approximately 16 m to 100 m distance. Further extrapolation, to the distances represented by a community, would suggest that the propagated levels during cruise would not cause a serious community annoyance.

Balombin, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

High speed wind tunnel tests of the PTA aircraft

Propfans, advanced highly-loaded propellers, are proposed to power transport aircraft that cruise at high subsonic speeds, giving significant fuel savings over the equivalent turbofan-powered aircraft. NASA is currently sponsoring the Propfan Test Assessment Program (PTA) to provide basic data on the structural integrity and acoustic performance of the propfan. The program involves installation design, wind-tunnel tests, and flight tests of the Hamilton Standard SR-7 propfan in a wing-mount tractor installation on the Gulfstream II aircraft. This paper reports on the high-speed wind-tunnel tests and presents the computational aerodynamic methods that were employed in the analyses, design, and evaluation of the configuration. In spite of the complexity of the configuration, these methods provide aerodynamic predictions which are in excellent agreement with wind-tunnel data.

Aljabri, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1958

Extreme Speeds and Thermodynamic States in Supersonic Flight

The increasing importance of high-speed flow leads to similar problems in various fields of research which are summarized in what follows. Typical of all cases is the conversion of high kinetic energy into extreme thermodynamic states with temperatures of several thousand degrees, frequently connected with dissociation and ionization of the gas involved. There is also a characteristic small sensitivity to the processes discussed in the case of gases of low molecular weight (light gases). The penetration of meteors into the atmosphere of the earth at astronomical speeds results in temperatures higher than those of the surface of the sun. Such temperatures may be produced in shock tubes, with light gases used as the driving gas. For supersonic fighters the problem of propulsion is less difficult to solve than the problem of large heating, on the surface and in the combustion chamber. Finally, for the space-travel rocket, astronomical speeds have to be reached which require the lightest possible gases as propellants. Here again, dissociation processes in the combustion chamber are of considerable importance.

Oswatitsch, Klaus↗