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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 NTRS1987

Navier-Stokes predictions of multifunction nozzle flows

A two-dimensional, Navier-Stokes code developed by Imlay based on the implicit, finite-volume method of MacCormack has been applied to the prediction of the flow fields and performance of several nonaxisymmetric, convergent-divergent nozzles with and without thrust vectoring. Comparisons of predictions with experiment show that the Navier-Stokes code can accurately predict both the flow fields and performance for nonaxisymmetric nozzles where the flow is predominantly two-dimensional and at nozzle pressure ratios at or above the design values. Discrepancies between predictions and experiment are noted at lower nozzle pressure ratios where separation typically occurs in portions of the nozzle. The overall trends versus parameters such as nozzle pressure ratio, flap angle, and vector angle were generally predicted correctly.

Wilmoth, Richard G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Flow solution on a dual-block grid around an airplane

The compressible flow around a complex fighter-aircraft configuration (fuselage, cranked delta wing, canard, and inlet) is simulated numerically using a novel grid scheme and a finite-volume Euler solver. The patched dual-block grid is generated by an algebraic procedure based on transfinite interpolation, and the explicit Runge-Kutta time-stepping Euler solver is implemented with a high degree of vectorization on a Cyber 205 processor. Results are presented in extensive graphs and diagrams and characterized in detail. The concentration of grid points near the wing apex in the present scheme is shown to facilitate capture of the vortex generated by the leading edge at high angles of attack and modeling of its interaction with the canard wake.

Eriksson, Lars-Erik↗
NASA NTRS1987

Adaptive grid generation

The fundamental principles of adaptive grid generation for the numerical analysis of physical phenomena described by systems of partial differential equations are examined in an analytical review. Topics addressed include weight functions, equidistribution in one dimension, the specification of coefficients in the linear weight, the attraction to a given grid on a curve, evolutionary forces, and metric notation. Consideration is given to curve-by-curve methods, finite-volume methods, variational methods, and temporal aspects.

Eiseman, Peter R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Computational simulation of turbulent flow in Space Shuttle Main Engine turnaround ducts

Two axisymmetric 180-deg turnaround ducts are used in the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) to connnect the preburners with the main thrust chamber. The prediction of the flow field and heat transfer within the turnaround ducts is important to minimize the pressure drops, size of recirculation and stagnation zones, local overheating, etc. This paper presents the computational approach and selected results for the turbulent flow in the turnaround ducts of the fuel and oxidizer sides of the SSME. The time-averaged, Navier-Stokes equations for the viscous, compressible, turbulent flow are solved in body-fitted-coordinates by using a finite-volume approach. Two turbulence models, viz: the k-epsilon model and a multiple scale turbulence model, are used to examine the sensitivity of calculated flows. Both models produce almost identical solutions for the fuelside turnaround duct (which has no recirculation region). However, for the oxidizer-side duct which has a large recirculation region, the two models show quite different results.

Przekwas, Andrzej J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The multi-zone calculation of turbomachinery flows. II - The multi-zone calculation of the turbulent, two-specie flow through the SSME HPFTP first and second stage cavities

A multi-zone Navier-Stokes methodology to calculate the two-specie flow through the first and second stage cooling cavities of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) high pressure fuel turbopump (HPFTP) is developed. A simplified two-component fluid formulation is used to model the interaction of coolant and hot gas. Johnston's secant approximation is used to define an appropriate near wall velocity for use in a three-dimensional law of the wall. The basic Navier-Stokes algorithm used is a finite-volume, predictor-corrector algorithm which uses a pressure correction technique. A multi-zone method is used to partition each cavity into easily handled subdomains. The results show that coolant flow is pumped up the turbine wheel for both cavities, creating a region of large temperature gradients on the turbine shank.

Williams, M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Unsteady delta-wing flow computation using an implicit factored Euler scheme

The conservative unsteady Euler equations for the flow relative motion in the moving frame of reference are used to solve for the steady and unsteady flows around sharp-edged delta wings. The resulting equations are solved by using an implicit approximately-factored finite-volume scheme. Implicit second-order and explicit second- and fourth-order dissipations are added to the scheme. The boundary conditions are explicitly satisfied. The grid is generated by locally using a modified Joukowski transformation in cross-flow planes at the grid chord stations. The computational applications cover a steady flow around a delta wing whose results serve as the initial conditions for the unsteady flow around a pitching delta wing about a large angle of attack. The steady results are compared with the experimental data and the periodic solution is achieved within the third cycle of oscillation.

Kandil, Osama A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Control of supersonic intersection flowfields through filleting and sweep

The problem of supersonic flow control using fillets and sweep for a wing/body junction has been investigated numerically using a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code which employs the MacCormack time-split finite-volume technique. An elliptic grid generation technique with direct control over spacing has been incorporated for constructing the grid at a filleted wing/body junction. The computed results for pressure distribution, particle paths, and limiting streamlines on the flat plate and fin surface for a swept fin show a decrease in the peak pressure on the fin leading edge and in the extent of the separated flow region. Moreover, the results for the filleted juncture clearly show that the flow streamline patterns lose much of their vortical character with proper filleting. It is demonstrated that fillets with a radius of 3.5 times the fin leading edge diameter are required to weaken the usual necklace vortex interaction.

Lakshmanan, B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The development of flux-split algorithms for flows with non-equilibrium thermodynamics and chemical reactions

A finite-volume method for the numerical computation of flows with nonequilibrium thermodynamics and chemistry is presented. A thermodynamic model is described which simplifies the coupling between the chemistry and thermodynamics and also results in the retention of the homogeneity property of the Euler equations (including all the species continuity and vibrational energy conservation equations). Flux-splitting procedures are developed for the fully coupled equations involving fluid dynamics, chemical production and thermodynamic relaxation processes. New forms of flux-vector split and flux-difference split algorithms are embodied in a fully coupled, implicit, large-block structure, including all the species conservation and energy production equations. Several numerical examples are presented, including high-temperature shock tube and nozzle flows. The methodology is compared to other existing techniques, including spectral and central-differenced procedures, and favorable comparisons are shown regarding accuracy, shock-capturing and convergence rates.

Grossman, B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The equation of state for stellar envelopes. I - An occupation probability formalism for the truncation of internal partition functions

An equation of state for material in stellar envelopes, subject to the limits of temperature less than about 10 to the 7th K and density less than about .01 g/cu cm is presented. The equation makes it possible to express free energy as the sum of several terms representing effects such as partial degeneracy of the electron, Coulomb interactions among charged particles, finite-volume, hard sphere repulsion, and van der Waals attraction. An occupation probability formalism is used to represent the effects of the plasma in establishing a finite partition function. It is shown that the use of the static screened Coulomb potential to calculate level shifts and to estimate the cutoff of the internal partition function is invalid. For most of the parameter space relevant to stellar envelopes, perturbations arising from the plasma ions are shown to be dominant in establishing the internal partition function.

Hummer, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Computation of steady and unsteady vortex-dominated flows with shock waves

The unsteady Euler equations have been derived in the conservation form for the flow relative motion with respect to a rotating frame of reference. The resulting equations are solved by using a central-difference finite-volume scheme with four-state Runge-Kutta time stepping. For steady flow applications local time stepping is used, and for unsteady applications the minimum global time stepping is used. A three-dimensional fully vectorized computer program has been developed and applied to steady and unsteady maneuvering delta wings. The capability of the three-dimensional program has been demonstrated for a rigid sharp-edged delta wing undergoing uniform rolling in a conical flow and rolling oscillations in a locally conical flow.

Kandil, Osama A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Numerical simulation of underexpanded plumes using upwind algorithms

The solution of the flow characteristics of highly underexpanded plumes is presently sought by means of a high-resolution total variation-diminishing upwind scheme featuring finite-volume metrics, Roe averaging with entropy correction, and monotonic upstream schemes for conservation laws. The existing approximate factorization schemes are used both as preconditioners and in order to apply the conjugate residual algorithm. The plumes treated are axisymmetric and laminar, and for an ideal gas that is allowed to be thermally incomplete. Simulations of the SSME and SRB plumes have been successfully conducted.

Obayashi, Shigeru↗
NASA NTRS1988

A conservative approach for flow field calculations on multiple grids

In the computation of flow fields about complex configurations, it is very difficult to construct body-fitted coordinate systems. An alternative approach is to use several grids at once, each of which is generated independently. This procedure is called the multiple grids or zonal grids approach and its applications are investigated in this study. The method follows the conservative approach and provides conservation of fluxes at grid interfaces. The Euler equations are solved numerically on such grids for various configurations. The numerical scheme used is the finite-volume technique with a three-state Runge-Kutta time integration. The code is vectorized and programmed to run on the CDC VPS-32 computer. Some steady state solutions of the Euler equations are presented and discussed.

Kathong, Monchai↗
NASA NTRS1988

Unsteady transonic airfoil computation using implicit Euler scheme on body-fixed grid

The unsteady Euler equations have been derived for the flow relative motion with respect to a frame of reference that is rigidly attached to the moving airfoil. The grid is generated once by an elliptic solver without a need for dynamic grid computation. An implicit factored finite-volume scheme has been developed and implemented through a fully vectorized computer program. Implicit second-order and explicit second and fourth-order dissipations are added to the scheme. The boundary conditions are explicitly satisfied. The scheme is applied to steady and unsteady transonic airfoil flows and the results are in good agreement with the experimental data. For forced harmonic airfoil motions, periodic solutions are achieved within the third cycle of oscillation.

Kandil, Osama A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

An explicit Runge-Kutta method for 3D turbulent incompressible flows

A computer code has been developed to solve for the steady-state solution of the 3D incompressible Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The approach is based on the cell-center, central-difference, finite-volume formulation and an explicit one-step, multistage Runge-Kutta time-stepping scheme. The Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model is used. Techniques to accelerate the rate of convergence to a steady-state solution include the preconditioned method, the local time stepping, and the implicit residual smoothing. Improvements in computational efficiency have been demonstrated in several areas. This numerical procedure has been used to simulate the turbulent horseshoe vortex flow around an airfoil/flat-plate juncture.

Sung, Chao-Ho↗
NASA NTRS1988

Computational structural mechanics and fluid dynamics: Advances and trends; Proceedings of the Symposium, Washington, DC, Oct. 17-19, 1988

Recent advances in computational structural and fluid dynamics are discussed in reviews and reports. Topics addressed include fluid-structure interaction and aeroelasticity, CFD techniques for reacting flows, micromechanics, stability and eigenproblems, probabilistic methods and chaotic dynamics, and perturbation and spectral methods. Consideration is given to finite-element, finite-volume, and boundary-element methods; adaptive methods; parallel processing machines and applications; and visualization, mesh generation, and AI interfaces.

Noor, Ahmed K.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Navier-Stokes calculations using Cartesian grids. I - Laminar flows

A finite-volume formulation for the Navier-Stokes equations using Cartesian grids is used to study flows past airfoils. In addition to the solution of the complete equations, solutions for two simplified versions of the governing equations were obtained and compared with those using body-fitted grids. Results are presented for two airfoil sections, NACA 0012 and RAE 2822, for a range of Mach numbers, angles of attack, and Reynolds numbers. It is shown that the results are highly dependent on the smoothness of the surface grid. Without such smoothness, the skin friction and pressure converge to nonuniform distributions. On the other hand, when surface cells with smoothly varying areas are used, the results compared favorably with calculations employing body-fitted grids.

Frymier, Paul D., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Separation-bubble flow solution using Euler/Navier-Stokes zonal approach with downstream compatibility conditions

The two-dimensional flow over a blunt leading-edge plate is simulated on the basis of an Euler/Navier-Stokes zonal scheme. The scheme uses an implicit upwind finite-volume scheme, which is based on the van Leer flux-vector splitting. It is shown that the Euler/Navier-Stokes zonal scheme with downstream boundary-layer compatibility conditions is accurate and efficient.

Liu, C. H.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aerothermal Shape Optimization of Actively-Cooled Battery Packs using Conjugate Heat Transfer

Thermal management for battery is important for electric aircraft because battery temperature is critically important to vehicle safety, and it also has direct impact on the efficiency of the battery system. Because ambient air is a readily available resource for aircraft, this paper considers an active cooling concept with forced convection of ambient air through the battery pack. Conjugate heat transfer analysis is used to solve the coupled aero-thermal problem, which consists of a finite-volume computational fluid dynamics solver for the fluid domain, and a conduction heat transfer solver for the solid domain. A mixed Neumann and Dirichlet boundary condition is developed for the fluid-solid interface, which allows the solid domain to completely submerge in the fluid domain. A gradient-based optimization method is adopted, and the discrete adjoint approach implemented in DAFoam is used to efficiently compute the gradients. The aero-thermal coupling for primal analysis and gradient computation is handled using the OpenMDAO-based MPhys framework. A constant heat source is prescribed for the battery cells, and the battery shape (design variable) is optimized to minimize cooling pump power and battery weight (composite objective function) while keeping the battery temperature below a threshold (constraint). The optimized design achieves a 44.6% and 1.5% reduction in the cooling pump power and battery weight, respectively, and the maximal temperature constraint is satisfied. This work has the potential to reduce battery-pack weight, improve performance, and reduce the weight of thermal management systems for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

thermal management↗