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At least 1,315 records · Page 73

Turbulence measurements in hypersonic shock-wave boundary-layer interaction flows

Turbulent intensity and Reynolds shear stress measurements are presented for two nonadiabatic hypersonic shock-wave boundary-layer interaction flows, one with and one without separation. These measurements were obtained using a new hot-wire probe specially designed for heated flows. Comparison of the separated and attached flows shows a significant increase above equilibrium values in the turbulent intensity and shear stress downstream of the interaction region for the attached case, while for the separated case, the turbulent fluxes remain close to equilibrium values. This effect results in substantial differences in turbulence lifetimes for the two flows. It is proposed that these differences are due to a coupling between the turbulent energy and separation bubble unsteadiness, a hypothesis supported by the statistical properties of the turbulent fluctuations.

Mikulla, V.↗

Turbulence measurements in hypersonic shock-wave boundary-layer interaction flows

Turbulent intensity and Reynolds shear stress measurements are presented for two nonadiabatic hypersonic shock-wave boundary-layer interaction flows, one with and one without separation. These measurements were obtained using a new hot-wire probe specially designed for heated flows. Comparison of the separated and attached flows shows a significant increase above equilibrium values in the turbulent intensity and shear stress downstream of the interaction region for the attached case, while for the separated case, the turbulent fluxes remain close to equilibrium values. This effect results in substantial differences in turbulence lifetime for the two flows. We propose that these differences are due to a coupling between the turbulent energy and separation bubble unsteadiness, a hypothesis supported by the statistical properties of the turbulent fluctuations.

Mikulla, V.↗

Hypersonic blunt body computations including real gas effects

The recently developed second-order explicit and implicit total variation diminishing (TVD) shock-capturing methods of the Harten and Yee, Yee, and van Leer types in conjunction with a generalized Roe's approximate Riemann solver of Vinokur and the generalized flux-vector splittings of Vinokur and Montagne for two-dimensional hypersonic real gas flows are studied. A previous study on one-dimensional unsteady problems indicated that these schemes produce good shock-capturing capability and that the state equation does not have a large effect on the general behavior of these methods for a wide range of flow conditions for equilibrium air. The objective of this paper is to investigate the applicability and shock resolution of these schemes for two-dimensional steady-state hypersonic blunt body flows. The main contribution of this paper is to identify some of the elements and parameters which can affect the convergence rate for high Mach numbers or real gases but have negligible effect for low Mach number cases for steady-state inviscid blunt body flows.

Montagne, J.-L.↗

CARS Temperature Measurements in a Hypersonic Propulsion Test Facility

Nonintrusive diagnostic measurements were performed in the supersonic reacting flow of the Hypersonic Propulsion Test Cell 2 at NASA-Langley. A Coherent Anti-stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) system was assembled specifically for the test cell environment. System design considerations were: (1) test cell noise and vibration; (2) contamination from flow field or atmospheric borne dust; (3) unwanted laser or electrically induced combustion (inside or outside the duct); (4) efficient signal collection; (5) signal splitting to span the wide dynamic range present throughout the flow field; (6) movement of the sampling volume in the flow; and (7) modification of the scramjet model duct to permit optical access to the reacting flow with the CARS system. The flow in the duct was a nominal Mach 2 flow with static pressure near one atmosphere. A single perpendicular injector introduced hydrogen into the flow behind a rearward facing step. CARS data was obtained in three planes downstream of the injection region. At least 20 CARS data points were collected at each of the regularly spaced sampling locations in each data plane. Contour plots of scramjet combustor static temperature in a reacting flow region are presented.

Jarrett, Olin, Jr.↗

Lee-surface heating and flow phenomena on space shuttle orbiters at large angles of attack and hypersonic speeds

The lee-surface flow phenomena on a delta-wing orbiter and a straight-wing orbiter have been investigated at angles of attack between 0 deg and 50 deg at a Mach number of 6. Limited studies of the delta-wing orbiter were conducted at a Mach number of 19. Heat-transfer data, pressure distributions, and oil-flow studies were employed to experimentally examine the nature of the surface flow and the severity of the lee-surface heating. The effects of Reynolds number on the flow field and heating were investigated. Problem areas are defined and areas for further study are recommended.

Hefner, J. N.↗

Shock shapes on blunt bodies in hypersonic-hypervelocity helium, air, and CO2 flows, and calibration results in Langley 6-inch expansion tube

Shock shape results for flat-faced cylinders, spheres, and spherically blunted cones in various test gases, along with preliminary results from a calibration study performed in the Langley 6-inch expansion tube are presented. Free-stream velocities from 5 to 7 km/sec are generated at hypersonic conditions with helium, air, and CO2, resulting in normal shock density ratios from 4 to 19. Ideal-gas shock shape predictions, in which an effective ratio of specific heats is used as input, are compared with the measured results. The effect of model diameter is examined to provide insight to the thermochemical state of the flow in the shock layer. The regime for which equilibrium exists in the shock layer for the present air and CO2 test conditions is defined. Test core flow quality, test repeatability, and comparison of measured and predicted expansion-tube flow quantities are discussed.

Miller, C. G., III↗

Wind-US Code Physical Modeling Improvements to Complement Hypersonic Testing and Evaluation

This report gives an overview of physical modeling enhancements to the Wind-US flow solver which were made to improve the capabilities for simulation of hypersonic flows and the reliability of computations to complement hypersonic testing. The improvements include advanced turbulence models, a bypass transition model, a conjugate (or closely coupled to vehicle structure) conduction-convection heat transfer capability, and an upgraded high-speed combustion solver. A Mach 5 shock-wave boundary layer interaction problem is used to investigate the benefits of k- s and k-w based explicit algebraic stress turbulence models relative to linear two-equation models. The bypass transition model is validated using data from experiments for incompressible boundary layers and a Mach 7.9 cone flow. The conjugate heat transfer method is validated for a test case involving reacting H2-O2 rocket exhaust over cooled calorimeter panels. A dual-mode scramjet configuration is investigated using both a simplified 1-step kinetics mechanism and an 8-step mechanism. Additionally, variations in the turbulent Prandtl and Schmidt numbers are considered for this scramjet configuration.

Georgiadis, Nicholas J.↗

Viscous shock-layer flows for the space shuttle windward plane of symmetry

Predictions are presented for hypersonic, nonequilibrium viscous flows over nonanalytic blunt bodies at reentry conditions. Emphasis is placed on predictions of the viscous flowfield for the windward plane of symmetry of the space shuttle and other axisymmetric bodies which approximate the space shuttle geometry. The equations which govern the viscous shock-layer flow are presented, and the method by which the equations are solved is discussed. The predictions of the present finite-difference method are compared with predictions of other numerical methods as well as with experimental data.

Miner, E. W.↗

Description and calibration of the Langley Hypersonic CF4 tunnel: A facility for simulating low gamma flow as occurs for a real gas

The Langley Hypersonic CF4 Tunnel is a Mach 6 facility which simulates an important aspect of dissociative real-gas phenomena associated with the reentry of blunt vehicles, i.e., the decrease in the ratio of specific heats (gamma) that occurs within the shock layer of the vehicle. A general description of this facility is presented along with a discussion of the basic components, instrumentation, and operating procedure. Pitot-pressure surveys were made at the nozzle exit and downstream of the exit for reservoir temperatures from 1020 to 1495 R and reservoir pressures from 1000 to 2550 psia. A uniform test core having a diameter of circa 11 in. (0.55 times the nozzle-exit diameter) exists at the maximum value of reservoir pressure and temperature. The corresponding free-stream Mach number is 5.9, the unit Reynolds number is 4 x 10 to the 5th power per foot, the ratio of specific heats immediately behind a normal shock is 1.10, and the normal-shock density ratio is 12.6. When the facility is operated at reservoir temperatures below 1440 R, irregularities occur in the pitot-pressure profile within a small region about the nozzle centerline. These variations in pitot pressure indicate the existence of flow distrubances originating in the upstream region of the nozzle. This necessitates testing models off centerline in the uniform flow between the centerline region and either the nozzle boundary layer or the lip shock originating at the nozzle exit. Samples of data obtained in this facility with various models are presented to illustrate the effect of gamma on flow conditions about the model and the importance of knowing the magnitude of this effect.

Midden, Raymond E.↗

Experimental and computational surface and flow-field results for an all-body hypersonic aircraft

The objective of the present investigation is to establish a benchmark experimental data base for a generic hypersonic vehicle shape for validation and/or calibration of advanced computational fluid dynamics computer codes. This paper includes results from the comprehensive test program conducted in the NASA/Ames 3.5-foot Hypersonic Wind Tunnel for a generic all-body hypersonic aircraft model. Experimental and computational results on flow visualization, surface pressures, surface convective heat transfer, and pitot-pressure flow-field surveys are presented. Comparisons of the experimental results with computational results from an upwind parabolized Navier-Stokes code developed at Ames demonstrate the capabilities of this code.

Lockman, William K.↗

The effect of exhaust plume/afterbody interaction on installed Scramjet performance

Newly emerging aerospace technology points to the feasibility of sustained hypersonic flight. Designing a propulsion system capable of generating the necessary thrust is now the major obstacle. First-generation vehicles will be driven by air-breathing scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) engines. Because of engine size limitations, the exhaust gas leaving the nozzle will be highly underexpanded. Consequently, a significant amount of thrust and lift can be extracted by allowing the exhaust gases to expand along the underbody of the vehicle. Predicting how these forces influence overall vehicle thrust, lift, and moment is essential to a successful design. This work represents an important first step toward that objective. The UWIN code, an upwind, implicit Navier-Stokes computer program, has been applied to hypersonic exhaust plume/afterbody flow fields. The capability to solve entire vehicle geometries at hypersonic speeds, including an interacting exhaust plume, has been demonstrated for the first time. Comparison of the numerical results with available experimental data shows good agreement in all cases investigated. For moderately underexpanded jets, afterbody forces were found to vary linearly with the nozzle exit pressure, and increasing the exit pressure produced additional nose-down pitching moment. Coupling a species continuity equation to the UWIN code enabled calculations indicating that exhaust gases with low isentropic exponents (gamma) contribute larger afterbody forces than high-gamma exhaust gases. Moderately underexpanded jets, which remain attached to unswept afterbodies, underwent streamwise separation on upswept afterbodies. Highly underexpanded jets produced altogether different flow patterns, however. The highly underexpanded jet creates a strong plume shock, and the interaction of this shock with the afterbody was found to produce complicated patterns of crossflow separation. Finally, the effect of thrust vectoring on vehicle balance has been shown to alter dramatically the vehicle pitching moment.

Edwards, Thomas Alan↗

Validation of a Pressure-Based Combustion Simulation Tool Using a Single Element Injector Test Problem

The traditional design and analysis practice for advanced propulsion systems, particularly chemical rocket engines, relies heavily on expensive full-scale prototype development and testing. Over the past decade, use of high-fidelity analysis and design tools such as CFD early in the product development cycle has been identified as one way to alleviate testing costs and to develop these devices better, faster and cheaper. Increased emphasis is being placed on developing and applying CFD models to simulate the flow field environments and performance of advanced propulsion systems. This necessitates the development of next generation computational tools which can be used effectively and reliably in a design environment by non-CFD specialists. A computational tool, called Loci-STREAM is being developed for this purpose. It is a pressure-based, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver for generalized unstructured grids, which is designed to handle all-speed flows (incompressible to hypersonic) and is particularly suitable for solving multi-species flow in fixed-frame combustion devices. Loci-STREAM integrates proven numerical methods for generalized grids and state-of-the-art physical models in a novel rule-based programming framework called Loci which allows: (a) seamless integration of multidisciplinary physics in a unified manner, and (b) automatic handling of massively parallel computing. The objective of the ongoing work is to develop a robust simulation capability for combustion problems in rocket engines. As an initial step towards validating this capability, a model problem is investigated in the present study which involves a gaseous oxygen/gaseous hydrogen (GO2/GH2) shear coaxial single element injector, for which experimental data are available. The sensitivity of the computed solutions to grid density, grid distribution, different turbulence models, and different near-wall treatments is investigated. A refined grid, which is clustered in the vicinity of the solid walls as well as the flame, is used to obtain a steady state solution which may be considered as the best solution attainable with the steady-state RANS methodology. From a design point of view, quick turnaround times are desirable; with this in mind, coarser grids are also employed and the resulting solutions are evaluated with respect to the fine grid solution.

Thakur, Siddarth↗

Flow separation in shock wave boundary layer interactions at hypersonic speeds

An assessment is presented for the experimental data on separated flow in shock wave turbulent boundary layer interactions at hypersonic and supersonic speeds. The data base consists mainly of two dimensional and axisymmetric interactions in compression corners or cylinder-flares, and externally generated oblique shock interactions with boundary layers over flat plates or cylindrical surfaces. The conditions leading to flow separation and the subsequent changes in the flow empirical correlations for incipient separation are reviewed. The effects of the Mach number, Reynolds number, surface cooling and the methods of detecting separation are discussed. The pertinent experimental data for the separated flow characteristics in separated turbulent boundary layer shock interaction are also presented and discussed.

Hamed, A.↗

Three-dimensional viscous flow computations of high area ratio nozzles for hypersonic propulsion

The PARC3D code was selected by the authors to analyze a variety of complex and high-speed flow configurations. Geometries considered for code validation include ramps and corner flows, which are characteristic of inlets and nozzles. Flows with Mach numbers of 3-14 were studied. Both two- and three-dimensional experimental data for shock-boundary-layer interaction were considered to validate the code. A detailed comparison of various flow parameters with available experimental data is presented; agreement between the solutions and the experimental data in terms of pitot pressure profiles, yaw-angle distributions, static pressures, and skin friction is found to be very good. In addition, two- and three-dimensional flow calculations were performed for a hypersonic nozzle. Comparison of the wall pressure results with the published solutions is made for the two-dimensional case.

Reddy, D. R.↗

Fluid Mechanics, Drag Reduction and Advanced Configuration Aeronautics

This paper discusses Advanced Aircraft configurational approaches across the speed range, which are either enabled, or greatly enhanced, by clever Flow Control. Configurations considered include Channel Wings with circulation control for VTOL (but non-hovering) operation with high cruise speed, strut-braced CTOL transports with wingtip engines and extensive ('natural') laminar flow control, a midwing double fuselage CTOL approach utilizing several synergistic methods for drag-due-to-lift reduction, a supersonic strut-braced configuration with order of twice the L/D of current approaches and a very advanced, highly engine flow-path-integrated hypersonic cruise machine. This paper indicates both the promise of synergistic flow control approaches as enablers for 'Revolutions' in aircraft performance and fluid mechanic 'areas of ignorance' which impede their realization and provide 'target-rich' opportunities for Fluids Research.

Bushnell, Dennis M.↗

Experimental and computational surface and flow-field results for an all-body hypersonic aircraft

Personnel from NASA Ames Research Center presented a paper on establishing a benchmark experimental data base for generic hypersonic vehicle shape for validation and/or calibration of advanced computational fluid dynamics computer codes. The need for this capability is based on a requirement for extensive hypersonic data to fully validate CFD codes to be used for NASP and other hypersonic vehicles. The use of wind tunnel models in the Ames 3.5-ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel to obtain pertinent surface and flow-field data over a broad range of test conditions is described.

Lockman, William K.↗