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At least 1,369 records · Page 76

Streakline flow visualization study of a horseshoe vortex in a large-scale, two-dimensional turbine stator cascade

Neutrally buoyant helium-filled bubbles were observed as they followed the streamlines in a horseshoe vortex system around the vane leading edge in a large-scale, two-dimensional, turbine stator cascade. Bubbles were introduced into the endwall boundary layer through a slot upstream of the vane leading edge. The paths of the bubbles were recorded photographically as streaklines on 16-mm movie film. Individual frames from the film have been selected, and overlayed to show the details of the horseshoe vortex around the leading edge. The transport of the vortex across the passage near the leading edge is clearly seen when compared to the streaks formed by bubbles carried in the main stream. Limiting streamlines on the endwall surface were traced by the flow of oil drops.

Gaugler, R. E.↗

Solution of plane cascade flow using improved surface singularity methods

A solution method was developed for calculating compressible inviscid flow through a linear cascade of arbitrary blade shapes. The method uses advanced surface singularity formulations which were adapted from those in current external flow analyses. The resulting solution technique provides a fast flexible calculation for flows through turbomachinery blade rows. The solution method and some examples of the method's capabilities are presented.

Mcfarland, E. R.↗

Effects of mistuning on bending-torsion flutter and response of a cascade in incompressible flow

The effect of small differences between the individual blades (mistuning) on the aeroelastic stability and response of a cascade were studied. The aerodynamic, inertial, and structural coupling between the bending and torsional motions of each blade and the aerodynamic coupling between the blades was considered. A digital computer program was developed to conduct parametric studies. Results indicate that the mistuning has a beneficial effect on the coupled bending torsion and uncoupled torsion flutter. On forced response, however, the effect may be either beneficial or adverse, depending on the engine order of the forcing function. The results also illustrate that it may be feasible to utilize mistuning as a passive control to increase flutter speed while maintaining forced response at an acceptable level.

Kaza, K. R. V.↗

Results of the Air Force high efficiency cascaded multiple bandgap solar cell programs

The III-V semiconductor materials system that was selected for continued cascade cell development was the AlGaAs cell on GaAs cell structure. The tunnel junction used as transparent ohmic contact between the top cell and the bottom cell continued to be the central difficulty in achieving the program objective of 25 percent AMO efficiency at 25 C. During the tunnel junction and top cell developments it became apparent that the AlGaAs cell has potential for independent development as a single junction converter and is a logical extension of the present GaAs heteroface technology.

Rahilly, W. P.↗

AlGaAs-GaAs cascade solar cell

Computer modeling studies are reported for a monolithic, two junction, cascade solar cell using the AlGaAs GaAs materials combination. An optimum design was obtained through a serial optimization procedure by which conversion efficiency is maximized for operation at 300 K, AM 0, and unity solar concentration. Under these conditions the upper limit on efficiency was shown to be in excess of 29 percent, provided surface recombination velocity did not exceed 10,000 cm/sec.

Lamorte, M. F.↗

Dynamics of cavitating cascades

The unsteady dynamics of cavitating cascades and inducer pumps were studied with a view to understanding (and possibly predicting) the dynamic characteristics of these devices. The chronology of the research is summarized as well as the final conculsions for each task. The construction of a dynamic pump test facility and its use in making experimental measurements of the transfer function is described as well as tests conducted using a scale model of the low pressure liquid oxygen turbopump inducer in the shuttle main engine. Auto-oscillation and unsteady inlet flow characteristics are discussed in addition to blade cavity influence and bubbly cavitation.

Brennen, C. E.↗

Finite element analysis of transonic flows in cascades: Importance of computational grids in improving accuracy and convergence

The finite element method is applied for the solution of transonic potential flows through a cascade of airfoils. Convergence characteristics of the solution scheme are discussed. Accuracy of the numerical solutions is investigated for various flow regions in the transonic flow configuration. The design of an efficient finite element computational grid is discussed for improving accuracy and convergence.

Ecer, A.↗

Analysis of turbulent boundary layer on cascade and rotor blades of turbomachinery

The momentum integral technique for predicting the boundary layer growth in three-dimensional flow has been extended to include the entrainment equation as the closure model. The numerical solution is compared with the cascade, inducer, compressor, and fan rotor blade data from various sources. The agreement is found to be excellent in all cases, with the exception of the separated flow. Both the momentum thickness and the limiting streamline angle predicted from this analysis compare well with the measured data for a rotor blade. The technique is extremely useful in engineering design, analysis, and performance prediction.

Lakshminarayana, B.↗

Effects of mistuning on bending-torsion flutter and response of a cascade in incompressible flow

This paper presents an investigation of the effects of blade mistuning on the aeroelastic stability and response of a cascade in incompressible flow. The aerodynamic, inertial, and structural coupling between the bending and torsional motions of each blade and the aerodynamic coupling between the blades are included in the formulation. A digital computer program was developed to conduct parametric studies. Results indicate that the mistuning has a beneficial effect on the coupled bending-torsion and uncoupled torsion flutter. The effect of mistuning on forced response, however, may be either beneficial or adverse, depending on the engine order of the forcing function. Additionally, the results illustrate that it may be feasible to utilize mistuning as a passive control to increase flutter speed while maintaining forced response at an acceptable level.

Kaza, K. R. V.↗

Full potential solution of a transonic quasi-3-D flow through a cascade using artificial compressibility

A reliable method is presented for calculating the flowfield about a cascade of arbitrary 2-D airfoils. The method approximates the three-dimensional flow in a turbomachinery blade row by correcting for streamtube convergence and radius change in the throughflow direction. The method is a fully conservative solution of the full potential equation incorporating the finite volume technique on a body-fitted periodic mesh, with an artificial density imposed in the transonic region to ensure stability and the capture of shock waves. Comparison of results for several supercritical blades shows good agreement with their hodograph solutions. Other calculations for these profiles as well as standard NACA blade sections indicate that this is a useful scheme for analyzing both the design and off-design performance of turbomachinery blading.

Farrell, C.↗

Solution of plane cascade flow using improved surface singularity methods

A solution method has been developed for calculating compressible inviscid flow through a linear cascade of arbitrary blade shapes. The method uses advanced surface singularity formulations which were adapted from those found in current external flow analyses. The resulting solution technique provides a fast flexible calculation for flows through turbomachinery blade rows. The solution method and some examples of the method's capabilities are presented.

Mcfarland, E. R.↗

Adaptation of a Cascade Impactor to Flight Measurement of Droplet Size in Clouds

A cascade impactor, an instrument for obtaining: the size distribution of droplets borne in a low-velocity air stream, was adapted for flight cloud droplet-size studies. The air containing the droplets was slowed down from flight speed by a diffuser to the inlet-air velocity of the impactor. The droplets that enter the impactor impinge on four slides coated with magnesium oxide. Each slide catches a different size range. The relation between the size of droplet impressions and the droplet size was evaluated so that the droplet-size distributions may be found from these slides. The magnesium oxide coating provides a permanent record. of the droplet impression that is not affected by droplet evaporation after the. droplets have impinged.

Levine, Joseph↗

The boundary layer on compressor cascade blades

Some redesign of the cascade facility was necessary in order to incoporate the requirements of the LDA system into the design. Of particular importance was the intended use of a combination of suction upstream of the blade pack with diverging pack walls, as opposed to blade pack suction alone, for spanwise dimensionality control. An ARL blade was used to redo some tests using this arrangement. Preliminary testing and boundary layer measurements began on the double circular arc blades.

Deutsch, S.↗

Numerical analysis and FORTRAN program for the computation of the turbulent wakes of turbomachinery rotor blades, isolated airfoils and cascade of airfoils

Turbulent wakes of turbomachinery rotor blades, isolated airfoils, and a cascade of airfoils were investigated both numerically and experimentally. Low subsonic and incompressible wake flows were examined. A finite difference procedure was employed in the numerical analysis utilizing the continuity, momentum, and turbulence closure equations in the rotating, curvilinear, and nonorthogonal coordinate system. A nonorthogonal curvilinear coordinate system was developed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the numerical calculation. Three turbulence models were employed to obtain closure of the governing equations. The first model was comprised to transport equations for the turbulent kinetic energy and the rate of energy dissipation, and the second and third models were comprised of equations for the rate of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation and Reynolds stresses, respectively. The second model handles the convection and diffusion terms in the Reynolds stress transport equation collectively, while the third model handles them individually. The numerical results demonstrate that the second and third models provide accurate predictions, but the computer time and memory storage can be considerably saved with the second model.

Hah, C.↗

Laser anemometer measurements in an annular cascade of core turbine vanes and comparison with theory

Laser measurements were made in an annular cascade of stator vanes operating at an exit critical velocity ratio of 0.78. Velocity and flow angles in the blade to blade plane were obtained at every 10 percent of axial chord within the passage and at 1/2 axial chord downstream of the vanes for radial positions near the hub, mean and tip. Results are presented in both plot and tabulated form and are compared with calculations from an inviscid, quasi three dimensional computer program. The experimental measurements generally agreed well with these theoretical calculations, an indication of the usefulness of this analytic approach.

Goldman, L. J.↗

Aerodynamic performance of high turning core turbine vanes in a two dimensional cascade

Experimental and theoretical aerodynamic performance data are presented for four uncooled high turning core turbine vanes with exit angles of 74.9, 75.0, 77.5, and 79.6 degrees in a two dimensional cascade. Data for a more conservative 67.0 degree vane are included for comparison. Correction of the experimental aftermix kinetic energy losses to a common 0.100 centimeter trailing edge thickness yields a linear trend of increased loss from 0.020 to 0.025 as the vane exit angle increases from 67.0 to 79.6 degrees. The theoretical losses show a similar trend. The experimental and theoretical vane surface velocity distributions generally agree within approximately five percent, although the suction surface theoretical velocities are generally higher than the experimental velocities as the vane exit angle increases.

Schwab, J. R.↗

Flow visualization study of the horseshoe vortex in a turbine stator cascade

Flow visualization techniques were used to show the behavior of the horseshoe vortex in a large scale turbine stator cascade. Oil drops on the end wall surface flowed in response to local shear stresses, indicating the limiting flow streamlines at the surface. Smoke injected into the flow and photographed showed time averaged flow behavior. Neutrally bouyant helium filled soap bubbles followed the flow and showed up on photographs as streaks, indicating the paths followed by individual fluid particles. Preliminary attempts to control the vortex were made by injecting air through control jets drilled in the end wall near the vane leading edge. Seventeen different hole locations were tested, one at a time, and the effect of the control jets on the path follwed by smoke in the boundary layer was recorded photographically.

Gaugler, R. E.↗

Performance of an optical relay satellite using Reed-Solomon coding over a cascaded optical PPM and BPSK channel

The nature of the optical/microwave interface aboard the relay satellite is considered. To allow for the maximum system flexibility, without overburdening either the optical or RF channel, demodulating the optical on board the relay satellite but leaving the optical channel decoding to be performed at the ground station is examined. The occurrence of erasures in the optical channel is treated. A hard decision on the erasure (i.e., the relay selecting a symbol at random in case of erasure occurrence) seriously degrades the performance of the overall system. Coding the erasure occurrences at the relay and transmitting this information via an extra bit to the ground station where it can be used by the decoder is suggested. Many examples with varying bit/photon energy efficiency and for the noisy and noiseless optical channel are considered. It is shown that coding the erasure occurrences dramatically improves the performance of the cascaded channel relative to the case of hard decision on the erasure by the relay.

Divsalar, D.↗