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At least 1,405 records · Page 78

Coherent shedding from a circular cylinder at critical, supercritical, and transcritical Reynolds numbers

Results are summarized from NASA-Langley studies of the mean drag and unsteady flow parameters of the flow around a circular cylinder at critical, supercritical and transcritical Re. Flow velocities of Mach 0.05-0.40 in the Low Turbulence Pressure Tunnel were used in conjunction with Re from 250,000-6.2 million. Data were collected in the wake and along the walls using pressure transducers. Corrections which were devised to calculate the Strouhal numbers in the presence of broadband signatures in the supercritical regime are described. The tests revealed, as found in previous tests, a discontinuity in the Strouhal number (from 0.2-0.43) in the supercritical regime.

Horvath, Thomas J.↗

Forecast of an exceptionally large even-numbered solar cycle

Using the 'dynamo theory' method to predict solar activity, an accurate prediction was made for solar cycle 21 by Schatten et al. (1978). Using the same dynamo technique for solar cycle 22, a value for the smoothed sunspot number of 170 + or - 25 is obtained. This large sunspot number is expected to peak in 1990 + or - 1 year. The F(10.7) radio flux is expected to reach a smoothed value of 210 + or - 25 flux units. Since this value is larger than values obtained with prediction schemes based upon 'statistical' and 'periodicity' methods, it provides a useful test for the current methodology, based upon the strength of the sun's polar field near solar minimum. The predicted degree of solar activity is expected to enhance the density and temperature of the earth's thermosphere to values somewhat larger than those found in solar cycle 21. This will have an impact on the orbital lifetime of low altitude satellites.

Schatten, Kenneth H.↗

A new VLSI complex integer multiplier which uses a quadratic-polynomial residue system with Fermat numbers

A quadratic-polynomial Fermat residue number system (QFNS) has been used to compute complex integer multiplications. The advantage of such a QFNS is that a complex integer multiplication requires only two integer multiplications. In this article, a new type Fermat number multiplier is developed which eliminates the initialization condition of the previous method. It is shown that the new complex multiplier can be implemented on a single VLSI chip. Such a chip is designed and fabricated in CMOS-Pw technology.

Shyu, H. C.↗

Surface deformation, gravity and the geoid from a three-dimensional convection model at low Rayleigh numbers

The two-dimensional surface deformation, gravity field, and geoid are calculated from the temperature fields of a number of numerical models of constant-viscosity three-dimensional convective flows, heated from within and from below. The surface deformation and the geoid are insensitive to the short-wavelength features of the temperature variation; the gravity field is less smooth, although it still does not clearly indicate the narrowness of the upwelling and downwelling regions at large Rayleigh numbers. The results indicate that the convective upwelling beneath regions showing positive geoid and residual depth anomalies is more localized than the horizontal extent of these features would suggest. The results are relevant to attempts to understand the behavior of the earth mantle.

Craig, Claire Harvey↗

Mach number scaling of helicopter rotor blade/vortex interaction noise

A parametric study of model helicopter rotor blade slap due to blade vortex interaction (BVI) was conducted in a 5 by 7.5-foot anechoic wind tunnel using model helicopter rotors with two, three, and four blades. The results were compared with a previously developed Mach number scaling theory. Three- and four-bladed rotor configurations were found to show very good agreement with the Mach number to the sixth power law for all conditions tested. A reduction of conditions for which BVI blade slap is detected was observed for three-bladed rotors when compared to the two-bladed baseline. The advance ratio boundaries of the four-bladed rotor exhibited an angular dependence not present for the two-bladed configuration. The upper limits for the advance ratio boundaries of the four-bladed rotors increased with increasing rotational speed.

Leighton, Kenneth P.↗

Performance of two 10-lb/sec centrifugal compressors with different blade and shroud thicknesses operating over a range of Reynolds numbers

Centrifugal compressors often cannot be directly scaled to very small flow sizes because of structural and manufacturing limitations. The inability to directly scale all design parameters leads to a performance loss other than that which can be associated with the lower Reynolds number. A 10-lb/sec centrifugal compressor was scaled down to 2-lb/sec where adjustments to blade and shroud thickness and fillet radii were required. The modified 2-lb/sec compressor was then directly scaled back up to 10 lb/sec so that the effect of the modifications could be determined. The performance of the two 10-lb/sec compressors is compared over a range of speed and mass flow. The effect of variations in Reynolds number, impeller tip clearance, and shroud thickness on compressor performance is also presented.

Skoch, Gary J.↗

The Uranian bow shock - Voyager 2 inbound observations of a high Mach number shock

The Voyager 2 magnetometer and plasma detector measured a high Mach number, high beta bow shock on the dayside of the Uranian magnetosphere. Although the average conditions on either side of the shock are consistent with the Rankine-Hugoniot (MHD) relations for a stationary, quasi-perpendicular shock, the data revealed both detailed structure in the transition region as well as considerable variability in the downstream magnetosheath plasma. The bulk plasma parameters and the magnetic field exhibited some of the characteristics of a supercritical shock: an overshoot followed by damped oscillations downstream, consistent with recent theoretical models of high Mach number quasi-perpendicular shocks.

Bagenal, Fran↗

Pressure distributions from high Reynolds number transonic tests of an NACA 0012 airfoil in the Langley 0.3-meter transonic cryogenic tunnel

Tests were conducted in the 2-D test section of the Langley 0.3-meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel on a NACA 0012 airfoil to obtain aerodynamic data as a part of the Advanced Technology Airfoil Test (ATAT) program. The test program covered a Mach number range of 0.30 to 0.82 and a Reynolds number range of 3.0 to 45.0 x 10 to the 6th power. The stagnation pressure was varied between 1.2 and 6.0 atmospheres and the stagnation temperature was varied between 300 K and 90 K to obtain these test conditions. Tabulated pressure distributions and integrated force and moment coefficients are presented as well as plots of the surface pressure distributions. The data are presented uncorrected for wall interference effects and without analysis.

Ladson, Charles L.↗

High Reynolds number transonic tests on a NACA 0012 airfoil in the Langley 0.3-meter transonic cryogenic tunnel

Tests were conducted in the two-dimensional test section of the Langley 0.3-m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel on a NACA 0012 airfoil to obtain aerodynamic data as a part of the Advanced Technology Airfoil Test (ATAT) program. The test program covered a Mach number range of 0.30 to 0.82 and a Reynolds number range of 3.0 to 45.0 x 10 to the 6th. The stagnation pressure was varied between 1.2 and 6.0 atmospheres and the stagnation temperature was varied between 300 K and 90 K to obtain these test conditions. Plots of the spanwise variation of drag coefficient as a function of normal force coefficient and the variation of the basic aerodynamic characteristics with angle of attack are shown. The data are presented uncorrected for wall interference effects and without analysis.

Ladson, Charles L.↗

Influence of base modifications on in-flight base drag in the presence of jet exhaust for Mach numbers from 0.7 to 1.5

The use of external modifications in the base region to reduce the base drag of a blunt-base body in the presence of jet engine exhaust was investigated in flight. Base pressure data were obtained for the following configurations: (1) blunt base; (2) blunt base modified with splitter plate; and (3) blunt base modified with two variations of a vented cavity. Reynolds number based on the length of the aircraft ranged from 1.2 to 3.1 x 10 to the 8th. Mach number M ranges were 0.71 less than or = M less than or = 0.95 and 1.10 less than or = M less than or = 1.51. The data were analyzed using the blunt base for a reference, or baseline condition. For 1.10 less than or = M less than or = 1.51, the reduction in base drag coefficient provided by the vented cavity configuration ranged from 0.07 to 0.05. These increments in base drag coefficient at M = 1.31 and 1.51 result in base drag reductions of 27 and 24 percent, respectively, when compared to the blunt base drag. For M less than 1, the drag increment between the blunt base and the modification is not significant.

Powers, Sheryll Goecke↗

Aerodynamic characteristics of wings designed with a combined-theory method to cruise at a Mach number of 4.5

A wind-tunnel study was conducted to determine the capability of a method combining linear theory and shock-expansion theory to design optimum camber surfaces for wings that will fly at high-supersonic/low-hypersonic speeds. Three force models (a flat-plate reference wing and two cambered and twisted wings) were used to obtain aerodynamic lift, drag, and pitching-moment data. A fourth pressure-orifice model was used to obtain surface-pressure data. All four wing models had the same planform, airfoil section, and centerbody area distribution. The design Mach number was 4.5, but data were also obtained at Mach numbers of 3.5 and 4.0. Results of these tests indicated that the use of airfoil thickness as a theoretical optimum, camber-surface design constraint did not improve the aerodynamic efficiency or performance of a wing as compared with a wing that was designed with a zero-thickness airfoil (linear-theory) constraint.

Mack, Robert J.↗

Aerothermal tests of quilted dome models on a flat plate at a Mach number of 6.5

Aerothermal tests were conducted in the NASA Langley 8 Foot High Temperature Tunnel (8'HTT) at a Mach number of 6.5 on simulated arrays of thermally bowed metallic thermal protection system (TPS) tiles at an angle of attack of 5 deg. Detailed surface pressures and heating rates were obtained for arrays aligned with the flow and skewed 45 deg diagonally to the flow with nominal bowed heights of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 inch submerged in both laminar and turbulent boundary layers. Aerothermal tests were made at a nominal total temperature of 3300 R, a total pressure of 400 psia, a total enthalpy of 950 Btu/lbm, a dynamic pressure of 2.7 psi, and a unit Reynolds number of 400,000 per foot. The experimental results form a data base that can be used to help protect aerothermal load increases from bowed arrays of TPS tiles.

Glass, Christopher E.↗

The effects of RCS jet firing on the isolated Orbiter and mated coast phases of the glide return to launch site maneuver at Mach number 6 (IA302B)

An updated Space Shuttle aerodynamic data base was obtained in Tunnel B for two phases of the Glide Return to Launch Site (GRTLS) abort maneuver. One-and-a-quarter percent scale models of the Space Shuttle Orbiter and External Tank were used to measure the effects of various combinations of Reaction Control System (RCS) jet thrusters at Mach number 6. The angle-of-attack range for the isolated orbiter was -10 to 15 deg at sideslip angles from -5 to 10 deg during Phase 1 of testing. The angle-of-attack range for the mated orbiter and external tank was -5 to 15 deg with sideslip angles of -2 to 5 deg during Phase 2. The test was conducted at a unit Reynolds number of 0.75 million per foot.

Garrett, L. V.↗

Diamond like carbon coatings: Categorization by atomic number density

Dense diamond-like hydrocarbon films grown at the NASA Lewis Research Center by radio frequency self bias discharge and by direct ion beam deposition were studied. A new method for categorizing hydrocarbons based on their atomic number density and elemental composition was developed and applied to the diamond-like hydrocarbon films. It was shown that the diamond-like hydrocarbon films are an entirely new class of hydrocarbons with atomic number densities lying between those of single crystal diamond and adamantanes. In addition, a major review article on these new materials was completed in cooperation with NASA Lewis Research Center personnel.

Angus, John C.↗

Transition and separation control on a low-Reynolds number airfoil

The major problem associated with the aerodynamic performance of airfoils at low Reynolds numbers is the presence of extensive laminar boundary-layer separation resulting in a large increase in presssure drag and a decrease in lift. The rapid deterioration in airfoil characteristics can be largely eliminated by artificially controlling the flow through the introduction of suitable disturbances in the boundary layer such that transition occurs ahead of the anticipated laminar separation. This paper presents the results of wind-tunnel tests conducted on a 10-cm model of LRN (1)-1007 airfoil with passive (roughness trips) and active (acoustic excitation) controls to trigger transition and suppress separation. Significant improvements in the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil were observed. Results of this study for a chord Reynolds number range of 40,000 to 250,000 are presented in this paper.

Mangalam, S. M.↗

Scaling of the bursting frequency in turbulent boundary layers at low Reynolds numbers

The frequency of occurrence of the bursting process near a wall was studied by investigating turbulent velocity fields obtained from numerical simulation of a flat-plate boundary layer with zero pressure gradient. Computations were carried out for three different Reynolds numbers based on the momentum thickness: 300, 670, and 1410. It is shown that the frequency scaled by the inner variables is essentially independent of the Reynolds number.

Kim, John↗

Critical Mach numbers in classical magnetohydrodynamics

Stationary point analysis is used to compute generalized critical Mach numbers for finite-amplitude fast and slow shocks in classical MHD fluids. Particular attention is paid to the case where the resistive and thermal conduction dissipation scale lengths are comparable and much larger than the viscous scale lengths. With both resistivity and thermal conduction, the critical Mach number at which viscosity must be invoked is determined by the condition that the downstream flow speed equals the isothermal sound speed. It is also shown that resistivity and thermal conduction can provide convergent stationary point solutions for nearly all slow shocks, except perhaps switch-off-shocks.

Kennel, Charles F.↗

Geoid and topography for infinite Prandtl number convection in a spherical shell

Geoid anomalies and surface and lower-boundary topographies are calculated for numerically generated thermal convection for an infinite Prandtl number, Boussinesq, axisymmetric spherical fluid shell with constant gravity and viscosity, for heating both entirely from below and entirely from within. Convection solutions are obtained for Rayleigh numbers Ra up to 20 times the critical Ra in heating from below and 27 times critical for heating from within. Geoid parallels surface undulations, and boundary deformation generally increases with increasing cell wavelength. Dimensionless geoid and topography in heating from below are about 5 times greater than in heating from within. Values for heating from within correlate more closely with geophysical data than values from heating from below, suggesting a predominance of internal heating in the mantle. The study emphasizes that dynamically induced topography and geoid are sensitive to the mode of heating in the earth's mantle.

Bercovici, D.↗