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At least 1,405 records · Page 78

Aerodynamic Performance and Flow-Field Characteristics of Two Waverider-Derived Hypersonic Cruise Configurations

The component integration of a class of hypersonic high-lift configurations known as waveriders into hypersonic cruise vehicles was evaluated. A wind-tunnel model was developed which integrates realistic vehicle components with two waverider shapes, referred to as the straight-wing and cranked-wing shapes. Both shapes were conical-flow-derived waveriders for a design Mach number of 4.0. Experimental data and limited computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions were obtained over a Mach number range of 1.6 to 4.63 at a Reynolds number of 2.0 x 10(exp 6) per foot. The CFD predictions and flow visualization data confirmed the shock attachment characteristics of the baseline waverider shapes and illustrated the waverider flow-field properties. Experimental data showed that no significant performance degradations, in terms of maximum lift-to-drag ratios, occur at off-design Mach numbers for the waverider shapes and the integrated configurations. A comparison of the fully-integrated waverider vehicles to the baseline shapes showed that the performance was significantly degraded when all of the components were added to the waveriders, with the most significant degradation resulting from aftbody closure and the addition of control surfaces. Both fully-integrated configurations were longitudinally unstable over the Mach number range studied with the selected center of gravity location and for unpowered conditions. The cranked-wing configuration provided better lateral-directional stability characteristics than the straight-wing configuration.

Cockrell, Charles E., Jr.↗

Hypersonic Engine Leading Edge Experiments in a High Heat Flux, Supersonic Flow Environment

A major concern in advancing the state-of-the-art technologies for hypersonic vehicles is the development of an aeropropulsion system capable of withstanding the sustained high thermal loads expected during hypersonic flight. Three aerothermal load related concerns are the boundary layer transition from laminar to turbulent flow, articulating panel seals in high temperature environments, and strut (or cowl) leading edges with shock-on-shock interactions. A multidisciplinary approach is required to address these technical concerns. A hydrogen/oxygen rocket engine heat source has been developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center as one element in a series of facilities at national laboratories designed to experimentally evaluate the heat transfer and structural response of the strut (or cowl) leading edge. A recent experimental program conducted in this facility is discussed and related to cooling technology capability. The specific objective of the experiment discussed is to evaluate the erosion and oxidation characteristics of a coating on a cowl leading edge (or strut leading edge) in a supersonic, high heat flux environment. Heat transfer analyses of a similar leading edge concept cooled with gaseous hydrogen is included to demonstrate the complexity of the problem resulting from plastic deformation of the structures. Macro-photographic data from a coated leading edge model show progressive degradation over several thermal cycles at aerothermal conditions representative of high Mach number flight.

Gladden, Herbert J.↗

Hypersonic chemically reacting viscous shock layers over sphere-cones and cylinder-wedges

Hypersonic, nonequilibrium viscous flow over nonanalytic blunt bodies is considered. 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 other numerical predictions as well as with experimental data. Three flow conditions are considered; the experimental, wind tunnel conditions of Pappas and Lee for a 7.5 deg sphere-cone at Mach 13 and two cases considered by Kang and Dunn, a 9 deg sphere-cone at 233,000 ft and a 20 deg sphere-cone at 280 and 310 Kft. The predictions of the present method agreed well with the experimental heat-transfer data, but substantial differences were found between the present predictions and the more approximate predictions of Kang and Dunn for heat-transfer distributions and temperature profiles.

Miner, E. W.↗

Flow characteristics in an expansion tunnel as inferred from velocity measurements

A photoionization technique was used to study flow characteristics in an expansion tunnel. Vertical surveys of the axial component of flow velocity just downstream from the nozzle exit were obtained, and estimates of freestream density were inferred from the velocity measurement technique. The pitot pressure was measured and compared to the average axial component of velocity as a function of time for the two cases when air and CO2 were used as test gases. Vertical velocity and static density profiles at the nozzle exit are presented for the case when CO2 was used as test gas. Experimental results were used to determine the diameter and uniformity of the test core at the nozzle exit and the duration of the quasi-steady flow period. These data are relevant to evaluation of the suitability of operating an expansion tube as an expansion tunnel. The expansion tunnel is an expansion tube with a conical nozzle positioned at the exit of the acceleration section, so that nozzle entrance flow conditions are hypersonic and characterized by hypervelocity.

Miller, C. G.↗

Finite element algorithms for compressible flow computation on a supercomputer

Methods of applying computational fluid dynamics techniques to engineering problems are discussed. The linking factors between theoretical and applied research are the shape and weight functions which produce the Galerkin finite element schemes. The flow is unsteady, viscous, heat conducting and compressible, and steady-state flows are the asymptotic limit of unsteady flows. All flows are described by the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (NSE) with mass and energy conservation. Local curvilinear intrinsic coordinates are applied to discretize the NSE in arbitrary geometric domains. A modified weighted residuals approach defines the discrete analogs of the physical systems modeled and a general interpolants method is used to derive families of numerical models, both implicit and explicit, finite difference and finite elemnt, from a single point of departure. Time-dependent element approximations are achieved with a progressive assembly of generalized elements method. Hyperbolic steady-state Euler algorithms and quasi-parabolic are spatial marching algorithms for solving the discretized equations. Application of the techniques is illustrated through calculation of the compressible flow around a hypersonic flight vehicle at 100,000 ft at zero angle of attack at speeds of Mach 4-10.

Spradley, L. W.↗

A point implicit unstructured grid solver for the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations

An upwind finite element technique that uses cell centered quantities and implicit and/or explicit time marching has been developed for computing hypersonic laminar viscous flows using adaptive unstructured triangular grids. A structured grid of quadrilaterals is laid out near the body surface. For inviscid flows the method is stable at Courant numbers of over 100,000. A first order basic scheme and a higher order flux corrected transport (FCT) scheme have been implemented. This technique has been applied to the problem of predicting type III and IV shock wave interactions on a cylinder, with a view of simulating the pressure and heating rate augmentation caused by an impinging shock on the leading edge of a cowl lip of an engine inlet. The predictions of wall pressure and heating rates compare very well with experimental data. The flow features are very distinctly captured with a sequence of adaptively generated grids. The adaptive mesh generator and the upwind Navier-Stokes solver are combined in a set of programs called LARCNESS, an acronym for Langley Adaptive Remeshing Code and Navier-Stokes Solver.

Thareja, Rajiv R.↗

Computational fluid dynamics research in three-dimensional zonal techniques

Patched-grid algorithms for the analysis of complex configurations with an implicit, upwind-biased Navier-Stokes solver were investigated. Conservative and non-conservative approaches for performing zonal interpolations were implemented. The latter approach yields the most flexible technique in that it can handle both patched and overlaid grids. Results for a two-dimensional blunt body problem show that either approach yield accurate steady-state shock locations and jump conditions. In addition, calculations of the turbulent flow through a hypersonic inlet on a three-zone grid show that the numerical prediction is in good agreement with the experimental results. Through the use of a generalized coordinate transformation at the zonal interface between two or more blocks, the algorithm can be applied to highly stretched viscous grids and to arbitrarily-shaped zonal boundaries. Applications were made to the F-18 aircraft at subsonic, high-alpha conditions, in support of the NASA High-Alpha Research Program. The calculations were compared to ground-based and flight test experiments and were used as a guide to understanding the ground-based tests, which are laminar and transitional, and their relationship to flight. Calculations about a complete reconnaissance aircraft were also performed in order to further demonstrate the capability of the patched-grid algorithm.

Walters, Robert W.↗

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

An upwind implicit Navier-Stokes code has been used to study hypersonic exhaust plume/afterbody flow fields. It is found that afterbody forces varied linearly with the nozzle exit pressure for moderately underexpanded jets, and that exhaust gases with low isentropic exponents (gamma) contribute up to 25 percent more force than high-gamma exhaust gases. Highly underexpanded jets are shown to create a strong plume shock, and the interaction of this shock with the afterbody produces a complicated pattern of crossflow separation.

Edwards, T. A.↗

High-Order Polynomial Expansions (HOPE) for flux-vector splitting

The Van Leer flux splitting is known to produce excessive numerical dissipation for Navier-Stokes calculations. Researchers attempt to remedy this deficiency by introducing a higher order polynomial expansion (HOPE) for the mass flux. In addition to Van Leer's splitting, a term is introduced so that the mass diffusion error vanishes at M equals 0. Several splittings for pressure are proposed and examined. The effectiveness of the HOPE scheme is illustrated for 1-D hypersonic conical viscous flow and 2-D supersonic shock-wave boundary layer interactions. Also, the authors give the weakness of the scheme and suggest areas for further investigation.

Liou, Meng-Sing↗

High-Order Polynomial Expansions (HOPE) for flux-vector splitting

The Van Leer flux splitting is known to produce excessive numerical dissipation for Navier-Stokes calculations. Researchers attempt to remedy this deficiency by introducing a higher order polynomial expansion (HOPE) for the mass flux. In addition to Van Leer's splitting, a term is introduced so that the mass diffusion error vanishes at M = 0. Several splittings for pressure are proposed and examined. The effectiveness of the HOPE scheme is illustrated for 1-D hypersonic conical viscous flow and 2-D supersonic shock-wave boundary layer interactions.

Liou, Meng-Sing↗

Hypersonic code efficiency and validation studies

Renewed interest in hypersonic and supersonic flows spurred the development of the Compressible Navier-Stokes (CNS) code. Originally developed for external flows, CNS was modified to enable it to also be applied to internal high speed flows. In the initial phase of this study CNS was applied to both internal flow applications and fellow researchers were taught to run CNS. The second phase of this research was the development of surface grids over various aircraft configurations for the High Speed Research Program (HSRP). The complex nature of these configurations required the development of improved surface grid generation techniques. A significant portion of the grid generation effort was devoted to testing and recommending modifications to early versions of the S3D surface grid generation code.

Bennett, Bradford C.↗