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At least 145 records · Page 8

Oscillating-Flow Regenerator Test Rig: Hardware and Theory With Derived Correlations for Screens and Felts

A number of wire mesh and metal felt test samples, with a range of porosities, yield generic correlations for friction factor, Nusselt number, enhanced axial conduction ratio, and overall heat flux ratio. This information is directed primarily toward stirling cycle regenerator modelers, but will be of use to anyone seeking to better model fluid flow through these porous materials. Behind these results lies an oscillating-flow test rig, which measures pumping dissipation and thermal energy transport in sample matrices, and several stages of data-reduction software, which correlate instantaneous values for the above dimensionless groups. Within the software, theoretical model reduces instantaneous quantifies from cycle-averaged measurables using standard parameter estimation techniques.

Gedeon, D.↗

Effects of Fuel Distribution on Detonation Tube Performance

A pulse detonation engine (PDE) uses a series of high frequency intermittent detonation tubes to generate thrust. The process of filling the detonation tube with fuel and air for each cycle may yield non-uniform mixtures. Lack of mixture uniformity is commonly ignored when calculating detonation tube thrust performance. In this study, detonation cycles featuring idealized non-uniform H2/air mixtures were analyzed using the SPARK two-dimensional Navier-Stokes CFD code with 7-step H2/air reaction mechanism. Mixture non-uniformities examined included axial equivalence ratio gradients, transverse equivalence ratio gradients, and partially fueled tubes. Three different average test section equivalence ratios (phi), stoichiometric (phi = 1.00), fuel lean (phi = 0.90), and fuel rich (phi = 1.10), were studied. All mixtures were detonable throughout the detonation tube. It was found that various mixtures representing the same test section equivalence ratio had specific impulses within 1 percent of each other, indicating that good fuel/air mixing is not a prerequisite for optimal detonation tube performance.

Perkins, Hugh Douglas↗

Effects of Non-Uniform Fuel Distribution on Detonation Tube Performance

A pulse detonation engine uses a series of high frequency intermittent detonation tubes to generate thrust. The process of filling the detonation tube with fuel and air for each cycle may yield non-uniform mixtures. Uniform mixing is commonly assumed when calculating detonation tube thrust performance. In this study, detonation cycles featuring idealized non-uniform H2/air mixtures were analyzed using a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics code with detailed chemistry. Mixture non-uniformities examined included axial equivalence ratio gradients, transverse equivalence ratio gradients, and partially fueled tubes. Three different average test section equivalence ratios were studied; one stoichiometric, one fuel lean, and one fuel rich. All mixtures were detonable throughout the detonation tube. Various mixtures representing the same average test section equivalence ratio were shown to have specific impulses within 1% of each other, indicating that good fuel/air mixing is not a prerequisite for optimal detonation tube performance under the conditions investigated.

Perkins, H. Douglas↗

Effects of Fuel Distribution on Detonation Tube Performance

A pulse detonation engine uses a series of high frequency intermittent detonation tubes to generate thrust. The process of filling the detonation tube with fuel and air for each cycle may yield non-uniform mixtures. Uniform mixing is commonly assumed when calculating detonation tube thrust performance. In this study, detonation cycles featuring idealized non-uniform Hz/air mixtures were analyzed using a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics code with detailed chemistry. Mixture non-uniformities examined included axial equivalence ratio gradients, transverse equivalence ratio gradients, and partially fueled tubes. Three different average test section equivalence ratios were studied; one stoichiometric, one fuel lean, and one fuel rich. All mixtures were detonable throughout the detonation tube. Various mixtures representing the same average test section equivalence ratio were shown to have specific impulses within 1% of each other, indicating that good fuel/air mixing is not a prerequisite for optimal detonation tube performance under conditions investigated.

Perkins, H. Douglas↗

Orbiter Aerodynamic Acceleration Flight Measurements in the Rarefied-Flow Transition Regime

Acceleration data taken from the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) during reentry on STS-62 have been analyzed using calibration factors taken on orbit. This is the first Orbiter mission which collected OARE data during the Orbiter reentry phase. The data examined include the flight regime from orbital altitudes down to about 90 km which covers the free-molecule-flow regime and the upper altitude fringes of the rarefied-flow transition into the hypersonic continuum. Ancillary flight data on Orbiter position, orientation, velocity, and rotation rates have been used in models to transform the measured accelerations to the Orbiter center-of-gravity, from which aerodynamic accelerations along the Orbiter body axes have been calculated. Residual offsets introduced in the measurements by unmodeled Orbiter forces are identified and discussed. Direct comparisons are made between the OARE flight data and an independent micro-gravity accelerometer experiment, the High Resolution Accelerometer Package (HiRAP), which also obtained flight data on reentry during the mission down to about 95 km. The resulting OARE aerodynamic acceleration measurements along the Orbiter's body axis, aid the normal to axial acceleration ratio in the free-molecule-flow and transition-flow regimes are presented and compared with numerical simulations from three direct simulation Monte Carlo codes.

Blanchard, Robert C.↗

Velocity Fields of Axisymmetric Hydrogen-Air Counterflow Diffusion Flames from LDV, PIV, and Numerical Computation

Laminar fuel-air counterflow diffusion flames (CFDFs) were studied using axisymmetric convergent-nozzle and straight-tube opposed jet burners (OJBs). The subject diagnostics were used to probe a systematic set of H2/N2-air CFDFs over wide ranges of fuel input (22 to 100% Ha), and input axial strain rate (130 to 1700 Us) just upstream of the airside edge, for both plug-flow and parabolic input velocity profiles. Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) was applied along the centerline of seeded air flows from a convergent nozzle OJB (7.2 mm i.d.), and Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) was applied on the entire airside of both nozzle and tube OJBs (7 and 5 mm i.d.) to characterize global velocity structure. Data are compared to numerical results from a one-dimensional (1-D) CFDF code based on a stream function solution for a potential flow input boundary condition. Axial strain rate inputs at the airside edge of nozzle-OJB flows, using LDV and PIV, were consistent with 1-D impingement theory, and supported earlier diagnostic studies. The LDV results also characterized a heat-release hump. Radial strain rates in the flame substantially exceeded 1-D numerical predictions. Whereas the 1-D model closely predicted the max I min axial velocity ratio in the hot layer, it overpredicted its thickness. The results also support previously measured effects of plug-flow and parabolic input strain rates on CFDF extinction limits. Finally, the submillimeter-scale LDV and PIV diagnostics were tested under severe conditions, which reinforced their use with subcentimeter OJB tools to assess effects of aerodynamic strain, and fueVair composition, on laminar CFDF properties, including extinction.

Pellett, Gerald L.↗

Effect of a hypergravity environment on cortical bone elasticity in rats

There is considerable interest in determining whether hypergravity can be used as a countermeasure for microgravity-induced bone loss. This study was conducted on 20 immature male rats in order to investigate possible elastic adaptations of cortical bone in rapidly growing rats exposed to chronic hypergravity. Ten rats were continuously centrifuged for 14 days at twice gravitational acceleration (2G) on a 12.75 foot radius centrifuge and 10 rats concurrently acted as stationary controls. The effect of hypergravity on the elastic characteristics of cortical bone was quantified via ultrasonic wave propagation. Propagation velocities of longitudinal and shear waves were measured through cubic cortical specimens from the posterior femoral diaphyses. Density was measured with an Archimedes' technique. The orthotropic elastic properties were calculated and used to compare the difference between groups. Results showed an average increase in both the Young's moduli (Eii, + 2.2%) and shear moduli (Gij, + 4.3%) with a statistically significant increase only in G12 (+15.7%, P = 0.046). The ratio of transverse to axial strain (Poisson's ratio, nuij) demonstrated statistically significant changes in nu12, nu21, nu13, and nu31 (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that although slight elastic changes were incurred via a hypergravity environment, the treatment level or duration in this study do not dramatically perturb the normal elastic behavior of cortical bone and that dramatic biomechanical differences noted in previous studies were due more to structural changes than material elasticity changes. Hypergravity applied post facto to a microgravity environment would offer further illucidation of this method as treatment for a degenerative spaceflight experience.

Non-NASA Center↗

The Influence of the Diameter Ratio on the Characteristics Diagram of the Axial Compressor

With the further development of axial blowers into highly loaded flow machines, the influence of the diameter ratio upon air output and efficiency gains in significance. Clarification of this matter is important for single-stage axial compressors, and is of still greater importance for multistage ones, and particularly for aircraft power plants. Tests with a single-stage axial blower gave a decrease in the attainable maximum pressure coefficient and optimum efficiency as the diameter ratio increased. The decrease must be ascribed chiefly to the guide surface of the hub and housing between the blades increasing with the diameter ratio.

Eckert, B.↗

Invariant Imbedded T-Matrix Method for Axial Symmetric Hydrometeors with Extreme Aspect Ratios

The single-scattering properties (SSPs) of hydrometeors are the fundamental quantities for physics-based precipitation retrievals. Thus, efficient computation of their electromagnetic scattering is of great value. Whereas the semi-analytical T-Matrix methods are likely the most efficient for nonspherical hydrometeors with axial symmetry, they are not suitable for arbitrarily shaped hydrometeors absent of any significant symmetry, for which volume integral methods such as those based on Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA) are required. Currently the two leading T-matrix methods are the Extended Boundary Condition Method (EBCM) and the Invariant Imbedding T-matrix Method incorporating Lorentz-Mie Separation of Variables (IITM+SOV). EBCM is known to outperform IITM+SOV for hydrometeors with modest aspect ratios. However, in cases when aspect ratios become extreme, such as needle-like particles with large height to diameter values, EBCM fails to converge. Such hydrometeors with extreme aspect ratios are known to be present in solid precipitation and their SSPs are required to model the radiative responses accurately. In these cases, IITM+SOV is shown to converge. An efficient, parallelized C++ implementation for both EBCM and IITM+SOV has been developed to conduct a performance comparison between EBCM, IITM+SOV, and DDSCAT (a popular implementation of DDA). We present the comparison results and discuss details. Our intent is to release the combined ECBM IITM+SOV software to the community under an open source license.

Pelissier, Craig↗

Vortex Core Size in the Rotor Near-Wake

Using a kinetic energy conservation approach, a number of simple analytic expressions are derived for estimating core size of tip vortices in the near-wake of rotors in hover or axial-flight (climb). The influence of thrust, axial-flight advance ratio, blade count, blade aspect ratio, nonuniform disk loading, and vortex structure on rotor vortex core size is assessed. Vortex core size is found to be directly proportional to rotor thrust and inversely proportional to axial-flight advance ratio. Further, it is found that the more efficient the rotor is with respect to factors that affect induced power, the smaller the vortex core size. In particular, uniformity of the rotor disk loading clearly has the greatest influence on vortex core size of the parameters studied in this paper.

Young, Larry A.↗

Experimental investigation of the performance of a supersonic compressor cascade

Results are presented from an experimental investigation of a linear, supersonic, compressor cascade tested in the supersonic cascade wind tunnel facility at the DFVLR in Cologne, Federal Republic of Germany. The cascade design was derived from the near-tip section of a high-through-flow axial flow compressor rotor with a design relative inlet Mach number of 1.61. Test data were obtained over a range of inlet Mach numbers from 1.23 to 1.71, and a range of static pressure ratios and axial-velocity-density ratios (AVDR) at the design inlet condition. Flow velocity measurements showing the wave pattern in the cascade entrance region were obtained using a laser transit anemometer. From these measurements, some unique-incidence conditions were determined, thus relating the supersonic inlet Mach number to the inlet flow direction. The influence of static pressure ratio and AVDR on the blade passage flow and the blade-element performance is described, and an empirical correlation is used to show the influence of these two (independent) parameters on the exit flow angle and total-pressure loss for the design inlet condition.

Tweedt, D. L.↗

Aerodynamic Design of Axial-flow Compressors. Volume III

Chapters XI to XIII concern the unsteady compressor operation arising when compressor blade elements stall. The fields of compressor stall and surge are reviewed in Chapters XI and XII, respectively. The part-speed operating problem in high-pressure-ratio multistage axial-flow compressors is analyzed in Chapter XIII. Chapter XIV summarizes design methods and theories that extend beyond the simplified two-dimensional approach used previously in the report. Chapter XV extends this three-dimensional treatment by summarizing the literature on secondary flows and boundary layer effects. Charts for determining the effects of errors in design parameters and experimental measurements on compressor performance are given in Chapters XVI. Chapter XVII reviews existing literature on compressor and turbine matching techniques.

COMPRESSORS - PRESSURE RATIO↗

On sound transmission into an orthotropic shell

A mathematical model is presented for the transmission of airborne noise through the walls of an orthotropic cylindrical shell. Parameters were varied to see how orthotropicity affected noise transmission. When compared to that for an isotropic shell, the cylinder transmission loss was found to be quite sensitive to the ratio of circumferential to axial modulus of elasticity. A modulus ratio greater than unity appears to enhance transmission loss in the mass-controlled region, while a ratio less than unity degrades it. Below the ring frequency, the trends appear to be reversed. The cylinder transmission loss appears to be relatively insensitive to changes in the shear modulus

Koval, L. R.↗