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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Feasibility study of optical boundary layer transition detection method

A high sensitivity differential interferometer was developed to locate the region where the boundary layer flow undergoes transition from laminar to turbulent. Two laboratory experimental configurations were used to evaluate the performance of the interferometer: open shear layer, and low speed wind tunnel turbulent spot configuration. In each experiment, small temperature fluctuations were introduced as the signal source. Simultaneous cold wire measurements were compared with the interferometer data. The comparison shows that the interferometer is sensitive to very weak phase variations in the order of 0.001 the laser wavelength. An attempt to detect boundary layer transition over a flat plate at NASA-Langley Unitary Supersonic Wind Tunnel using the interferometer system was performed. The phase variations during boundary layer transition in the supersonic wind tunnel were beyond the minimum signal-to-noise level of the instrument.

Azzazy, M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Analysis of wind-tunnel boundary-layer transition experiments on axisymmetric bodies at transonic speeds using compressible boundary-layer stability theory

The design of laminar flow fuselages and advanced swept wings at high-subsonic compressible speeds can benefit from a correlation of compressible transition experiments with the e exp n transition-prediction method. A computational analysis has been conducted to investigate the detailed transition measurements obtained by Boltz et al. (1956, 1960) for two bodies-of-revolution. Nonadiabatic wall conditions were included in the analysis when wall-temperature measurements were available.

Vijgen, P. M. H. W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Measurements in Transitional Boundary Layers Under High Free-Stream Turbulence and Strong Acceleration Conditions

Measurements from transitional, heated boundary layers along a concave-curved test wall are presented and discussed. A boundary layer subject to low free-stream turbulence intensity (FSTI), which contains stationary streamwise (Gortler) vortices, is documented. The low FSTI measurements are followed by measurements in boundary layers subject to high (initially 8%) free-stream turbulence intensity and moderate to strong streamwise acceleration. Conditions were chosen to simulate those present on the downstream half of the pressure side of a gas turbine airfoil. Mean flow characteristics as well as turbulence statistics, including the turbulent shear stress, turbulent heat flux, and turbulent Prandtl number, are documented. A technique called "octant analysis" is introduced and applied to several cases from the literature as well as to data from the present study. Spectral analysis was applied to describe the effects of turbulence scales of different sizes during transition. To the authors'knowledge, this is the first detailed documentation of boundary layer transition under such high free-stream turbulence conditions.

Volino, Ralph J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Active wave control of boundary-layer transition

The physical processes involved in the boundary layer instability-generation and transition process seem to pose basic restrictions on the implementation of active, wave-based transition-control methods. While suppression short of elimination is possible by these means for primary disturbances, wave-interaction instabilities demand that the control be implemented almost immediately after the appearance of primary disturbances; even slight delays can negate the intended beneficial effects, and this basic problem is exacerbated at the higher Reynolds numbers typical of aircraft in cruising flight. Three-dimensional disturbances are noted to be important in this context, together with the continuous regeneration of TS waves.

Thomas, Andrew S. W.↗
NASA NTRS1959

An Investigation of the Effect of a Highly Favorable Pressure Gradient on Boundary-Layer Transition as Caused by Various Types of Roughnesses on a 10-foot-Diameter Hemisphere at Subsonic Speeds

Tests were made on a 10-foot-diameter hemispherical nose at Reynolds numbers up to 10 x 10(exp 6) and at a maximum Mach number of about 0.1 to determine the effects of a highly favorable pressure gradient on boundary-layer transition caused by roughness. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional roughness particles were used, and the transition of the boundary layer was determined by hot-wire anemometers. The roughness Reynolds number for transition R(sub k,t) caused by three-dimensional particles such as Carborundum grains, spherical particles, and rimmed craters was found. The results show that for particles immersed in the boundary layer, R(sub k,t) is independent of the particle size or position on the hemispherical nose and depends mainly on the height-to-width ratio of the particle. The values of R(sub k,t) found on the hemispherical nose compare closely with those previously found on a flat plate and on airfoils with roughness. For two-dimensional roughness, the ratio of roughness height to boundary-layer displacement thickness necessary to cause transition was found to increase appreciably as the roughness was moved forward on the nose. Also included in the investigation were studies of the spread of turbulence behind a single particle of roughness and the effect of holes such as pressure orifices.

Peterson, John B., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A quiet-flow Ludwieg tube for experimental study of high speed boundary layer transition

Laminar-turbulent transition in high speed boundary layers is a complicated problem which is still poorly understood, partly because of experimental ambiguities caused by operating in noisy wind tunnels. The NASA Langley experience with quiet tunnel design has been used to design a quiet flow tunnel which can be constructed less expensively. Fabrication techniques have been investigated, and inviscid, boundary layer, and stability computer codes have been adapted for use in the nozzle design. Construction of such a facility seems feasible, at a reasonable cost. Two facilities have been proposed: a large one, with a quiet flow region large enough to study the end of transition, and a smaller and less expensive one, capable of studying low Reynolds number issues such as receptivity. Funding for either facility remains to be obtained, although key facility elements have been obtained and are being integrated into the existing Purdue supersonic facilities.

Schneider, Steven P.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Predicting Boundary-Layer Transition on Space-Shuttle Re-Entry

The BLT Prediction Tool ("BLT" signifies "Boundary Layer Transition") is provided as part of the Damage Assessment Team analysis package, which is utilized for analyzing local aerothermodynamics environments of damaged or repaired space-shuttle thermal protection tiles. Such analyses are helpful in deciding whether to repair launch-induced damage before re-entering the terrestrial atmosphere.

Berry, Scott↗
NASA NTRS1991

Control of boundary layer transition location and plate vibration in the presence of an external acoustic field

The experiment is aimed at controlling the boundary layer transition location and the plate vibration when excited by a flow and an upstream sound source. Sound has been found to affect the flow at the leading edge and the response of a flexible plate in a boundary layer. Because the sound induces early transition, the panel vibration is acoustically coupled to the turbulent boundary layer by the upstream radiation. Localized surface heating at the leading edge delays the transition location downstream of the flexible plate. The response of the plate excited by a turbulent boundary layer (without sound) shows that the plate is forced to vibrate at different frequencies and with different amplitudes as the flow velocity changes indicating that the plate is driven by the convective waves of the boundary layer. The acoustic disturbances induced by the upstream sound dominate the response of the plate when the boundary layer is either turbulent or laminar. Active vibration control was used to reduce the sound induced displacement amplitude of the plate.

Maestrello, L.↗
NASA NTRS1955

An Investigation of the Effects of Heat Transfer on Boundary-Layer Transition on a Parabolic Body of Revolution (NACA RM-10) at a Mach Number of 1.61

Report presents the results of an investigation conducted to determine the effects of heat transfer on boundary-layer transition on a parabolic body of revolution (NACA rm-10 without fins) at Mach number of 1.61 and over a Reynolds number range from 2.5 x 10(6) to 35 x 10(6). The maximum cooling of the model used in these tests corresponded to a temperature ratio (ratio of model-surface temperature to free-stream temperature) of 1.12, a value somewhat higher than the theoretical value required for infinite boundary-layer stability at this Mach number. The maximum heating corresponded to a temperature ratio of about 1.85. Included in the investigation was a study of the effects of surface irregularities and disturbances generated in the airstream on the ability of heat transfer to influence boundary-layer transition.

Czarnecki, K R↗
NASA NTRS2008

Boundary Layer Transition on X-43A

The successful Mach 7 and 10 flights of the first fully integrated scramjet propulsion systems by the Hyper-X (X-43A) program have provided the means with which to verify the original design methodologies and assumptions. As part of Hyper-X s propulsion-airframe integration, the forebody was designed to include a spanwise array of vortex generators to promote boundary layer transition ahead of the engine. Turbulence at the inlet is thought to provide the most reliable engine design and allows direct scaling of flight results to groundbased data. Pre-flight estimations of boundary layer transition, for both Mach 7 and 10 flight conditions, suggested that forebody boundary layer trips were required to ensure fully turbulent conditions upstream of the inlet. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the thermocouple measurements used to infer the dynamics of the transition process during the trajectories for both flights, on both the lower surface (to assess trip performance) and the upper surface (to assess natural transition). The approach used in the analysis of the thermocouple data is outlined, along with a discussion of the calculated local flow properties that correspond to the transition events as identified in the flight data. The present analysis has confirmed that the boundary layer trips performed as expected for both flights, providing turbulent flow ahead of the inlet during critical portions of the trajectory, while the upper surface was laminar as predicted by the pre-flight analysis.

Berry, Scott↗
NASA NTRS2000

Measurements in a Transitional Boundary Layer Under Low-Pressure Turbine Airfoil Conditions

This report presents the results of an experimental study of transition from laminar to turbulent flow in boundary layers or in shear layers over separation zones on a convex-curved surface which simulates the suction surface of a low-pressure turbine airfoil. Flows with various free-stream turbulence intensity (FSTI) values (0.5%, 2.5% and 10%), and various Reynolds numbers (50,000, 100,000 200,000 and 300,000) are investigated. Reynold numbers in the present study are based on suction surface length and passage exit mean velocity. Flow separation followed by transition within the separated flow region is observed for the lower-Re cases at each of the FSTI levels. At the highest Reynolds numbers and at elevated FSn, transition of the attached boundary layer begins before separation, and the separation zone is small. Transition proceeds in the shear layer over the separation bubble. For both the transitional boundary layer and the transitional shear layer, mean velocity, turbulence intensity and intermittency (the fraction of the time the flow is turbulent) distributions are presented. The present data are compared to published distribution models for bypass transition, intermittency distribution through transition, transition start position, and transition length. A model developed for transition of separated flows is shown to adequately predict the location of the beginning of transition, for these cases, and a model developed for transitional boundary layer flows seems to adequately predict the path of intermittency through transition when the transition start and end are known. These results are useful for the design of low-pressure turbine stages which are known to operate under conditions replicated by these tests.

Simon, Terrence W.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Mechanism by which a two-dimensional roughness element induces boundary-layer transition.

An experimental investigation of the effect of two-dimensional roughness elements on boundary-layer transition is described. Primary emphasis is given to the nature of disturbances within the recovery zone. Detailed measurements of mean velocity distributions, of disturbance spectra, and intensity, growth, and decay of disturbances at discrete frequencies were made for a range of unit Reynolds numbers. The measurements demonstrate that the behavior can best be understood by considering wave-type disturbances, and that the basic mechanism by which a two-dimensional roughness element induces earlier transition to turbulent flow is by the destabilizing influence of the flow within the recovery zone.

Klebanoff, P. S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Boundary-layer transition detection with infrared imaging emphasizing cryogenic applications

This paper reviews the technique of boundary-layer transition detection using infrared (IR) imaging, emphasizing cryogenic wind-tunnel testing. With the exception of the low-temperature effects on the IR radiation, the discussion is relevant to conventional wind-tunnel and flight testing as well. At low temperatures, IR imaging encounters a reduction in the radiated energy throughout the IR spectrum, combined with a shift to longer wavelengths of the bulk of the radiation. This radiation behavior affects the minimum resolvable temperature difference (MRTD) of the IR imaging system because of its fixed wave band sensitivity. In the absence of commercial long wavelength IR imaging systems, operating at wavelengths longer than 13 micron, some measures can be taken to alleviate the problem caused by the MRTD limitation. The thermal signature of transition can be enhanced by allowing a small and controlled temperature increase of the wind-tunnel flow that induces a transient heat transfer to the model. This action temporarily reveals the model area under the turbulent regime through its higher heating rate compared with the laminar regime. The contrast between the areas exposed to the two regimes can be enhanced by subtraction of thermograms (the equilibrium thermogram from the transient thermogram). Further visual improvement can be obtained through shade stretching or binary shading.

Gartenberg, Ehud↗
NASA NTRS1940

Boundary-Layer Transition on the N.A.C.A. 0012 and 23012 Airfoils in the 8-Foot High-Speed Wind Tunnel, Special Report

Determinations of boundary-layer transition on the NACA 0012 and 2301 airfoils were made in the 8-foot high-speed wind tunnel over a range of Reynolds Numbers from 1,600,000 to 16,800,000. The results are of particular significance as compared with flight tests and tests in wind tunnels of appreciable turbulence because of the extremely low turbulence in the high-speed tunnel. A comparison of the results obtained on NACA 0012 airfoils of 2-foot and 5-foot chord at the same Reynolds Number permitted an evaluation of the effect of compressibility on transition. The local skin friction along the surface of the NACA 0012 airfoil was measured at a Reynolds Number of 10,000,000. For all the lift coefficient at which tests were made, transition occurred in the region of estimated laminar separation at the low Reynolds Numbers and approach the point of minimum static pressure as a forward limit at the high Reynolds Numbers. The effect of compressibility on transition was slight. None of the usual parameters describing the local conditions in the boundary layer near the transition point served as an index for locating the transition point. As a consequence of the lower turbulence in the 8-foot high-speed tunnel, the transition points occurred consistently farther back along the chord than those measured in the NACA full-scale tunnel. An empirical relation for estimating the location of the transition point for conventional airfoils on the basis of static-pressure distribution and Reynolds Number is presented.

Becker, John V.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Flight-measured laminar boundary-layer transition phenomena including stability theory analysis

Flight experiments were conducted on a single-engine turboprop aircraft fitted with a 92-in-chord, 3-ft-span natural laminar flow glove at glove section lift coefficients from 0.15 to 1.10. The boundary-layer transition measurement methods used included sublimating chemicals and surface hot-film sensors. Transition occurred downstream of the minimum pressure point. Hot-film sensors provided a well-defined indication of laminar, laminar-separation, transitional, and turbulent boundary layers. Theoretical calculations of the boundary-layer parameters provided close agreement between the predicted laminar-separation point and the measured transition location. Tollmien-Schlichting (T-S) wave growth n-factors between 15 and 17 were calculated at the predicted point of laminar separation. These results suggest that for many practical airplane cruise conditions, laminar separation (as opposed to T-S instability) is the major cause of transition in predominantly two-dimensional flows.

Obara, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Assessment of a transitional boundary layer theory at low hypersonic Mach numbers

An investigation was carried out to assess the accuracy of a transitional boundary layer theory in the low hypersonic Mach number regime. The theory is based upon the simultaneous numerical solution of the boundary layer partial differential equations for the mean motion and an integral form of the turbulence kinetic energy equation which controls the magnitude and development of the Reynolds stress. Comparisions with experimental data show the theory is capable of accurately predicting heat transfer and velocity profiles through the transitional regime and correctly predicts the effects of Mach number and wall cooling on transition Reynolds number. The procedure shows promise of predicting the initiation of transition for given free stream disturbance levels. The effects on transition predictions of the pressure dilitation term and of direct absorption of acoustic energy by the boundary layer were evaluated.

Shamroth, S. J.↗