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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 145 records · Page 8

Accuracy of Tilt Rotor Hover Performance Predictions

The accuracy of various methods used to predict tilt rotor hover performance was established by comparing predictions with large-scale experimental data. A wide range of analytical approaches were examined. Blade lift was predicted with a lifting line analysis, two lifting surface analyses, and by a finite-difference solution of the full potential equation. Blade profile drag was predicted with two different types of airfoil tables and an integral boundary layer analysis. The inflow at the rotor was predicted using momentum theory, two types of prescribed wakes, and two free wake analyses. All of the analyses were accurate at moderate thrust coefficients. The accuracy of the analyses at high thrust coefficients was dependent upon their treatment of high sectional angles of attack on the inboard sections of the rotor blade. The analyses which allowed sectional lift coefficients on the inboard stations of the blade to exceed the maximum observed in two-dimensional wind tunnel tests provided better accuracy at high thrust coefficients than those which limited lift to the maximum two-dimensional value. These results provide tilt rotor aircraft designers guidance on which analytical approaches provide the best results, and the level of accuracy which can be expected from the best analyses.

Felker, Fort F.↗

Validation of a Flexible Aircraft TakeOff and Landing Analysis /FATOLA/ computer program using flight landing data

A multiple-degree-of-freedom takeoff and landing analysis, Flexible Aircraft TakeOff and Landing Analysis computer program (FATOLA), was used to predict the landing behavior of a rigid-body X-24B reentry research vehicle and of a flexible-body modified-delta-wing supersonic YF-12 research aircraft. The analytical predictions were compared with flight test data for both research vehicles. Predicted time histories of vehicle motion and attitude, landing-gear strut stroke, and axial force transmitted from the landing gear to the airframe during the landing impact and rollout compared well with the actual time histories. Based on the comparisons presented, the versatility and validity of the FATOLA program for predicting landing dynamics of aircraft has been demonstrated.

Carden, H. D.↗

Convective heating of solid propellant during ignition

A pattern search optimization procedure is used to deduce from test data on the solid rocket boosters of the Space Shuttle the convective heat transfer coefficients between the igniter and main motor combustion gases and the surface of the solid propellant by utilizing a spatial and temporal ignition transient analysis. The 'best' convective coefficients are found which will minimize the overall deviation of the analytical prediction from the ignition transient test data. Computationally, this is achieved by treating the motor in such a way that only four optimization variables must be determined. The resulting coefficients greatly improve the prediction capabilities of the ignition transient analysis for the Space Shuttle SRM.

Murph, J. E.↗

Explosives and pyrotechnic propellants for use in long term deep space missions

Explosives and pyrotechnic propellant materials which will withstand heat sterilization cycling at 125 C and ten year deep space aging under 10 to the minus 6th power torr and 66 C have been selected. The selection was accomplished through a detailed literature survey and an analytical evaluation of the physicochemical properties of the materials. The chemical components of the electroexplosive devices used in U.S. missiles and spacecraft were categorized into primary explosives, secondary explosives, and propellant ingredients. Kinetic data on such parameters as thermal decomposition and sublimation were obtained for these materials and used as a basis for the ten year life prediction. From these experimental data and some analytical calculations, a listing of candidate materials for deep space missions was made.

Gorzynski, C. S., Jr.↗

Electrical Performance of the International Space Station U.S. Photovoltaic Array During Bifacial Illumination

With the first United States (U.S.) photovoltaic array (PVA) activated on International Space Station (ISS) in December 2000, on-orbit data can now be compared to analytical predictions. Due to ISS operational constraints, it is not always possible to point the front side of the arrays at the Sun. Thus, in many cases, sunlight directly illuminates the backside of the PVA as well as albedo illumination on either the front or the back. During this time, appreciable power is produced since the solar cells are mounted on a thin, solar transparent substrate. It is important to present accurate predictions for both front and backside power generation for mission planning, certification of flight readiness for a given mission, and on-orbit mission support. To provide a more detailed assessment of the ISS power production capability, the authors developed a PVA electrical performance model applicable to generalized bifacial illumination conditions. On-orbit PVA performance data were also collected and analyzed. This paper describes the ISS PVA performance model, and the methods used to reduce orbital performance data. Analyses were performed using SPACE. a NASA-GRC developed computer code for the ISS program office. Results showed a excellent comparison of on-orbit performance data and analytical results.

Delleur, Ann M.↗

Modeling of Slosh Dynamics in Cryogenic Propellant Tanks in Microgravity Environments

The slosh dynamics in cryogenic fuel tanks under microgravity is a pressing problem that severely affects the reliability of launching spacecraft. After reaching low Earth orbit, the propellant in a multistage rocket experiences large and cyclic changes in temperature as a result of solar heating. Tank wall heating can induce thermal stratification and propellant boiloff, particularly during slosh-inducing vehicle maneuvers. Precise understanding of the dynamic and thermodynamic effects of propellant slosh caused by these maneuvers is critical to mission performance and success. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is used extensively within the space vehicle industry in an attempt to characterize the behavior of liquids in microgravity, yet experimental data to quantify these predictions is very limited and reduces confidence in the analytical predictions. A novel approach designed to produce high-fidelity data for correlation to CFD model predictions is being developed with the assistance of Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Sierra Lobo, Inc. With few exceptions, previous work in slosh dynamics was theoretical or treated the mass of fuel as a variable of inertia only; such models did not consider the viscosity, surface tension, or other important fluid effects. The challenges in this research are in the development of instrumentation able to measure the required parameters, the computational ability to quantify the fluid behaviors, and the means to assess both the measurements and predictions. The design of this experiment bridges the understanding of slosh dynamics in microgravity by a comprehensive approach that combines CFD tools, dynamic simulation tools, semianalytical models of the predominant fluid effects, and an experimental framework that includes measurement and characterization of liquid slosh in one-degree-of-freedom (DOF) and two-DOF experiments, and ultimately experiments in a NASA low-gravity aircraft.

Source record↗

Finite Element Model Tuning using Analytical Sensitivity Values

This paper presents an efficient approach for tuning finite element models to match the measured ground vibrationtest and proof test data. Frequencies, mode shapes, total weight, location of the center of gravity, and staticdeformation computed from the finite element model are matched to the measured data. The model tuningprocedure used in this work is based on solving an optimization problem in which the errors for the consideredmetrics, between the finite element prediction and the measured data, are minimized. Analytical sensitivity values ofperformance indices are computed using the NASTRAN-generated sensitivity values together with the in-housecomputer programs, which allow for faster computational time and the use of gradient-based optimizers. The methodis applied to the Aerostructures Test Wing 4 model. The study shows that the military standard and the NASAstandard for comparing analytical and experimental modal data are all satisfied. The final finite element modelcorrelates well with the test data. The flutter speed decreases by 8.91% after model tuning compared with the original Aerostructures Test Wing 4 design.

Chan-gi Pak↗

Chilldown study of the single stage inducer test rig

Of the six chilldown tests, data from only one could be used for evaluation. During the rest of the chilldown tests, there was leakage hydrogen flow into the pump cavity prior to the initiation of the chilldown test. In all of the tests the hydrogen condition into the pump was probably 100% vapor. The data from this one test, therefore, can be used to compare only the single phase fluid correlation in the analytical pump chilldown model. In general, the actual pump chilled down much faster than predicted by the analytical pump model. There were insufficient data from the test to measure the pump flow rate and pump inlet fluid condition; therefore, these parameters were extrapolated based on related data which were available. However, even with the highest probable flow rate, the pump chilled faster than predicted.

Kimura, L. A.↗

Predicted and measured in-flight wing deformations of a forward-swept-wing aircraft

An electrooptical flight-deflection measurement system (FDMS) is described in terms of its use in structural testing of the composite forward-swept wing of the X-29 aircraft. The wing deflected shapes measured using the present system are compared to the shapes predicted by NASTRAN and other codes as well as data from ground-test load measurements. The electrooptical FDMS is based on a control unit, two receivers, a target driver, and 12-16 IR LED targets. The FDMS determines the in-flight deflected wing shapes at a variety of altitudes at Mach 0.9, and the results are compared to the analytically predicted wing-twist distributions. The FDMS data describe the predicted increasing streamwise twist with increasing dynamic pressure and suggest that the streamwise twist is more prevalent at the inboard measurement station than at the wing tip. This hook shape is not represented in the predicted data, and suggestions are given for improving the modeling of the X-29 wing.

Lokos, William A.↗

Fluid mechanics of dynamic stall. I - Unsteady flow concepts

Advanced military aircraft 'supermaneuverability' requirements entail the sustained operation of airfoils at stalled flow conditions. The present work addresses the effects of separated flow on vehicle dynamics; an analytic method is presented which employs static experimental data to predict the separated flow effect on incompressible unsteady aerodynamics. The key parameters in the analytic relationship between steady and nonsteady aerodynamics are the time-lag before a change of flow conditions can affect the separation-induced aerodynamic loads, the accelerated flow effect, and the moving wall effect.

Ericsson, L. E.↗

Computation of three-dimensional flow about aerobrake configurations

Ellipsoid, cone and cylinder aerobrake configurations are analyzed to provide comparison data between experimental and model predictions. An analytical model was devised to account for the shock layer ahead of the body and in the near-wake region in terms of the Navier-Stokes equations expressed in conformal polar and azimuthal-angle coordinates. Using polar coordinates simplified the equations by mapping the body onto a sphere, a procedure which also reduced the magnitude of the discretization errors. The equations are then solved using an alternating direction implicit (ADI) factorization technique. Computations were carried out for Mach 3-10 at various grid resolutions and compared with available wind tunnel data. The model generated pressure distributions, heat transfer coefficients and velocity profile data that agreed relatively well with experimental data at a reduced computational cost. Further work is necessary to identify the location of shocks and to model flows about asymmetric configurations.

Li, C. P.↗

The characterization of widespread fatigue damage in fuselage structure

The characteristics of widespread fatigue damage (WSFD) in fuselage riveted structure were established by detailed nondestructive and destructive examinations of fatigue damage contained in a full size fuselage test article. The objectives of this were to establish an experimental data base for validating emerging WSFD analytical prediction methodology and to identify first order effects that contribute to fatigue crack initiation and growth. Detailed examinations were performed on a test panel containing four bays of a riveted lap splice joint. The panel was removed from a full scale fuselage test article after receiving 60,000 full pressurization cycles. The results of in situ examinations document the progression of fuselage skin fatigue crack growth through crack linkup. Detailed tear down examinations and fractography of the lap splice joint region revealed fatigue crack initiation sites, crack morphology, and crack linkup geometry. From this large data base, distributions of crack size and locations are presented and discussions of operative damage mechanisms are offered.

Piascik, Robert S.↗

The characterization of widespread fatigue damage in fuselage structure

The characteristics of widespread fatigue damage (WSFD) in fuselage riveted structure were established by detailed nondestructive and destructive examinations of fatigue damage contained in a full size fuselage test article. The objectives of this work were to establish an experimental data base for validating emerging WSFD analytical prediction methodology and to identify first order effects that contribute to fatigue crack initiation and growth. Detailed examinations were performed on a test panel containing four bays of a riveted lap splice joint. The panel was removed from a full scale fuselage test article after receiving 60,000 full pressurization cycles. The results of in situ examinations document the progression of fuselage skin fatigue crack growth through crack linkup. Detailed tear down examinations and fractography of the lap splice joint region revealed fatigue crack initiation sites, crack morphology and crack linkup geometry. From this large data base, distributions of crack size and locations are presented and discussions of operative damage mechanisms are offered.

Piascik, Robert S.↗

Comparison between design and installed acoustic characteristics of NASA Lewis 9- by 15-foot low-speed wind tunnel acoustic treatment

The test section of the NASA Lewis 9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel was acoustically treated to allow the measurement of sound under simulated free-field conditions. The treatment was designed for high sound absorption at frequencies above 250 Hz and for withstanding the environmental conditions in the test section. In order to achieve the design requirements, a fibrous, bulk-absorber material was packed into removable panel sections. Each section was divided into two equal-depth layers packed with material to different bulk densities. The lower density was next to the facing of the treatment. The facing consisted of a perforated plate and screening material layered together. Sample tests for normal-incidence acoustic absorption were also conducted in an impedance tube to provide data to aid in the treatment design. Tests with no airflow, involving the measurement of the absorptive properties of the treatment installed in the 9- by 15-foot wind tunnel test section, combined the use of time-delay spectrometry with a previously established free-field measurement method. This new application of time-delay spectrometry enabled these free-field measurements to be made in nonanechoic conditions. The results showed that the installed acoustic treatment had absorption coefficients greater than 0.95 over the frequency range 250 Hz to 4 kHz. The measurements in the wind tunnel were in good agreement with both the analytical prediction and the impedance tube test data.

Dahl, Milo D.↗

Proposed Flight Research of a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle Using the NASA F-15 Airplane

For more than a half-century, several types of altitude-compensating rocket nozzles have been proposed and analyzed, but very few have been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. One type of altitude-compensating nozzle is the dual-bell rocket nozzle, which was first introduced into literature in 1949. Despite the performance advantages that have been predicted, both analytically and through static test data, the dual-bell nozzle has still not been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. This paper proposes a method for conducting testing and research with a dual-bell rocket nozzle in a flight environment. We propose to leverage the existing NASA F-15 airplane and Propulsion Flight Test Fixture as the flight testbed, with the dual-bell nozzle operating during captive-carried flights, and with the nozzle subjected to a local flow field similar to that of a launch vehicle. The primary objective of this effort is not only to advance the technology readiness level of the dual-bell nozzle, but also to gain a greater understanding of the nozzle mode transitional sensitivity to local flow-field effects, and to quantify the performance benefits with this technology. The predicted performance benefits are significant, and may result in reducing the cost of delivering payloads to low-Earth orbit.

Jones, Daniel S.↗

Proposed Flight Research of a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle Using the NASA F-15 Airplane

For more than a half-century, several types of altitude-compensating rocket nozzles have been proposed and analyzed, but very few have been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. One type of altitude-compensating nozzle is the dual-bell rocket nozzle, which was first introduced into literature in 1949. Despite the performance advantages that have been predicted, both analytically and through static test data, the dual-bell nozzle has still not been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. This paper proposes a method for conducting testing and research with a dual-bell rocket nozzle in a flight environment. We propose to leverage the existing NASA F-15 airplane and Propulsion Flight Test Fixture as the flight testbed, with the dual-bell nozzle operating during captive-carried flights, and with the nozzle subjected to a local flow field similar to that of a launch vehicle. The primary objective of this effort is not only to advance the technology readiness level of the dual-bell nozzle, but also to gain a greater understanding of the nozzle mode transitional sensitivity to local flow-field effects, and to quantify the performance benefits with this technology. The predicted performance benefits are significant, and may result in reducing the cost of delivering payloads to low-Earth orbit.

Jones, Daniel S.↗

Proposed Flight Research of a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle Using the NASA F-15 Airplane

For more than a half-century, several types of altitude-compensating rocket nozzles have been proposed and analyzed, but very few have been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. One type of altitude-compensating nozzle is the dual-bell rocket nozzle, which was first introduced into literature in 1949. Despite the performance advantages that have been predicted, both analytically and through static test data, the dual-bell nozzle has still not been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. This presentation proposes a method for conducting testing and research with a dual-bell rocket nozzle in a flight environment. We propose to leverage the existing NASA F-15 airplane and Propulsion Flight Test Fixture as the flight testbed, with the dual-bell nozzle operating during captive-carried flights, and with the nozzle subjected to a local flow field similar to that of a launch vehicle. The primary objective of this effort is not only to advance the technology readiness level of the dual-bell nozzle, but also to gain a greater understanding of the nozzle mode transitional sensitivity to local flow-field effects, and to quantify the performance benefits with this technology. The predicted performance benefits are significant, and may result in reducing the cost of delivering payloads to low-Earth orbit.

rocket↗

Multi-Evaporator Miniature Loop Heat Pipe for Small Spacecraft Thermal Control: Validation Results - Part 2

Under NASA s New Millennium Program Space Technology 8 (ST 8) Project, Goddard Space Fight Center has conducted a Thermal Loop experiment to advance the maturity of the Thermal Loop technology from proof of concept to prototype demonstration in a relevant environment , i.e. from a technology readiness level (TRL) of 3 to a level of 6. The thermal Loop is an advanced thermal control system consisting of a miniature loop heat pipe (MLHP) with multiple evaporators and multiple condensers designed for future small system applications requiring low mass, low power, and compactness. The MLHP retains all features of state-of-the-art loop heat pipes (LHPs) and offers additional advantages to enhance the functionality, performance, versatility, and reliability of the system. An MLHP breadboard was built and tested in the laboratory and thermal vacuum environments for the TRL 4 and TRL 5 validations, respectively, and an MLHP proto-flight unit was built and tested in a thermal vacuum chamber for the TRL 6 validation. In addition, an analytical model was developed to simulate the steady state and transient behaviors of the MLHP during various validation tests. The MLHP demonstrated excellent performance during experimental tests and the analytical model predictions agreed very well with experimental data. All success criteria at various TRLs were met. Hence, the Thermal Loop technology has reached a TRL of 6. This paper presents the validation results, both experimental and analytical, of such a technology development effort.

Ku, Jentung↗