Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Cross Flow”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,585 records · Page 88

3-D supersonic combustion experiments with hydrogen in V-trough

Both supersonic blowdown and free jet wind tunnels were used in oil flow visualization and hydrogen gas burning tests of 60- and 90-deg V-shaped trough combustion characteristics. Oil dots showed that mass outflow from the reattachment region at the bottom of the V-trough dominated flow behavior, and occupied the trough's entire length and 10% of its cross-section. Intermingled vortex pairs were also found to superimpose themselves upon the outflow, and hydrogen burning within troughs reduced missile base drag by 25%. The troughs were aligned so that their long dimensions were parallel to the airflow, and the two top edges of the V section were mounted flush with respect to the upstream flat surfaces. Step heights tested ranged from 3.4 mm to 6.25 cm.

Friedberg, R. A.↗

Chryse basin channels - Low-gradients and ponded flows

The analysis and construction of approximate channel floor longitudinal gradients from 26 radar elevation profiles at four latitudinal channel crossings show that the outflow channels of the Lunae Planum and Chryse Basin have much lower values than those of the U.S. Geological Survey's topographic map. In order to account for the movement of fluids to the north, it is proposed that ponding from local runoff occurred before channel transition along the course of Simud and Tiu Valles. The lakes eventually overflowed, drainages became integrated, and headward erosion reached interfluves, thereby forming the present channel configurations. The ponding and the flooding following it, which had sufficient head to move fluids across nearly level gradients, would have occurred during a period when the climate allowed the surface runoff of fluids and standing bodies of water.

Lucchitta, B. K.↗

Kasprzyk airfoil. The first wind-tunnel tests

The Kasprzyk slotted flap glider airfoil (the Kasper wing) enabling glider flight at 32 km/h and 0.5 m/sec descent speed was wind tunnel tested in the U.S. The test layout is described and reasons offered for discrepancies between wind tunnel results and Polish in flight data: high induced drag caused by relative size of model wing span and tunnel, by vortex attenuators on the model and their proximity to the tunnel wall, nonsimilarity between flow over a smooth wing and flow over the Kasprzyk wing with bound vortices, obstruction of the tunnel test chamber cross section by the model wing, discrepant Reynolds numbers, and model airfoil aspect ratio much smaller than the prototype. The overall results offer partial confirmation of the Kasprzyk theory, but further in tunnel and in flight studies are recommended.

Wusatowski, T.↗

Solar wind observations near the sun

Observations of interplanetary scintillations with the VLA telescope are reported. The solar wind in the accelerating region from 3 to 12 solar radii was observed by scintillation of the radio source 3C279. The results obtained outside of 7 solar radii showed good agreement with previous work but observations between 3 and 4.5 solar radii were new and unexpected. Turbulence in the solar wind has a spatially anisotropic structure elongated in the radial direction, the flow direction being also in the radial direction. An abrupt change of both the velocity and the spatial anisotropy of turbulence was found at distances from 3 to 4.5 solar radii. There is a large random velocity component inside of 12 solar radii which is comparable to the bulk flow speed, and it has a spatially anisotropic probability distribution. From the measured cross-correlation functions, evidence which may be related to the complex structure of the magnetic field is found.

Armstrong, J. W.↗

An engineering study of hybrid adaptation of wind tunnel walls for three-dimensional testing

Solid wall tunnels having only upper and lower walls flexing are described. An algorithm for selecting the wall contours for both 2 and 3 dimensional wall flexure is presented and numerical experiments are used to validate its applicability to the general test case of 3 dimensional lifting aircraft models in rectangular cross section wind tunnels. The method requires an initial approximate representation of the model flow field at a given lift with wallls absent. The numerical methods utilized are derived by use of Green's source solutions obtained using the method of images; first order linearized flow theory is employed with Prandtl-Glauert compressibility transformations. Equations are derived for the flexed shape of a simple constant thickness plate wall under the influence of a finite number of jacks in an axial row along the plate centerline. The Green's source methods are developed to provide estimations of residual flow distortion (interferences) with measured wall pressures and wall flow inclinations as inputs.

Brown, Clinton↗

Effect of velocity ratio on plane mixing layer development

An experimental study has been conducted to investigate the effect of velocity ratio on the development of a plane mixing layer to self-similarity. Plane mixing layers with five different velocity ratios (0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8 and 0.9) were generated in a newly designed mixing layer wind tunnel with both initial boundary layers tripped. For each velocity ratio, mean flow and turbulence measurements were obtained at eight streamwise locations with a single cross-wire probe. The results indicate that the splittter plate wake plays a very dominant and, in some cases, a lasting role in the development of the mixing layer. For velocity ratios between 0.5 and 0.7, self-similarity of the mixing layer was observed with the asymptotic states comparable. Mixing layers with the higher velocity ratios failed to achieve a self-similar state within the measurement domain. The development distance decreased with increasing velocity ratio up to 0.7, after which it appeared to increase. Almost all of the observed effects may be attributed to the presence and subsequent behavior of the splitter plate wake.

Mehta, R. D.↗

Hypersonic waverider design from given shock waves

An attempt is made to generate waverider flows from given shock wave geometries using two approaches. In the first approach, axisymmetric flows are used to construct more general flows based on the concept of osculating cones. Conical waverider design can thus be extended to yield results also for shocks forming a slope surface. The second approach involves solving the ill-posed problem of prescribing a shock wave and finding the flow field behind it. A new numerical marching technique with some features of characteristic cross marching is used to solve the Euler equation. The code selection and some test cases are discussed.

Sobieczky, H.↗

Evolution of streamwise vortices and generation of small-scale motion in a plane mixing layer

The present study investigates the evolution of streamwise vortices in a plane mixing layer and their role in the generation of small-scale 3D motion in a closed-return water facility. Spanwise-periodic streamwise vortices are excited by a time-harmonic wavetrain with spanwise-periodic amplitude variations synthesized by a mosaic of 32 surface film heaters flush-mounted on the low partition. The onset of streamwise vortices is accompanied by significant distortion in the transverse distribution of the streamwise velocity component. The presence of inflexion points, absent in corresponding velocity distributions of the unforced flow, suggests the formation of locally unstable regions of large shear in which broadband perturbations already present in the base flow undergo rapid amplification, followed by breakdown to small-scale motion. The cores of the primary vortices are significantly altered as a result of spanwise nonuniform excitation. The 3D features of the streamwise vortices and their interaction with the base flow are inferred from surfaces or rms velocity fluctuations and an approximation to cross-stream vorticity using 3D single component velocity data.

Nygaard, K. J.↗

Calculation of tubular radiators of the automobile type

We propose to show how to calculate the cooling capacity of all radiators through which the air flows in separate treamlets, whether enclosed in actual tubes or not and whatever cross-sectional shape the tubes may have. The first part will give the fundamental principles for calculating velocity of air in the tubes and the heat exchange by radiation, conduction and convection, and show, by examples, the agreement of the calculation with experiments. In the second part, the effect of the dimensions and conditions of operation on the heat exchange will be systematically investigated.

RADIATORS - DESIGN↗

Rate Constant and RRKM Product Study for the Reaction Between CH3 and C2H3 at T = 298K

The total rate constant k1 has been determined at P = 1 Torr nominal pressure (He) and at T = 298 K for the vinyl-methyl cross-radical reaction CH3 + C2H3 yields products. The measurements were performed in a discharge flow system coupled with collision-free sampling to a mass spectrometer operated at low electron energies. Vinyl and methyl radicals were generated by the reactions of F with C2H4 and CH4, respectively. The kinetic studies were performed by monitoring the decay of C2H3 with methyl in excess, 6 < |CH3|(sub 0)/|C2H3|(sub 0) < 21. The overall rate coefficient was determined to be k1(298 K) = (1.02 +/- 0.53)x10(exp -10) cubic cm/molecule/s with the quoted uncertainty representing total errors. Numerical modeling was required to correct for secondary vinyl consumption by reactions such as C2H3 + H and C2H3 + C2H3. The present result for k1 at T = 298 K is compared to two previous studies at high pressure (100-300 Torr He) and to a very recent study at low pressure (0.9-3.7 Torr He). Comparison is also made with the rate constant for the similar reaction CH3 + C2H5 and with a value for k1 estimated by the geometric mean rule employing values for k(CH3 + CH3) and k(C2H3 + C2H3). Qualitative product studies at T = 298 K and 200 K indicated formation of C3H6, C2H2, and C2H5 as products of the combination-stabilization, disproportionation, and combination-decomposition channels, respectively, of the CH3 + C2H3 reaction. We also observed the secondary C4H8 product of the subsequent reaction of C3H5 with excess CH3; this observation provides convincing evidence for the combination-decomposition channel yielding C3H5 + H. RRKM calculations with helium as the deactivator support the present and very recent experimental observations that allylic C-H bond rupture is an important path in the combination reaction. The pressure and temperature dependencies of the branching fractions are also predicted.

Thorn, R. Peyton, Jr.↗

Scale Closure in Upper Ocean Optical Properties: From Single Particles to Ocean Color

Predictions of chlorophyll concentration from satellite ocean color are an indicator of primary productivity, with implications for foodwebs, fisheries, and the global carbon cycle. Models describing the relationship between optical properties and chlorophyll do not account for much of the optical variability observed in natural waters, because of the presence of seawater constituents that do not covary with phytoplankton pigments. in order to understand variability in these models, the optical contributions of seawater constituents were investigated. A combination of Mie theory and flow cytometry was used to determine the diameter, complex refractive index, and optical cross-sections of individual particles. In New England continental shelf waters, eukaryotic phytoplankton were the main particle contributors to absorption and scaftering. Minerals were the main contributor to backscattering (bb) in the spring, whereas in the summer both minerals and detritus contributed to bb. Synechococcus and heterotrophic bacteria were relatively unimportant optically. Seasonal differences in the spectral shape of remote sensing reflectance, Rrs, were contributed to approximately equally by eukaryotic phytoplankton absorption, dissolved absorption, and non-phytoplankton bb. Differences between measurements of bb and Prs and modeled values based on chlorophyll concentration were caused by higher dissolved absorption and non-phytoplankton bb than were assumed by the model.

Green, Rebecca E.↗

Tunnel Correction for Compressible Subsonic Flow

This report presents a treatment of the effects of the tunnel walls on the flow velocity and direction in a compressible medium at subsonic speed by an approximate method. Calculations are given for the rotationally symmetric and two- dimensionl problems of the flow past bodies, as well for the downwash effect in the tunnel with circular cross section.

Baranoff, A. V.↗

Implementation and Comparison of Acoustic Travel-Time Measurement Procedures for the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager Time-Distance Helioseismology Pipeline

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite is designed to produce high-resolution Doppler velocity maps of oscillations at the solar surface with high temporal cadence. To take advantage of these high-quality oscillation data, a time-distance helioseismology pipeline has been implemented at the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC) at Stanford University. The aim of this pipeline is to generate maps of acoustic travel times from oscillations on the solar surface, and to infer subsurface 3D flow velocities and sound-speed perturbations. The wave travel times are measured from cross covariances of the observed solar oscillation signals. For implementation into the pipeline we have investigated three different travel-time definitions developed in time-distance helioseismology: a Gabor wavelet fitting (Kosovichev and Duvall, 1997), a minimization relative to a reference cross-covariance function (Gizon and Birch, 2002), and a linearized version of the minimization method (Gizon and Birch, 2004). Using Doppler velocity data from the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) instrument on board SOHO, we tested and compared these definitions for the mean and difference travel-time perturbations measured from reciprocal signals. Although all three procedures return similar travel times in a quiet Sun region, the method of Gizon and Birch (2004) gives travel times that are significantly different from the others in a magnetic (active) region. Thus, for the pipeline implementation we chose the procedures of Kosovichev and Duvall (1997) and Gizon and Birch (2002). We investigated the relationships among these three travel-time definitions, their sensitivities to fitting parameters, and estimated the random errors they produce

Couvidat, S.↗

Microfluidic device, and related methods

A method of making a microfluidic device is provided. The method features patterning a permeable wall on a substrate, and surrounding the permeable wall with a solid, non-permeable boundary structure to establish a microfluidic channel having a cross-sectional dimension less than 5,000 microns and a cross-sectional area at least partially filled with the permeable wall so that fluid flowing through the microfluidic channel at least partially passes through the permeable wall.

Wong, Eric W.↗

Residential Split Heat Pump Using Low GWP Refrigerants

Conventional refrigerants, e.g. R-410A have high global warming potentials (GWP) > 1800. They are being phased out to protect the environment. The candidates to replace R-410A include R-32, R-452B, R-454B and R-466A for heat pump applications. These candidates are intended for drop-in replacement, i.e. having minimum modifications on existing systems. The paper investigates the low GWP refrigerants drop-in application via system simulations using a well-regarded, hardware-based heat pump model. A baseline heat pump having all fin-and-tube heat exchangers and a two-speed compressor was used. Cross-comparisons were made under rated conditions of ambient temperatures, compressor speeds, indoor air flow rates, respectively for cooling and heating operations. The seasonal performance indices, i.e. SEER and HSPF are presented.

Shen, Bo↗

Layered hydroxides as anion insertion materials

Further described herein are extensions to the basic concept of LHs as electrode materials, include both new materials for use with LHs and higher order poly-layer hydroxides (PLHs) as well as methods for synthesizing improved LH material such as with conductive supports or through the use of cross-linking. Finally, also described herein are embodiments enabling the use of LHs as flow electrodes as well as the use of 2-d LH materials for surface redox reactions.

Young, Matthias J.↗

Wind tunnel mass spectrometer design study

The sampling probe to measure the free stream gas composition in a hypersonic wind tunnel is described. Using a free expansion of the continuum flow, a series of sampling inlet-pumping stages is evaluated. Mass analysis is carried out with a quadrupole mass spectrometer employing a crossed electron beam, molecular beam ion source, and an off-axis electron multiplier. The spatial distribution of the sampled molecular flux and the pumping requirements are evaluated for varying inlet conditions of gas density and flow velocity. The signal-to-noise ratio of the molecular beam formed by this series of coaxial inlets is also determined. The signal-to-noise ratio of the unscattered flux is sufficiently high that an unambiguous determination of the beam composition and of the free stream gas properties can be made. The magnitude of the detected signal is sufficiently high that measurement of trace constituents two orders of magnitude below the primary beam signal can be made.

Hueser, J. E.↗

Fuzzy Logic Particle Tracking

A new all-electronic Particle Image Velocimetry technique that can efficiently map high speed gas flows has been developed in-house at the NASA Lewis Research Center. Particle Image Velocimetry is an optical technique for measuring the instantaneous two component velocity field across a planar region of a seeded flow field. A pulsed laser light sheet is used to illuminate the seed particles entrained in the flow field at two instances in time. One or more charged coupled device (CCD) cameras can be used to record the instantaneous positions of particles. Using the time between light sheet pulses and determining either the individual particle displacements or the average displacement of particles over a small subregion of the recorded image enables the calculation of the fluid velocity. Fuzzy logic minimizes the required operator intervention in identifying particles and computing velocity. Using two cameras that have the same view of the illumination plane yields two single exposure image frames. Two competing techniques that yield unambiguous velocity vector direction information have been widely used for reducing the single-exposure, multiple image frame data: (1) cross-correlation and (2) particle tracking. Correlation techniques yield averaged velocity estimates over subregions of the flow, whereas particle tracking techniques give individual particle velocity estimates. For the correlation technique, the correlation peak corresponding to the average displacement of particles across the subregion must be identified. Noise on the images and particle dropout result in misidentification of the true correlation peak. The subsequent velocity vector maps contain spurious vectors where the displacement peaks have been improperly identified. Typically these spurious vectors are replaced by a weighted average of the neighboring vectors, thereby decreasing the independence of the measurements. In this work, fuzzy logic techniques are used to determine the true correlation displacement peak even when it is not the maximum peak, hence maximizing the information recovery from the correlation operation, maintaining the number of independent measurements, and minimizing the number of spurious velocity vectors. Correlation peaks are correctly identified in both high and low seed density cases. The correlation velocity vector map can then be used as a guide for the particle-tracking operation. Again fuzzy logic techniques are used, this time to identify the correct particle image pairings between exposures to determine particle displacements, and thus the velocity. Combining these two techniques makes use of the higher spatial resolution available from the particle tracking. Particle tracking alone may not be possible in the high seed density images typically required for achieving good results from the correlation technique. This two-staged velocimetric technique can measure particle velocities with high spatial resolution over a broad range of seeding densities.

Source record↗