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At least 1,783 records · Page 99

Definition of two-phase flow behaviors for spacecraft design

Two-phase flow, thermal management systems are currently being considered as an alternative to conventional, single phase systems for future space missions because of their potential to reduce overall system mass, size, and pumping power requirements. Knowledge of flow regime transitions, heat transfer characteristics, and pressure drop correlations is necessary to design and develop two-phase systems. A boiling and condensing experiment was built in which R-12 was used as the working fluid. A two-phase pump was used to circulate a freon mixture and allow separate measurements of the vapor and liquid flow streams. The experimental package was flown five times aboard the NASA KC-135 aircraft which simulates zero-g conditions by its parabolic flight trajectory. Test conditions included stratified and annual flow regimes in 1-g which became bubbly, slug, or annular flow regimes on 0-g. A portion of this work is the analysis of adiabatic flow regimes. The superficial velocities of liquid and vapor have been obtained from the measured flow rates and are presented along with the observed flow regimes.

Reinarts, Thomas R.↗

A viscous shock-layer analysis of 2-D and axisymmetric flows

Results are obtained for cylindrical leading edges of proposed transatmospheric vehicles by employing a 2D viscous shock-layer code for nonequilibrium and perfect gas flows. The accuracy and efficiency of the planar code is verified through detailed comparisons with other predictions. It is found to be as accurate and robust as its axisymmetric counterpart. This study includes results for nose radii ranging from 0.01 to 2.0 ft and half-angles of 5 and 6 deg for both cylindrically-blunted wedges and spherically blunted cones (included for comparison). Some results are presented as a ratio of the noncatalytic to the corresponding fully catalytic heating value to illustrate the maximum potential for a heating reduction in dissociated nonequilibrium flows. This ratio and the individual heating rates are smaller for cylindrically-blunted wedges with small nose radii, relative to the spherically-blunted cones (at the same radius). Therefore, a larger potential exists for heating reduction in cylindrically-blunted as compared with the spherically-blunted surfaces for finite-rate chemistry.

Gupta, Roop N.↗

Airfoil profiles for minimum pressure drag at supersonic velocities -- general analysis with application to linearized supersonic flow

A theoretical investigation is made of the airfoil profile for minimum pressure drag at zero lift in supersonic flow. In the first part of the report a general method is developed for calculating the profile having the least pressure drag for a given auxiliary condition, such as a given structural requirement or a given thickness ratio. The various structural requirements considered include bending strength, bending stiffness, torsional strength, and torsional stiffness. No assumption is made regarding the trailing-edge thickness; the optimum value is determined in the calculations as a function of the base pressure. To illustrate the general method, the optimum airfoil, defined as the airfoil having minimum pressure drag for a given auxiliary condition, is calculated in a second part of the report using the equations of linearized supersonic flow.

Chapman, Dean R↗

An analysis of laminar free-convection flow and heat transfer about a flat plate paralled to the direction of the generating body force

The free-convection flow and heat transfer (generated by a body force) about a flat plate parallel to the direction of the body force are formally analyzed and the type of flow is found to be dependent on the Grashof number alone. For large Grashof numbers (which are of interest in aeronautics), the flow is of the boundary-layer type and the problem is reduced in a formal manner, which is analogous to Prandtl's forced-flow boundary-layer theory, to the simultaneous solution of two ordinary differential equations subject to the proper boundary conditions. Velocity and temperature distributions for Prandtl numbers of 0.01, 0.72, 0.733, 1, 1, 10, 100, and 1000 are computed, and it is shown that velocities and Nusselt numbers of the order of magnitude of those encountered in forced-convection flows may be obtained in free-convection flows. The theoretical and experimental velocity and temperature distributions are in good agreement. A flow and a heat-transfer parameter, from which the important physical quantities such as shear stress and heat-transfer rate can be computed, are derived as functions of Prandtl number alone.

Ostrach, Simon↗

Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis of axisymmetric plume and base flow of film/dump cooled rocket nozzle

Film/dump cooling a rocket nozzle with fuel rich gas, as in the National Launch System (NLS) Space Transportation Main Engine (STME), adds potential complexities for integrating the engine with the vehicle. The chief concern is that once the film coolant is exhausted from the nozzle, conditions may exist during flight for the fuel-rich film gases to be recirculated to the vehicle base region. The result could be significantly higher base temperatures than would be expected from a regeneratively cooled nozzle. CFD analyses were conduced to augment classical scaling techniques for vehicle base environments. The FDNS code with finite rate chemistry was used to simulate a single, axisymmetric STME plume and the NLS base area. Parallel calculations were made of the Saturn V S-1 C/F1 plume base area flows. The objective was to characterize the plume/freestream shear layer for both vehicles as inputs for scaling the S-C/F1 flight data to NLS/STME conditions. The code was validated on high speed flows with relevant physics. This paper contains the calculations for the NLS/STME plume for the baseline nozzle and a modified nozzle. The modified nozzle was intended to reduce the fuel available for recirculation to the vehicle base region. Plumes for both nozzles were calculated at 10kFT and 50kFT.

Tucker, P. K.↗

High Reynolds number analysis of an axisymmetric afterbody with flow separation

The ability of a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes method, PAB3D, to predict nozzle afterbody flow at high Reynolds number was assessed. Predicted surface pressure coefficient distributions and integrated afterbody drag are compared with experimental data obtained from the NASA-Langley 0.3 m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel. Predicted afterbody surface pressures matched experimental data fairly closely. The change in the pressure coefficient distribution with Reynolds number was slightly over-predicted. Integrated afterbody drag was typically high compared to the experimental data. The change in afterbody pressure drag with Reynolds number was fairly small. The predicted point of flow separation on the nozzle was slightly downstream of that observed from oilflow data at low Reynolds numbers and had a very slight Reynolds number dependence, moving slightly further downstream as Reynolds number increased.

Carlson, John R.↗

Numerical Analysis of a Pulse Detonation Cross Flow Heat Load Experiment

A comparison between experimentally measured and numerically simulated, time-averaged, point heat transfer rates in a pulse detonation (PDE) engine is presented. The comparison includes measurements and calculations for heat transfer to a cylinder in crossflow and to the tube wall itself using a novel spool design. Measurements are obtained at several locations and under several operating conditions. The measured and computed results are shown to be in substantial agreement, thereby validating the modeling approach. The model, which is based in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is then used to interpret the results. A preheating of the incoming fuel charge is predicted, which results in increased volumetric flow and subsequent overfilling. The effect is validated with additional measurements.

Paxson, Daniel E.↗

Analysis of Turbine Blade Relative Cooling Flow Factor Used in the Subroutine Coolit Based on Film Cooling Correlations

Heat transfer correlations of data on flat plates are used to explore the parameters in the Coolit program used for calculating the quantity of cooling air for controlling turbine blade temperature. Correlations for both convection and film cooling are explored for their relevance to predicting blade temperature as a function of a total cooling flow which is split between external film and internal convection flows. Similar trends to those in Coolit are predicted as a function of the percent of the total cooling flow that is in the film. The exceptions are that no film or 100 percent convection is predicted to not be able to control blade temperature, while leaving less than 25 percent of the cooling flow in the convection path results in nearing a limit on convection cooling as predicted by a thermal effectiveness parameter not presently used in Coolit.

Air cooling↗

Reduced Order Modeling of SLS Liquid Hydrogen Pre-Valve Flow Guide to Enable Rapid Transient Analysis

NASA is developing a new launch vehicle, called the Space Launch System (SLS), which is intended on taking humans out of low earth orbit to destinations including the moon, asteroids, and Mars. The propulsion system for the core stage of this vehicle includes four RS-25 Liquid Hydrogen/Oxygen rocket engines. These engines are upgraded versions of the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME); the upgrades include higher power levels and affordability enhancements. As with any new vehicle, the Main Propulsion System (MPS), which include the feedlines and ancillary hardware connecting the engines to the fuel and oxidizer tanks, had to be redesigned (figure 1 - export clearance in progress), as the previous MPS for the SSME's was inherently part of the Space Shuttle System, which had a completely different overall configuration.

Brown, Andrew M.↗