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Hot-gas seal prevents warpage tendencies in large flange joints exposed to high temperatures, such as those present in large space vehicle engine exhausts. Two Inconel wire mesh cores are held in place by an asbestos cloth cover that acts as a spacer to form the seal.
A hot gas engine in which the expander piston of the engine is connected to an expander crankshaft. A displacer piston of the engine is connected to a separate displacer crankshaft which may or may not be coaxial with the expander crankshaft. A phase angle control mechanism used as a power control for changing the phase angle between the expander and displacer crankshaft is located between the two crankshafts. The phase angle control mechanism comprises a differential type mechanism comprised of a pair of gears, as for example, bevel gears, one of which is connected to one end of the expander crankshaft and the other of which is connected to the opposite end of the displacer crankshaft. A mating bevel gear is disposed in meshing engagement with the first two level gears to provide a phase angle control between the two crankshafts. Other forms of differential mechanisms may be used including conventional spur gears connected in a differential type arrangement.
The MSFC Hot Gas Facility (HGF) was fabricated in 1975 as a temporary facility to provide immediate turnaround testing to support the SRB and ET TPS development. This facility proved to be very useful and was used to make more than 1300 runs, far more than ever intended in the original design. Therefore, it was in need of constant repair and needed to be replaced with a new improved design to support the continuing SRB/ET TPS product improvement and/or removal efforts. MSFC contracted with Lockheed-Huntsville to work on this improved design through contract NAS8-36304 Feasibility Study and Verified Design Concept for the New Improved Hot Gas Facility. The results of Lockheed-Huntsville's efforts under this contract are summarized.
The current Space Shuttle Main Engine hot-gas manifold configuration contains three transfer ducts connecting the fuel bowl and the main injector torus. For the current study, a new hot-gas manifold was designed to improve on a previously tested two-duct concept. This was accomplished by eliminating separated flow regions, reducing local velocities, and providing as uniform a flowfield as possible. The two-duct hot-gas manifold tested in this study showed significant improvement over the existing three-duct design. The circumferential pressure gradient was reduced by 67 percent. The system total pressure loss from the discharge of the 180-degree turn to the transfer duct exit was 60 percent less than with the three duct hot gas manifold. Although only limited fluctuating pressure data were taken in the main injector, indications are that the environment there has been improved.
Hot gas properties measured using ultrasonic thin wire thermometer, discussing ultrasonic probes in shock tubes
Engine 0209, the certification engine for the new Phase 2+ Hot Gas Manifold (HGM), showed severe deterioration of the Main Combustion Chamber (MCC) liner during hot fire tests. One theory on the cause of the damage held that uneven local distribution of the fuel rich hot gas flow through the main injector assembly was producing regions of high oxidizer/fuel (O/F) ratio near the wall of the MCC liner. Airflow testing was proposed to measure the local hot gas flow rates through individual injector elements. The airflow tests were conducted using full scale, geometrically correct models of both the current Phase 2 and the new Phase 2+ HGMs. Different main injector flow shield configurations were tested for each HGM to ascertain their effect on the pressure levels and distribution of hot gas flow. Instrumentation located on the primary faceplate of the main injector measured hot gas flow through selected injector elements. These data were combined with information from the current space shuttle main engine (SSME) power balances to produce maps of pressure, hot gas flow rate, and O/F ratio near the main injector primary plate. The O/F distributions were compared for the different injector and HGM configurations.
Hot gas ingestion problems for Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft are typically approached with empirical methods and experience. In this study, the hot gas environment around a STOVL aircraft was modeled as multiple jets in crossflow with inlet suction. The flow field was calculated with a Navier-Stokes, Reynolds-averaged, turbulent, 3D computational fluid dynamics code using a multigrid technique. A simple model of a STOVL aircraft with four choked jets at 1000 K was studied at various heights, headwind speeds, and thrust splay angles in a modest parametric study. Scientific visualization of the computed flow field shows a pair of vortices in front of the inlet. This and other qualitative aspects of the flow field agree well with experimental data.
Hot gas ingestion problems for STOVL (Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing) aircraft are typically approached with empirical methods and experience. In this study, the hot gas environment around a STOVL aircraft was modeled as multiple jets in crossflow with inlet suction. The flow field was calculated with a Navier-Stokes, Reynolds-averaged, turbulent, 3D CFD code using a multigrid technique. A simple model of a STOVL aircraft with four choked jets at 1000 K was studied at various heights, headwind speeds, and thrust splay angles in a modest parametric study. Scientific visualization of the computed flow field shows a pair of vortices in front of the inlet. This and other qualitative aspects of the flow field agree well with experimental data.
A 9.2 percent scale short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) hot gas ingestion model was designed and built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation (MCAIR) and tested in the NASA Lewis Research Center 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel (LSWT). Hot gas ingestion, the entrainment of heated engine exhaust into the inlet flow field, is a key development issue for advanced short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft. The Phase 1 test program, conducted by NASA Lewis and McDonnell Douglas Corporation, evaluated the hot ingestion phenomena and control techniques and Phase 2 test program which was conducted by NASA Lewis are both reported. The Phase 2 program was conducted at exhaust nozzles temperatures up to 1460 R and utilized a sheet laser system for flow visualization of the model flow field in and out of ground effects. Hot gas ingestion levels were measured for the several forward nozzle splay configurations and with flow control/lift improvement devices which reduced the hot gas ingestion. The model support system had four degrees of freedom, heated high pressure air for nozzle flow, and a suction system exhaust for inlet flow. The headwind (freestream) velocity for Phase 1 was varied from 8 to 90 kn, with primary data taken in the 8 to 23 kn headwind velocity range. Phase 2 headwind velocity varied from 10 to 23 kn. Results of both Phase 1 and 2 are presented. A description of the model, facility, a new model support system, and a sheet laser illumination system are also provided. Results are presented over a range of main landing gear height (model height) above the ground plane at a 10 kn headwind velocity. The results contain the compressor face pressure and temperature distortions, total pressure recovery, compressor face temperature rise, and the environmental effects of the hot gas. The environmental effects include the ground plane temperature and pressure distributions, model airframe heating, and the location of the ground flow separation. Results from the sheet laser flow visualization test are also shown.
A 9.2 percent scale Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) hot gas ingestion model was designed and built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation (MCAIR) and tested in the Lewis Research Center 9 x 15 foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel (LSWT). Hot gas ingestion, the entrainment of heated engine exhaust into the inlet flow field, is a key development issure for advanced short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft. Flow visualization from the Phase 1 test program, which evaluated the hot ingestion phenomena and control techniques, is covered. The Phase 2 test program evaluated the hot gas ingestion phenomena at higher temperatures and used a laser sheet to investigate the flow field. Hot gas ingestion levels were measured for the several forward nozzle splay configurations and with flow control/life improvement devices (LIDs) which reduced the hot gas ingestion. The model support system had four degrees of freedom - pitch, roll, yaw, and vertical height variation. The model support system also provided heated high-pressure air for nozzle flow and a suction system exhaust for inlet flow. The test was conducted at full scale nozzle pressure ratios and inlet Mach numbers. Test and data analysis results from Phase 2 and flow visualization from both Phase 1 and 2 are documented. A description of the model and facility modifications is also provided. Headwind velocity was varied from 10 to 23 kn. Results are presented over a range of nozzle pressure ratios at a 10 kn headwind velocity. The Phase 2 program was conducted at exhaust nozzle temperatures up to 1460 R and utilized a sheet laser system for flow visualization of the model flow field in and out of ground effects. The results reported are for nozzle exhaust temperatures up to 1160 R. These results will contain the compressor face pressure and temperature distortions, the total pressure recovery, the inlet temperature rise, and the environmental effects of the hot gas. The environmental effects include the ground plane contours, the model airframe heating, and the location of the ground flow separation.
A 9.2 percent scale STOVL hot gas ingestion model was tested in the NASA Lewis 9 x 15-foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. Flow visualization from the Phase 1 test program, which evaluated the hot ingestion phenomena and control techniques, is covered. The Phase 2 test program evaluated the hot gas ingestion phenomena at higher temperatures and used a laser sheet to investigate the flow field. Hot gas ingestion levels were measured for the several forward nozzle splay configurations and with flow control/life improvement devices (LIDs) which reduced the hot gas ingestion. The test was conducted at full scale nozzle pressure ratios and inlet Mach numbers. Results are presented over a range of nozzle pressure ratios at a 10 kn headwind velocity. The Phase 2 program was conducted at exhaust nozzle temperatures up to 1460 R and utilized a sheet laser system for flow visualization of the model flow field in and out of ground effects. The results reported are for nozzle exhaust temperatures up to 1160 R and contain the compressor face pressure and temperature distortions, the total pressure recovery, the inlet temperature rise, and the environmental effects of the hot gas. The environmental effects include the ground plane contours, the model airframe heating, and the location of the ground flow separation.
Three-dimensional (3D) interstellar medium (ISM) maps can be used to locate not only interstellar (IS) clouds, but also IS bubbles between the clouds that are blown by stellar winds and supernovae, and are filled by hot gas. To demonstrate this, and to derive a clearer picture of the local ISM, we compare our recent 3D IS dust distribution maps to the ROSAT diffuse Xray background maps after removal of heliospheric emission. In the Galactic plane, there is a good correspondence between the locations and extents of the mapped nearby cavities and the soft (0.25 keV) background emission distribution, showing that most of these nearby cavities contribute to this soft X-ray emission. Assuming a constant dust to gas ratio and homogeneous 106 K hot gas filling the cavities, we modeled in a simple way the 0.25 keV surface brightness along the Galactic plane as seen from the Sun, taking into account the absorption by the mapped clouds. The data-model comparison favors the existence of hot gas in the solar neighborhood, the so-called Local Bubble (LB). The inferred mean pressure in the local cavities is found to be approx.9,400/cu cm K, in agreement with previous studies, providing a validation test for the method. On the other hand, the model overestimates the emission from the huge cavities located in the third quadrant. Using CaII absorption data, we show that the dust to CaII ratio is very small in those regions, implying the presence of a large quantity of lower temperature (non-X-ray emitting) ionized gas and as a consequence a reduction of the volume filled by hot gas, explaining at least part of the discrepancy. In the meridian plane, the two main brightness enhancements coincide well with the LB's most elongated parts and chimneys connecting the LB to the halo, but no particular nearby cavity is found towards the enhancement in the direction of the bright North Polar Spur (NPS) at high latitude. We searched in the 3D maps for the source regions of the higher energy (0.75 keV) enhancements in the fourth and first quadrants. Tunnels and cavities are found to coincide with the main bright areas, however no tunnel nor cavity is found to match the low-latitude b > or approx. 8deg, brightest part of the NPS. In addition, the comparison between the 3D maps and published spectral data favors a NPS central source region location beyond 230 pc, i.e. at larger distance than usually considered. Those examples illustrate the potential use of more detailed 3D distributions of the nearby ISM for the interpretation of the diffuse soft X-ray background.
Hot gas ingestion problems for jet VTOL fighter aircraft with fuselage-mounted J85-GE-13 TURBOJET engine
Temperature measurement of equilibrium, nonradiant hot gas streams
Sampling darts and launching apparatus built to collect particles in vertical plume of hot gas. In original application, hot gas plume is rocket-engine exhaust during test firing. Dart passes made at various heights, depending on launch angle and launch-gas pressure. Adaptable to variety of terrestrial uses like research on particulate emissions of volcanoes or determining origin of building fire while still burning.
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) offers an excellent laboratory to study the physical structure of the interstellar medium (ISM) because of its proximity, nearly face-on orientation, and small foreground and internal extinction. Optical and radio surveys of the LMC ISM have revealed interstellar structures of sizes ranging from a few parsecs to over 1000 parsecs. ROSAT X-ray mosaics of the LMC have detected abundant 10 (exp 6) K hot gas, some of which is bounded by large shell structures while the rest, does not appear to be associated with any visible interstellar structure. The X-ray observations have been analyzed to determine the physical conditions of the hot gas. The distribution of the hot gas can be compared to those of the cooler gas and massive stars, in order to determine the production mechanism of the hot gas. UV observations of interstellar absorption lines of high ions, such as C IV, N V, and O VI, can be used to study the interfaces between the 10 (exp 6) K gas and cooler ionized gas, and to provide constraints on the location of 10 (exp 6) K gas with respect to the cooler gas along the line of sight.
The baryon fraction of galaxy clusters, expressed as the ratio between the mass in baryons (including both stars and cold or hot gas) and the total mass, is a powerful tool to provide information on the cosmological parameters, while the hot-gas fraction provides indications on the physics of the intracluster plasma and its interplay with the processes that drive galaxy formation. Using cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of about 300 simulated massive galaxy clusters with a median mass M 500 ≈ 7 × 10 14 M ⊙ at z = 0, we model the relations between total mass and either baryon fraction or the hot gas fractions at overdensities Δ = 2500, 500, and 200 with respect to the cosmic critical density, and their evolution from z ∼ 0 to z ∼ 1.3. We utilized the simulated galaxy clusters from the Three Hundred project, which include star formation and feedback from both supernovae and active galactic nuclei. We fit the simulation results for such scaling relations against three analytic forms (linear, quadratic, and logarithmic in a logarithmic plane) and three forms for the redshift dependence, and we considered as a variable both the inverse of the cosmic scale factor, (1 + z), and the Hubble expansion rate, E(z). We show that power-law dependencies on cluster mass poorly describe the investigated relations. A power law fails to simultaneously capture the flattening of the total baryon and gas fractions at high masses, their drop at low masses, and the transition between these two regimes. The other two functional forms provide a more accurate description of the curvature in mass scaling. The fractions measured within smaller radii exhibit a stronger evolution than those measured within larger radii. From the analysis of these simulations, we evince that as long as we include systems in the mass range herein investigated, the baryon or gas fraction can be accurately related to the total mass through either a parabola or a logarithm in the logarithmic plane. The trends are common to all modern hydro simulations, although the amplitude of the drop at low masses might differ. Being able to observationally determine the gas fraction in groups will thus provide constraints on the baryonic physics.
The cooling rates of a hot gas by ion-grain collisions are shown to be significant at temperatures above 1 million K. The importance of this cooling mechanism in certain phases of supernova explosions is noted. High-temperature modifications of this cooling mechanism in astronomical sources are discussed. A cooling curve is plotted for collisionally ionized gas containing cosmic abundances of heavy elements and graphite grains.