Large-Eddy Simulation of Propeller Crashback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Praveen; Mahesh, Krishnan

2013-11-01

Crashback is an operating condition to quickly stop a propelled vehicle, where the propeller is rotated in the reverse direction to yield negative thrust. The crashback condition is dominated by the interaction of free stream flow with strong reverse flow. Crashback causes highly unsteady loads and flow separation on blade surface. This study uses Large-Eddy Simulation to predict the highly unsteady flow field in propeller crashback. Results are shown for a stand-alone open propeller, hull-attached open propeller and a ducted propeller. The simulations are compared to experiment, and used to discuss the essential physics behind the unsteady loads. This work is supported by the Office of Naval Research.

Analytical prediction of the unsteady lift on a rotor caused by downstream struts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, A. C., III; Ng, W. F.

1987-01-01

A two-dimensional, inviscid, incompressible procedure is presented for predicting the unsteady lift on turbomachinery blades caused by the upstream potential disturbance of downstream flow obstructions. Using the Douglas-Neumann singularity superposition potential flow computer program to model the downstream flow obstructions, classical equations of thin airfoil theory are then employed, to compute the unsteady lift on the upstream rotor blades. The method is applied to a particular geometry which consists of a rotor, a downstream stator, and downstream struts which support the engine casing. Very good agreement between the Douglas-Neumann program and experimental measurements was obtained for the downstream stator-strut flow field. The calculations for the unsteady lift due to the struts were in good agreement with the experiments in showing that the unsteady lift due to the struts decays exponentially with increased axial separation of the rotor and the struts. An application of the method showed that for a given axial spacing between the rotor and the strut, strut-induced unsteady lift is a very weak function of the axial or circumferential position of the stator.

A review of unsteady turbulent boundary-layer experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carr, L. W.

1981-01-01

The essential results of a comprehensive review of existing unsteady turbulent boundary-layer experiments are presented. Different types of unsteady flow facilities are described, and the related unsteady turbulent boundary-layer experiments are cataloged and discussed. The measurements that were obtained in the various experiments are described, and a complete list of experimental results is presented. All the experiments that measured instantaneous values of velocity, turbulence intensity, or turbulent shear stress are identified, and the availability of digital data is indicated. The results of the experiments are analyzed, and several significant trends are identified. An assessment of the available data is presented, delineating gaps in the existing data, and indicating where new or extended information is needed. Guidelines for future experiments are included. Previously announced in STAR as N81-29382

Forcing function modeling for flow induced vibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleeter, Sanford

1993-01-01

The fundamental forcing function unsteady aerodynamics for application to turbomachine blade row forced response are considered, accomplished through a series of experiments performed in a rotating annular cascade and a research axial flow turbine. In particular, the unsteady periodic flowfields downstream of rotating rows of perforated plates, airfoils and turbine blade rows are measured with a cross hot-wire and an unsteady total pressure probe. The unsteady velocity and static pressure fields were then analyzed harmonically and split into vortical and potential gusts, accomplished by developing a gust splitting analysis which includes both gust unsteady static pressure and velocity data. The perforated plate gusts closely were found to be linear theory vortical gusts, satisfying the vortical gust constraints. The airfoil and turbine blade row generated velocity perturbations did not satisfy the vortical gust constraints. However, the decomposition of the unsteady flow field separated the data into a propagating vortical component which satisfied these vortical gust constraints and a decaying potential component.

Intermittent Behavior of the Separated Boundary Layer along the Suction Surface of a Low Pressure Turbine Blade under Periodic Unsteady Flow Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oeztuerk, B; Schobeiri, M. T.; Ashpis, David E.

2005-01-01

The paper experimentally and theoretically studies the effects of periodic unsteady wake flow and aerodynamic characteristics on boundary layer development, separation and re-attachment along the suction surface of a low pressure turbine blade. The experiments were carried out at Reynolds number of 110,000 (based on suction surface length and exit velocity). For one steady and two different unsteady inlet flow conditions with the corresponding passing frequencies, intermittency behaviors were experimentally and theoretically investigated. The current investigation attempts to extend the intermittency unsteady boundary layer transition model developed in previously to the LPT cases, where separation occurs on the suction surface at a low Reynolds number. The results of the unsteady boundary layer measurements and the intermittency analysis were presented in the ensemble-averaged and contour plot forms. The analysis of the boundary layer experimental data with the flow separation, confirms the universal character of the relative intermittency function which is described by a Gausssian function.

The effect of unsteadiness on the time-mean thermal loads in a turbine stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirtley, K. R.; Celestina, M. L.; Adamczyk, J. J.

1993-01-01

Two steady numerical analysis methods and one unsteady method are used to study the viscous three-dimensional flow in the middle stage of the Pratt & Whitney alternate design Space Shuttle Main Engine fuel turbine. The principal characteristic of this flow is that the secondary flows generated in the rotor blade reconfigure a radial inlet total temperature distortion into one with a pitchwise exit hot streak distortion. Secondary flows in the following vane redistribute the radial variation while unsteadiness causes a segregation of hot and cold flow from the hot streak within the vane. Such redistribution and segregation can lead to unexpected thermal loads and reduced durability. The physical phenomena and the ability of a steady analysis to capture them are investigated by performing a numerical experiment whereby the results of the two steady analysis methods are compared to the time-mean of the unsteady simulation. The flow physics related to the segregation and mixing of total temperature are discussed.

Numerical Simulation of Complex Turbomachinery Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chernobrovkin, A. A.; Lakshiminarayana, B.

1999-01-01

An unsteady, multiblock, Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes solver based on Runge-Kutta scheme and Pseudo-time step for turbo-machinery applications was developed. The code was validated and assessed against analytical and experimental data. It was used to study a variety of physical mechanisms of unsteady, three-dimensional, turbulent, transitional, and cooling flows in compressors and turbines. Flow over a cylinder has been used to study effects of numerical aspects on accuracy of prediction of wake decay and transition, and to modify K-epsilon models. The following simulations have been performed: (a) Unsteady flow in a compressor cascade: Three low Reynolds number turbulence models have been assessed and data compared with Euler/boundary layer predictions. Major flow features associated with wake induced transition were predicted and studied; (b) Nozzle wake-rotor interaction in a turbine: Results compared to LDV data in design and off-design conditions, and cause and effect of unsteady flow in turbine rotors were analyzed; (c) Flow in the low-pressure turbine: Assessed capability of the code to predict transitional, attached and separated flows at a wide range of low Reynolds numbers and inlet freestream turbulence intensity. Several turbulence and transition models have been employed and comparisons made to experiments; (d) leading edge film cooling at compound angle: Comparisons were made with experiments, and the flow physics of the associated vortical structures were studied; and (e) Tip leakage flow in a turbine. The physics of the secondary flow in a rotor was studied and sources of loss identified.

Periodic unsteady effects on turbulent boundary layer transport and heat transfer: An experimental investigation in a cylinder-wall junction flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Qi

Heat transfer in a turbulent boundary layer downstream of junction with a cylinder has many engineering applications including controlling heat transfer to the endwall in gas turbine passages and cooling of protruding electronic chips. The main objective of this research is to study the fundamental process of heat transport and wall heat transfer in a turbulent three-dimensional flow superimposed with local large-scale periodic unsteadiness generated by vortex shedding from the cylinder. Direct measurements of the Reynolds heat fluxes (/line{utheta},\\ /line{vtheta}\\ and\\ /line{wtheta}) and time-resolved wall heat transfer rate will provide insight into unsteady flow behavior and data for advanced turbulence models for numerical simulation of complex engineering flows. Experiments were conducted in an open-circuit, low-speed wind tunnel. Reynolds stresses and heat fluxes were obtained from turbulent heat-flux probes which consisted of two hot wires, arranged in an X-wire configuration, and a cold wire located in front of the X-wire. Thin-film surface heat flux sensors were designed for measuring time-resolved wall heat flux. A reference probe and conditional-sampling technique connected the flow field dynamics to wall heat transfer. An event detecting and ensemble-averaging method was developed to separate effects of unsteadiness from those of background turbulence. Results indicate that unsteadiness affects both heat transport and wall heat transfer. The flow behind the cylinder can be characterized by three regions: (1) Wake region, where unsteadiness is observed to have modest effect; (2) Unsteady region, where the strongest unsteadiness effect is found; (3) Outer region, where the flow approaches the two-dimensional boundary-layer behavior. Vortex shedding from both sides of the cylinder contributes to mixing enhancement in the wake region. Unsteadiness contributes up to 51% of vertical and 59% of spanwise turbulent heat fluxes in the unsteady region. The instantaneous wall Stanton number increased up to 100% compared with an undisturbed flow. Large-scale fluctuations of wall Stanton number were due to the periodic thinning and thickening of the thermal layer caused by periodic vertical velocity fluctuations. This suggests that the outerlayer motion affects near-wall flow behavior and wall heat transfer.

Unsteady Newton-Busemann flow theory. Part 2: Bodies of revolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hui, W. H.; Tobak, M.

1981-01-01

Newtonian flow theory for unsteady flow past oscillating bodies of revolution at very high Mach numbers is completed by adding a centrifugal force correction to the impact pressures. Exact formulas for the unsteady pressure and the stability derivatives are obtained in closed form and are applicable to bodies of revolution that have arbitrary shapes, arbitrary thicknesses, and either sharp or blunt noses. The centrifugal force correction arising from the curved trajectories followed by the fluid particles in unsteady flow cannot be neglected even for the case of a circular cone. With this correction, the present theory is in excellent agreement with experimental results for sharp cones and for cones with small nose bluntness; gives poor agreement with the results of experiments in air for bodies with moderate or large nose bluntness. The pitching motions of slender power-law bodies of revulution are shown to be always dynamically stable according to Newton-Busemann theory.

Unsteady spot heating of a drop in a microgravity environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sadhal, Satwindar Singh; Trinh, Eugene H.; Wagner, Paul

1992-01-01

The unsteady localized spot heating of a liquid drop under zero-g conditions is examined theoretically. This pertains to space experiments to measure thermal properties of materials and the purpose here is to predict the thermal behavior of such systems. Spot heating can be achieved by a laser beam focused on a small region of the drop surface. The present theoretical model deals with situations of weak Marangoni flows, whereby the thermal transport is conduction dominated. The heat flow in the drop is treated as unsteady while the surrounding gaseous region is considered to be quasisteady. The ensuing thermally driven flow is analyzed in the Stokes regime.

Simulation of Local Blood Flow in Human Brain under Altered Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Chang Sung; Kiris, Cetin; Kwak, Dochan

2003-01-01

In addition to the altered gravitational forces, specific shapes and connections of arteries in the brain vary in the human population (Cebral et al., 2000; Ferrandez et al., 2002). Considering the geometric variations, pulsatile unsteadiness, and moving walls, computational approach in analyzing altered blood circulation will offer an economical alternative to experiments. This paper presents a computational approach for modeling the local blood flow through the human brain under altered gravity. This computational approach has been verified through steady and unsteady experimental measurements and then applied to the unsteady blood flows through a carotid bifurcation model and an idealized Circle of Willis (COW) configuration under altered gravity conditions.

Three-Dimensional Unsteady Simulation of a Modern High Pressure Turbine Stage Using Phase Lag Periodicity: Analysis of Flow and Heat Transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shyam, Vikram; Ameri, Ali; Luk, Daniel F.; Chen, Jen-Ping

2010-01-01

Unsteady three-dimensional RANS simulations have been performed on a highly loaded transonic turbine stage and results are compared to steady calculations as well as experiment. A low Reynolds number k- turbulence model is employed to provide closure for the RANS system. A phase-lag boundary condition is used in the periodic direction. This allows the unsteady simulation to be performed by using only one blade from each of the two rows. The objective of this paper is to study the effect of unsteadiness on rotor heat transfer and to glean any insight into unsteady flow physics. The role of the stator wake passing on the pressure distribution at the leading edge is also studied. The simulated heat transfer and pressure results agreed favorably with experiment. The time-averaged heat transfer predicted by the unsteady simulation is higher than the heat transfer predicted by the steady simulation everywhere except at the leading edge. The shock structure formed due to stator-rotor interaction was analyzed. Heat transfer and pressure at the hub and casing were also studied. Thermal segregation was observed that leads to the heat transfer patterns predicted by steady and unsteady simulations to be different.

Performance Characteristics of a Cross-Flow Hydrokinetic Turbine under Unsteady Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flack, Karen; Lust, Ethan; Bailin, Ben

2017-11-01

Performance characteristics are presented for a cross-flow hydrokinetic turbine designed for use in a riverine environment. The test turbine is a 1:6 scale model of a three-bladed device (9.5 m span, 6.5 m diameter) that has been proposed by the Department of Energy. Experiments are conducted in the large towing tank (116 m long, 7.9 m wide, 5 m deep) at the United States Naval Academy. The turbine is towed beneath a moving carriage at a constant speed in combination with a shaft motor to achieve the desired tip speed ratio (TSR) range. The measured quantities of turbine thrust, torque and RPM result in power and thrust coefficients for a range of TSR. Results will be presented for cases with quiescent flow at a range of Reynolds numbers and flow with mild surface waves, representative of riverine environments. The impact of unsteady flow conditions on the average turbine performance was not significant. Unsteady flow conditions did have an impact on instantaneous turbine performance which operationally would result in unsteady blade loading and instantaneous power quality.

Viscous flow calculations for the AGARD standard configuration airfoils with experimental comparisons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howlett, James T.

1989-01-01

Recent experience in calculating unsteady transonic flow by means of viscous-inviscid interactions with the XTRAN2L computer code is examined. The boundary layer method for attached flows is based upon the work of Rizzetta. The nonisentropic corrections of Fuglsang and Williams are also incorporated along with the viscous interaction for some cases and initial results are presented. For unsteady flows, the inverse boundary layer equations developed by Vatsa and Carter are used in a quasi-steady manner and preliminary results are presented.

Stability analysis for capillary channel flow: 1d and 3d computations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grah, Aleksander; Klatte, Jörg; Dreyer, Michael E.

The subject of the presentation are numerical studies on capillary channel flow, based on results of the sounding rocket TEXUS experiments. The flow through a capillary channel is established by a gear pump at the outlet. The channel, consists of two parallel glass plates with a width of 25 mm, a gap of 10 mm and a length of 12 mm. The meniscus of a compensation tube maintains a constant system pressure. Steady and dynamic pressure effects in the system force the surfaces to bend inwards. A maximum flow rate is achieved when the free surface collapses and gas ingestion occurs at the outlet. This critical flow rate depends on the channel geometry, the flow regime and the liquid properties. The aim of the experiments is the determination of the free surface shape and to find the maximum flow rate. In order to study the unsteady liquid loop behavior, a dimensionless one-dimensional model and a corresponding three-dimensional model were developed. The one-dimensional model is based on the unsteady Bernoulli equation, the unsteady continuity equation and geometrical conditions for the surface curvature and the flow cross-section. The experimental and evaluated contour data show good agreement for a sequence of transient flow rate perturbations. In the case of steady flow at maximum flow rate, when the "choking" effect occurs, the surfaces collapse and cause gas ingestion into the channel. This effect is related to the Speed Index. At the critical flow rate the Speed Index reaches the value 1, in analogy to the Mach Number. Unsteady choking does not necessarily cause surface collapse. We show, that temporarily Speed Index values exceeding One may be achieved for a perfectly stable supercritical dynamic flow. As a supercritical criterion for the dynamic free surface stability we define a Dynamic Index considering the local capillary pressure and the convective pressure, which is a function of the local velocity. The Dynamic Index is below One for stable flow while D = 1 indicates surface collapse. This studies lead to a stability diagram, which defines the limits of flow dynamics and the maximum unsteady flow rate.

Blood Flow in Stenotic Carotid Bifurcation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rayz, Vitaliy L.; Williamson, Shobha Devi; Berger, Stanley A.; Saloner, David

2004-11-01

Mechanical forces induced by blood flow on an arterial wall play an important role in the development and growth of atherosclerotic plaque. To assess vulnerability of a plaque it is important to model the flow in a realistic, patient-specific geometry. Three-dimensional models of stenotic carotid bifurcations were obtained from MR images and grids were generated for the flow domains. The unsteady, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations were solved numerically using physiological boundary conditions. The results obtained by computations were compared with in-vivo ultrasound measurements and flow visualization experiments carried out for the same geometry. The simulations show a high velocity jet forming at the stenotic throat and a strong recirculation zone downstream of the stenosis. The jet grows rapidly during the systolic part of the pulse. During diastole the flow is more stagnant. The flow is highly three-dimensional and unsteady which is clearly demonstrated by the flow streamlines. These unsteady flows cause rapid temporal and spatial changes of the forces acting on the atherosclerotic plaque, which has important effects on its growth and stability.

Critical capillary channel flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grah, Aleksander; Klatte, Jörg; Dreyer, Michael E.

The main subject are numerical studies on capillary channel flow, based on results of the sounding rocket experiments TEXUS 41/42. The flow through a capillary channel is established by a gear pump at the outlet. The channel, consists of two parallel glass plates with a width of 25 mm, a gap of 10 mm and a length of 12 mm. The meniscus of a compensation tube maintains a constant system pressure. Steady and dynamic pressure effects in the system force the surfaces to bend inwards. A maximum flow rate is achieved when the free surface collapses and gas ingestion occurs at the outlet. This critical flow rate depends on the channel geometry, the flow regime and the liquid properties. The aim of the experiments is the determination of the free surface shape and to find the maximum flow rate. In order to study the unsteady liquid loop behaviour, a dimensionless transient model was developed. It is based on the unsteady Bernoulli equation, the unsteady continuity equation and geometrical conditions for the surface curvature and the flow cross-section. The pressure is related to the curvature of the free liquid surface by the dimensionless Gauss-Laplace equation with two principal radii. The experimental and evaluated contour data shows good agreement for a sequence of transient flow rate perturbations. The surface oscillation frequencies and amplitudes can be predicted with quite high accuracy. The dynamic of the pump is defined by the increase of the flow rate in a time period. To study the unsteady system behavior in the "worst case", we use a perturbations related to the natural frequency of the oscillating liquid. In the case of steady flow at maximum flow rate, when the "choking" effect occurs, the surfaces collapse and cause gas ingestion into the channel. This effect is related to the Speed Index. At the critical flow rate the Speed Index reaches the value Sca = 1, in analogy to the Mach Number. Unsteady choking does not necessarily cause surface collapse. We show, that temporarily Speed Index values exceeding One may be achieved for a perfectly stable supercritical dynamic flow. As a supercritical criterion for the dynamic free surface stability we define a Dynamic Index D considering the local capillary pressure and the convective pressure, which is a function of the local velocity. The Dynamic Index is below One for stable flow while D = 1 indicates surface collapse. This studies result in a stability diagram, which defines the limits of flow dynamics and the maximum unsteady flow rate. It may serve as a road map for open capillary channel flow control.

Stability limits of unsteady open capillary channel flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grah, Aleksander; Haake, Dennis; Rosendahl, Uwe; Klatte, J.?Rg; Dreyer, Michael E.

This paper is concerned with steady and unsteady flow rate limitations in open capillary channels under low-gravity conditions. Capillary channels are widely used in Space technology for liquid transportation and positioning, e.g. in fuel tanks and life support systems. The channel observed in this work consists of two parallel plates bounded by free liquid surfaces along the open sides. The capillary forces of the free surfaces prevent leaking of the liquid and gas ingestion into the flow.In the case of steady stable flow the capillary pressure balances the differential pressure between the liquid and the surrounding constant-pressure gas phase. Increasing the flow rate in small steps causes a decrease of the liquid pressure. A maximum steady flow rate is achieved when the flow rate exceeds a certain limit leading to a collapse of the free surfaces due to the choking effect. In the case of unsteady flow additional dynamic effects take place due to flow rate transition and liquid acceleration. The maximum flow rate is smaller than in the case of steady flow. On the other hand, the choking effect does not necessarily cause surface collapse and stable temporarily choked flow is possible under certain circumstances.To determine the limiting volumetric flow rate and stable flow dynamic properties, a new stability theory for both steady and unsteady flow is introduced. Subcritical and supercritical (choked) flow regimes are defined. Stability criteria are formulated for each flow type. The steady (subcritical) criterion corresponds to the speed index defined by the limiting longitudinal small-amplitude wave speed, similar to the Mach number. The unsteady (supercritical) criterion for choked flow is defined by a new characteristic number, the dynamic index. It is based on pressure balances and reaches unity at the stability limit.The unsteady model based on the Bernoulli equation and the mass balance equation is solved numerically for perfectly wetting incompressible liquids. The unsteady model and the stability theory are verified by comparison to results of a sounding rocket experiment (TEXUS 41) on capillary channel flows launched in December 2005 from ESRANGE in north Sweden. For a clear overview of subcritical, supercritical, and unstable flow, parametric studies and stability diagrams are shown and compared to experimental observations.

Unsteady boundary layer development on a wind turbine blade: an experimental study of a surrogate problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cadel, Daniel R.; Zhang, Di; Lowe, K. Todd; Paterson, Eric G.

2018-04-01

Wind turbines with thick blade profiles experience turbulent, periodic approach flow, leading to unsteady blade loading and large torque fluctuations on the turbine drive shaft. Presented here is an experimental study of a surrogate problem representing some key aspects of the wind turbine unsteady fluid mechanics. This experiment has been designed through joint consideration by experiment and computation, with the ultimate goal of numerical model development for aerodynamics in unsteady and turbulent flows. A cylinder at diameter Reynolds number of 65,000 and Strouhal number of 0.184 is placed 10.67 diameters upstream of a NACA 63215b airfoil with chord Reynolds number of 170,000 and chord-reduced frequency of k=2π fc/2/V=1.5. Extensive flow field measurements using particle image velocimetry provide a number of insights about this flow, as well as data for model validation and development. Velocity contours on the airfoil suction side in the presence of the upstream cylinder indicate a redistribution of turbulent normal stresses from transverse to streamwise, consistent with rapid distortion theory predictions. A study of the boundary layer over the suction side of the airfoil reveals very low Reynolds number turbulent mean streamwise velocity profiles. The dominance of the high amplitude large eddy passages results in a phase lag in streamwise velocity as a function of distance from the wall. The results and accompanying description provide a new test case incorporating moderate-reduced frequency inflow for computational model validation and development.

Calculation of viscous effects on transonic flow for oscillating airfoils and comparisons with experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howlett, James T.; Bland, Samuel R.

1987-01-01

A method is described for calculating unsteady transonic flow with viscous interaction by coupling a steady integral boundary-layer code with an unsteady, transonic, inviscid small-disturbance computer code in a quasi-steady fashion. Explicit coupling of the equations together with viscous -inviscid iterations at each time step yield converged solutions with computer times about double those required to obtain inviscid solutions. The accuracy and range of applicability of the method are investigated by applying it to four AGARD standard airfoils. The first-harmonic components of both the unsteady pressure distributions and the lift and moment coefficients have been calculated. Comparisons with inviscid calcualtions and experimental data are presented. The results demonstrate that accurate solutions for transonic flows with viscous effects can be obtained for flows involving moderate-strength shock waves.

Study of Convective Flow Effects in Endwall Casing Treatments in Transonic Compressor Rotors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hah, Chunill; Mueller, Martin W.; Schiffer, Heinz-Peter

2012-01-01

The unsteady convective flow effects in a transonic compressor rotor with a circumferential-groove casing treatment are investigated in this paper. Experimental results show that the circumferential-groove casing treatment increases the compressor stall margin by almost 50% for the current transonic compressor rotor. Steady flow simulation of the current casing treatment, however, yields only a 15% gain in stall margin. The flow field at near-stall operation is highly unsteady due to several self-induced flow phenomena. These include shock oscillation, vortex shedding at the trailing edge, and interaction between the passage shock and the tip clearance vortex. The primary focus of the current investigation is to assess the effects of flow unsteadiness and unsteady flow convection on the circumferential-groove casing treatment. Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) techniques were applied in addition to steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) to simulate the flow field at near-stall operation and to determine changes in stall margin. The current investigation reveals that unsteady flow effects are as important as steady flow effects on the performance of the circumferential grooves casing treatment in extending the stall margin of the current transonic compressor rotor. The primary unsteady flow mechanism is unsteady flow injection from the grooves into the main flow near the casing. Flows moving into and out of the grooves are caused due to local pressure difference near the grooves. As the pressure field becomes transient due to self-induced flow oscillation, flow injection from the grooves also becomes unsteady. The unsteady flow simulation shows that this unsteady flow injection from the grooves is substantial and contributes significantly to extending the compressor stall margin. Unsteady flows into and out of the grooves have as large a role as steady flows in the circumferential grooves. While the circumferential-groove casing treatment seems to be a steady flow device, unsteady flow effects should be included to accurately assess its performance as the flow is transient at near-stall operation.

Rotor cascade shape optimization with unsteady passing wakes using implicit dual time stepping method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Eun Seok

2000-10-01

An improved aerodynamics performance of a turbine cascade shape can be achieved by an understanding of the flow-field associated with the stator-rotor interaction. In this research, an axial gas turbine airfoil cascade shape is optimized for improved aerodynamic performance by using an unsteady Navier-Stokes solver and a parallel genetic algorithm. The objective of the research is twofold: (1) to develop a computational fluid dynamics code having faster convergence rate and unsteady flow simulation capabilities, and (2) to optimize a turbine airfoil cascade shape with unsteady passing wakes for improved aerodynamic performance. The computer code solves the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations. It is based on the explicit, finite difference, Runge-Kutta time marching scheme and the Diagonalized Alternating Direction Implicit (DADI) scheme, with the Baldwin-Lomax algebraic and k-epsilon turbulence modeling. Improvements in the code focused on the cascade shape design capability, convergence acceleration and unsteady formulation. First, the inverse shape design method was implemented in the code to provide the design capability, where a surface transpiration concept was employed as an inverse technique to modify the geometry satisfying the user specified pressure distribution on the airfoil surface. Second, an approximation storage multigrid method was implemented as an acceleration technique. Third, the preconditioning method was adopted to speed up the convergence rate in solving the low Mach number flows. Finally, the implicit dual time stepping method was incorporated in order to simulate the unsteady flow-fields. For the unsteady code validation, the Stokes's 2nd problem and the Poiseuille flow were chosen and compared with the computed results and analytic solutions. To test the code's ability to capture the natural unsteady flow phenomena, vortex shedding past a cylinder and the shock oscillation over a bicircular airfoil were simulated and compared with experiments and other research results. The rotor cascade shape optimization with unsteady passing wakes was performed to obtain an improved aerodynamic performance using the unsteady Navier-Stokes solver. Two objective functions were defined as minimization of total pressure loss and maximization of lift, while the mass flow rate was fixed. A parallel genetic algorithm was used as an optimizer and the penalty method was introduced. Each individual's objective function was computed simultaneously by using a 32 processor distributed memory computer. One optimization took about four days.

Onset of turbulence in accelerated high-Reynolds-number flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ye; Robey, Harry F.; Buckingham, Alfred C.

2003-05-01

A new criterion, flow drive time, is identified here as a necessary condition for transition to turbulence in accelerated, unsteady flows. Compressible, high-Reynolds-number flows initiated, for example, in shock tubes, supersonic wind tunnels with practical limitations on dimensions or reservoir capacity, and high energy density pulsed laser target vaporization experimental facilities may not provide flow duration adequate for turbulence development. In addition, for critical periods of the overall flow development, the driving background flow is often unsteady in the experiments as well as in the physical flow situations they are designed to mimic. In these situations transition to fully developed turbulence may not be realized despite achievement of flow Reynolds numbers associated with or exceeding stationary flow transitional criteria. Basically our transitional criterion and prediction procedure extends to accelerated, unsteady background flow situations the remarkably universal mixing transition criterion proposed by Dimotakis [P. E. Dimotakis, J. Fluid Mech. 409, 69 (2000)] for stationary flows. This provides a basis for the requisite space and time scaling. The emphasis here is placed on variable density flow instabilities initiated by constant acceleration Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) or impulsive (shock) acceleration Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) or combinations of both. The significant influences of compressibility on these developing transitional flows are discussed with their implications on the procedural model development. A fresh perspective for predictive modeling and design of experiments for the instability growth and turbulent mixing transitional interval is provided using an analogy between the well-established buoyancy-drag model with applications of a hierarchy of single point turbulent transport closure models. Experimental comparisons with the procedural results are presented where use is made of three distinctly different types of acceleration driven instability experiments: (1) classical, relatively low speed, constant acceleration RTI experiments; (2) shock tube, shockwave driven RMI flow mixing experiments; (3) laser target vaporization RTI and RMI mixing experiments driven at very high energy density. These last named experiments are of special interest as they provide scaleable flow conditions simulating those of astrophysical magnitude such as shock-driven hydrodynamic mixing in supernova evolution research.

Unsteady Aerodynamic Models for Turbomachinery Aeroelastic and Aeroacoustic Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verdon, Joseph M.; Barnett, Mark; Ayer, Timothy C.

1995-01-01

Theoretical analyses and computer codes are being developed for predicting compressible unsteady inviscid and viscous flows through blade rows of axial-flow turbomachines. Such analyses are needed to determine the impact of unsteady flow phenomena on the structural durability and noise generation characteristics of the blading. The emphasis has been placed on developing analyses based on asymptotic representations of unsteady flow phenomena. Thus, high Reynolds number flows driven by small amplitude unsteady excitations have been considered. The resulting analyses should apply in many practical situations and lead to a better understanding of the relevant flow physics. In addition, they will be efficient computationally, and therefore, appropriate for use in aeroelastic and aeroacoustic design studies. Under the present effort, inviscid interaction and linearized inviscid unsteady flow models have been formulated, and inviscid and viscid prediction capabilities for subsonic steady and unsteady cascade flows have been developed. In this report, we describe the linearized inviscid unsteady analysis, LINFLO, the steady inviscid/viscid interaction analysis, SFLOW-IVI, and the unsteady viscous layer analysis, UNSVIS. These analyses are demonstrated via application to unsteady flows through compressor and turbine cascades that are excited by prescribed vortical and acoustic excitations and by prescribed blade vibrations. Recommendations are also given for the future research needed for extending and improving the foregoing asymptotic analyses, and to meet the goal of providing efficient inviscid/viscid interaction capabilities for subsonic and transonic unsteady cascade flows.

A compilation of unsteady turbulent boundary-layer experimental data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carr, L. W.

1981-01-01

An extensive literature search was conducted and those experiments related to unsteady boundary layer behavior were cataloged. In addition, an international survey of industrial, university, and governmental research laboratories was made in which new and ongoing experimental programs associated with unsteady turbulent boundary layer research were identified. Pertinent references were reviewed and classified based on the technical emphasis of the various experiments. Experiments that include instantaneous or ensemble averaged profiles of boundary layer variables are stressed. The experimental apparatus and flow conditions are described and summaries of acquired data and significant conclusions are summarized. Measurements obtained from the experiments which exist in digital form were stored on magnetic tape. Instructions are given for accessing these data sets for further analysis.

An Experimental Investigation of Flow past a Wing at high Angles of Attack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalela, Vipul; Mukherjee, Rinku

2017-11-01

The aerodynamic characteristics for post-stall angles of attack past a single and/or multiple 3D wing(s) have been studied using a novel `decambering technique' assuming the flow to be steady. It is expected that the location of separation as well as the strength of the separated flow is unsteady. The objective of this work therefore is to investigate flow at high angles of attack considering unsteady behavior. The numerical technique used for this purpose that accounts for loss in camber due to flow separation is termed as `decambering'. Two linear functions are used to define the `decambering' for the steady case, located at the leading edge and anywhere between 50%-80% chord. Wind tunnel experiments are to be conducted to study the unsteady nature of separated flow using flow visualization techniques. An estimation of the unsteady wake will be of paramount importance. It is expected to get an experimental corroboration for the numerical decambering. A NACA 4415 wing section is being tested for a range of Reynolds numbers. It is observed from the preliminary results that the drag becomes more dominant after increasing the Reynolds number from Re = 0.093 ×106 to Re = 0.128 ×106 resulting a gentle decrease in the lift coefficient, Cl.

A linearized Euler analysis of unsteady flows in turbomachinery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Kenneth C.; Crawley, Edward F.

1987-01-01

A method for calculating unsteady flows in cascades is presented. The model, which is based on the linearized unsteady Euler equations, accounts for blade loading shock motion, wake motion, and blade geometry. The mean flow through the cascade is determined by solving the full nonlinear Euler equations. Assuming the unsteadiness in the flow is small, then the Euler equations are linearized about the mean flow to obtain a set of linear variable coefficient equations which describe the small amplitude, harmonic motion of the flow. These equations are discretized on a computational grid via a finite volume operator and solved directly subject to an appropriate set of linearized boundary conditions. The steady flow, which is calculated prior to the unsteady flow, is found via a Newton iteration procedure. An important feature of the analysis is the use of shock fitting to model steady and unsteady shocks. Use of the Euler equations with the unsteady Rankine-Hugoniot shock jump conditions correctly models the generation of steady and unsteady entropy and vorticity at shocks. In particular, the low frequency shock displacement is correctly predicted. Results of this method are presented for a variety of test cases. Predicted unsteady transonic flows in channels are compared to full nonlinear Euler solutions obtained using time-accurate, time-marching methods. The agreement between the two methods is excellent for small to moderate levels of flow unsteadiness. The method is also used to predict unsteady flows in cascades due to blade motion (flutter problem) and incoming disturbances (gust response problem).

Study of unsteady flow field over a forward-looking endoatmospheric hit-to-kill interceptor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, H. Q.; Antonison, Mark

1993-01-01

Forward-looking recessed aperture interceptor has significant aero-optical and aero-thermal advantages. Previous experimental studies have shown that the flow field in front of a forward-looking cavity is unsteady and the bow shock oscillates at the cavity fundamental resonant frequency. In this study, an advanced CFD code is applied to study the above unsteady phenomena. The code is first validated against the experiments and good comparisons are found. The numerical parametric study shows that the existence of oscillatory bow shock is very sensitive to the cavity geometry. At a FOV of 60 deg, the initial transient quickly dampens out to a steady state. With a decrease of FOV, an unsteady oscillatory flow field is sustained after initial transient and the amplitude of oscillation is a function of FOV. For FOV of 20 deg, the amplitude of pressure oscillation is 25 percent of the mean value in the cavity. For a FOV of 10 deg, it can be as high as 50 percent.

Computer modeling of the stalled flow of a rotating cylinder and the reverse magnus effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belotserkovskii, S. M.; Kotovskii, V. N.; Nisht, M. I.; Fedorov, R. M.

1985-02-01

Unsteady stalled flow around a rotating cylinder is investigated in a numerical experiment. Attention is mostly given to the reverse Magnus effect which was discovered in tube experiments at some critical rotational speed of the cylinder.

Self-sustained radial oscillating flows between parallel disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochizuki, S.; Yang, W.-J.

1985-05-01

It is pointed out that radial flow between parallel circular disks is of interest in a number of physical systems such as hydrostatic air bearings, radial diffusers, and VTOL aircraft with centrally located downward-positioned jets. The present investigation is concerned with the problem of instability in radial flow between parallel disks. A time-dependent numerical study and experiments are conducted. Both approaches reveal the nucleation, growth, migration, and decay of annular separation bubbles (i.e. vortex or recirculation zones) in the laminar-flow region. A finite-difference technique is utilized to solve the full unsteady vorticity transport equation in the theoretical procedure, while the flow patterns in the experiments are visualized with the aid of dye-injection, hydrogen-bubble, and paraffin-mist methods. It is found that the separation and reattachment of shear layers in the radial flow through parallel disks are unsteady phenomena. The sequence of nucleation, growth, migration, and decay of the vortices is self-sustained.

Experimental study on unsteady open channel flow and bedload transport based on a physical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, W.

2015-12-01

Flow in a nature river are usually unsteady, while nearly all the theories about bedload transport are on the basis of steady, uniform flow, and also with supposed equilibrium state of sediment transport. This is may be one of the main reasons why the bedload transport formulas are notoriously poor accuracy to predict the bedload. The aim of this research is to shed light on the effect of unsteadiness on the bedload transport based on experimental studies. The novel of this study is that the experiments were not carried out in a conventional flume but in a physical model, which are more similar to the actual river. On the other hand, in our experiments, multiple consecutive flood wave were reproduced in the physical model, and all the flow and sediment parameters are based on a large number of data obtained from many of identical flood waves. This method allow us to get more data for one flood, efficiently avoids the uncertainty of bedload rate only for one single flood wave, due to the stochastic fluctuation of the bedload transport. Three different flood waves were selected in the experiments. During each run of experiment, the water level of five different positions along the model were measured by ultrasonic water level gauge, flow velocity at the middle of the channel were measured by two dimensional electromagnetic current meter. Moreover, the bedload transport rate was measured by a unique automatic trap collecting and weighing system at the end of the physical model. The results shows that the celerity of flood wave propagate varies for different flow conditions. The velocity distribution was approximately accord with log-law profile during the entire rising and falling limb of flood. The bedload transport rate show intensity fluctuation in all the experiments, moreover, for different flood waves, the moment when the shear stress reaches its maximum value is not the exact moment when the sediment transport rate reaches its maximum value, which indicates that the movement of flow and the sediment are not always synchronous during the flood processes. Comparing the bedload transport rate with the existing results of steady flows shows that the bedload transport capacity in unsteady flow is greater than that of the steady flow with same bed shear stresses. (Supported by KPNST(2013BAB12B01; 2012BAB04B01) and NSFC(11472310))

Synthesized airfoil data method for prediction of dynamic stall and unsteady airloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gangwani, S. T.

1983-01-01

A detailed analysis of dynamic stall experiments has led to a set of relatively compact analytical expressions, called synthesized unsteady airfoil data, which accurately describe in the time-domain the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of stalled airfoils. An analytical research program was conducted to expand and improve this synthesized unsteady airfoil data method using additional available sets of unsteady airfoil data. The primary objectives were to reduce these data to synthesized form for use in rotor airload prediction analyses and to generalize the results. Unsteady drag data were synthesized which provided the basis for successful expansion of the formulation to include computation of the unsteady pressure drag of airfoils and rotor blades. Also, an improved prediction model for airfoil flow reattachment was incorporated in the method. Application of this improved unsteady aerodynamics model has resulted in an improved correlation between analytic predictions and measured full scale helicopter blade loads and stress data.

Transition of unsteady velocity profiles with reverse flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Debopam; Arakeri, Jaywant H.

1998-11-01

This paper deals with the stability and transition to turbulence of wall-bounded unsteady velocity profiles with reverse flow. Such flows occur, for example, during unsteady boundary layer separation and in oscillating pipe flow. The main focus is on results from experiments in time-developing flow in a long pipe, which is decelerated rapidly. The flow is generated by the controlled motion of a piston. We obtain analytical solutions for laminar flow in the pipe and in a two-dimensional channel for arbitrary piston motions. By changing the piston speed and the length of piston travel we cover a range of values of Reynolds number and boundary layer thickness. The velocity profiles during the decay of the flow are unsteady with reverse flow near the wall, and are highly unstable due to their inflectional nature. In the pipe, we observe from flow visualization that the flow becomes unstable with the formation of what appears to be a helical vortex. The wavelength of the instability [simeq R: similar, equals]3[delta] where [delta] is the average boundary layer thickness, the average being taken over the time the flow is unstable. The time of formation of the vortices scales with the average convective time scale and is [simeq R: similar, equals]39/([Delta]u/[delta]), where [Delta]u=(umax[minus sign]umin) and umax, umin and [delta] are the maximum velocity, minimum velocity and boundary layer thickness respectively at each instant of time. The time to transition to turbulence is [simeq R: similar, equals]33/([Delta]u/[delta]). Quasi-steady linear stability analysis of the velocity profiles brings out two important results. First that the stability characteristics of velocity profiles with reverse flow near the wall collapse when scaled with the above variables. Second that the wavenumber corresponding to maximum growth does not change much during the instability even though the velocity profile does change substantially. Using the results from the experiments and the stability analysis, we are able to explain many aspects of transition in oscillating pipe flow. We postulate that unsteady boundary layer separation at high Reynolds numbers is probably related to instability of the reverse flow region.

An entropy correction method for unsteady full potential flows with strong shocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitlow, W., Jr.; Hafez, M. M.; Osher, S. J.

1986-01-01

An entropy correction method for the unsteady full potential equation is presented. The unsteady potential equation is modified to account for entropy jumps across shock waves. The conservative form of the modified equation is solved in generalized coordinates using an implicit, approximate factorization method. A flux-biasing differencing method, which generates the proper amounts of artificial viscosity in supersonic regions, is used to discretize the flow equations in space. Comparisons between the present method and solutions of the Euler equations and between the present method and experimental data are presented. The comparisons show that the present method more accurately models solutions of the Euler equations and experiment than does the isentropic potential formulation.

Study of unsteady flow simulation of backward impeller with non-uniform casing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swe, War War Min; Morimatsu, Hiroya; Hayashi, Hidechito; Okumura, Tetsuya; Oda, Ippei

2017-06-01

The flow characteristics of the centrifugal fans with different blade outlet angles are basically discussed on steady and unsteady simulations for a rectangular casing fan. The blade outlet angles of the impellers are 35° and 25° respectively. The unsteady flow behavior in the passage of the impeller 35° is quite different from that in the steady flow behavior. The large flow separation occurs in the steady flow field and unsteady flow field of the impeller 35°, the flow distribution in the circumferential direction varies remarkably and the flow separation on the blade occurs only at the back region of the fan; but the steady flow behavior in the impeller 25° is almost consistent with the unsteady flow behavior, the flow distribution of the circumferential direction doesn't vary much and the flow separation on the blade hardly occurs. When the circumferential variation of the flow in the impeller is large, the steady flow simulation is not coincident to the unsteady flow simulation.

Unsteady Navier-Stokes computations over airfoils using both fixed and dynamic meshes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, Christopher L.; Anderson, W. Kyle

1989-01-01

A finite volume implicit approximate factorization method which solves the thin layer Navier-Stokes equations was used to predict unsteady turbulent flow airfoil behavior. At a constant angle of attack of 16 deg, the NACA 0012 airfoil exhibits an unsteady periodic flow field with the lift coefficient oscillating between 0.89 and 1.60. The Strouhal number is 0.028. Results are similar at 18 deg, with a Strouhal number of 0.033. A leading edge vortex is shed periodically near maximum lift. Dynamic mesh solutions for unstalled airfoil flows show general agreement with experimental pressure coefficients. However, moment coefficients and the maximum lift value are underpredicted. The deep stall case shows some agreement with experiment for increasing angle of attack, but is only qualitatively comparable past stall and for decreasing angle of attack.

Conservation-form equations of unsteady open-channel flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lai, C.; Baltzer, R.A.; Schaffranek, R.W.

2002-01-01

The unsteady open-channel flow equations are typically expressed in a variety of forms due to the imposition of differing assumptions, use of varied dependent variables, and inclusion of different source/sink terms. Questions often arise as to whether a particular equation set is expressed in a form consistent with the conservation-law definition. The concept of conservation form is developed to clarify the meaning mathematically. Six sets of unsteady-flow equations typically used in engineering practice are presented and their conservation properties are identified and discussed. Results of the theoretical development and analysis of the equations are substantiated in a set of numerical experiments conducted using alternate equation forms. Findings of these analytical and numerical efforts demonstrate that the choice of dependent variable is the fundamental factor determining the nature of the conservation properties of any particular equation form.

Computation of Sound Generated by Viscous Flow Over a Circular Cylinder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, Jared S.; Rumsey, Christopher L.; Brentner, Kenneth S.; Younis, Bassam A.

1997-01-01

The Lighthill acoustic analogy approach combined with Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes is used to predict the sound generated by unsteady viscous flow past a circular cylinder assuming a correlation length of 10 cylinder diameters. The two-dimensional unsteady flow field is computed using two Navier-Stokes codes at a low Mach number over a range of Reynolds numbers from 100 to 5 million. Both laminar flow as well as turbulent flow with a variety of eddy viscosity turbulence models are employed. Mean drag and Strouhal number are examined, and trends similar to experiments are observed. Computing the noise within the Reynolds number regime where transition to turbulence occurs near the separation point is problematic: laminar flow exhibits chaotic behavior and turbulent flow exhibits strong dependence on the turbulence model employed. Comparisons of far-field noise with experiment at a Reynolds number of 90,000, therefore, vary significantly, depending on the turbulence model. At a high Reynolds number outside this regime, three different turbulence models yield self-consistent results.

Vortex developments over steady and accelerated airfoils incorporating a trailing edge jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finaish, F.; Okong'o, N.; Frigerio, J.

1993-01-01

Computational and experimental studies are conducted to investigate the influence of a trailing edge jet on flow separation and subsequent vortex formation over steady and accelerated airfoils at high angles of attack. A computer code, employing the stream function-vorticity approach, is developed and utilized to conduct numerical experiments on the flow problem. To verify and economize such efforts, an experimental system is developed and incorporated into a subsonic wind tunnel where streamline and vortex flow visualization experiments are conducted. The study demonstrates the role of the trailing edge jet in controlling flow separation and subsequent vortex development for steady and accelerating flow at angles past the static stall angle of attack. The results suggest that the concept of the trailing edge jet may be utilized to control the characteristics of unsteady separated flows over lifting surfaces. This control possibility seems to be quite effective and could have a significant role in controlling unsteady separated flows.

The NATO STO Task Group AVT-201 on Extended Assessment of Stability and Control Prediction Methods for NATO Air Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-20

concentrated on SACCON. The planform and section profiles were defined in cooperation between DLR and EADS -MAS during the early stages of AVT-161. DLR...however most predictions were made as first-order temporal predictions. Given the highly unsteady flow fields observed by the experiments, unsteady

Investigation of Unsteady Flow Behavior in Transonic Compressor Rotors with LES and PIV Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hah, Chunill; Voges, Melanie; Mueller, Martin; Schiffer, Heinz-Peter

2009-01-01

In the present study, unsteady flow behavior in a modern transonic axial compressor rotor is studied in detail with large eddy simulation (LES) and particle image velocimetry (PIV). The main purpose of the study is to advance the current understanding of the flow field near the blade tip in an axial transonic compressor rotor near the stall and peak-efficiency conditions. Flow interaction between the tip leakage vortex and the passage shock is inherently unsteady in a transonic compressor. Casing-mounted unsteady pressure transducers have been widely applied to investigate steady and unsteady flow behavior near the casing. Although many aspects of flow have been revealed, flow structures below the casing cannot be studied with casing-mounted pressure transducers. In the present study, unsteady velocity fields are measured with a PIV system and the measured unsteady flow fields are compared with LES simulations. The currently applied PIV measurements indicate that the flow near the tip region is not steady even at the design condition. This self-induced unsteadiness increases significantly as the compressor rotor operates near the stall condition. Measured data from PIV show that the tip clearance vortex oscillates substantially near stall. The calculated unsteady characteristics of the flow from LES agree well with the PIV measurements. Calculated unsteady flow fields show that the formation of the tip clearance vortex is intermittent and the concept of vortex breakdown from steady flow analysis does not seem to apply in the current flow field. Fluid with low momentum near the pressure side of the blade close to the leading edge periodically spills over into the adjacent blade passage. The present study indicates that stall inception is heavily dependent on unsteady behavior of the flow field near the leading edge of the blade tip section for the present transonic compressor rotor.

Microbubble transport through a bifurcating vessel network with pulsatile flow.

PubMed

Valassis, Doug T; Dodde, Robert E; Esphuniyani, Brijesh; Fowlkes, J Brian; Bull, Joseph L

2012-02-01

Motivated by two-phase microfluidics and by the clinical applications of air embolism and a developmental gas embolotherapy technique, experimental and theoretical models of microbubble transport in pulsatile flow are presented. The one-dimensional time-dependent theoretical model is developed from an unsteady Bernoulli equation that has been modified to include viscous and unsteady effects. Results of both experiments and theory show that roll angle (the angle the plane of the bifurcating network makes with the horizontal) is an important contributor to bubble splitting ratio at each bifurcation within the bifurcating network. When compared to corresponding constant flow, pulsatile flow was shown to produce insignificant changes to the overall splitting ratio of the bubble despite the order one Womersley numbers, suggesting that bubble splitting through the vasculature could be modeled adequately with a more modest constant flow model. However, bubble lodging was affected by the flow pulsatility, and the effects of pulsatile flow were evident in the dependence of splitting ratio of bubble length. The ability of bubbles to remain lodged after reaching a steady state in the bifurcations is promising for the effectiveness of gas embolotherapy to occlude blood flow to tumors, and indicates the importance of understanding where lodging will occur in air embolism. The ability to accurately predict the bubble dynamics in unsteady flow within a bifurcating network is demonstrated and suggests the potential for bubbles in microfluidics devices to encode information in both steady and unsteady aspects of their dynamics.

Computation of unsteady transonic aerodynamics with steady state fixed by truncation error injection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fung, K.-Y.; Fu, J.-K.

1985-01-01

A novel technique is introduced for efficient computations of unsteady transonic aerodynamics. The steady flow corresponding to body shape is maintained by truncation error injection while the perturbed unsteady flows corresponding to unsteady body motions are being computed. This allows the use of different grids comparable to the characteristic length scales of the steady and unsteady flows and, hence, allows efficient computation of the unsteady perturbations. An example of typical unsteady computation of flow over a supercritical airfoil shows that substantial savings in computation time and storage without loss of solution accuracy can easily be achieved. This technique is easy to apply and requires very few changes to existing codes.

Effect of Reynolds Number and Periodic Unsteady Wake Flow Condition on Boundary Layer Development, Separation, and Intermittency Behavior Along the Suction Surface of a Low Pressure Turbine Blade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schobeiri, M. T.; Ozturk, B.; Ashpis, David E.

2007-01-01

The paper experimentally studies the effects of periodic unsteady wake flow and different Reynolds numbers on boundary layer development, separation and re-attachment along the suction surface of a low pressure turbine blade. The experimental investigations were performed on a large scale, subsonic unsteady turbine cascade research facility at Turbomachinery Performance and Flow Research Laboratory (TPFL) of Texas A&M University. The experiments were carried out at Reynolds numbers of 110,000 and 150,000 (based on suction surface length and exit velocity). One steady and two different unsteady inlet flow conditions with the corresponding passing frequencies, wake velocities, and turbulence intensities were investigated. The reduced frequencies chosen cover the operating range of LP turbines. In addition to the unsteady boundary layer measurements, surface pressure measurements were performed. The inception, onset, and the extent of the separation bubble information collected from the pressure measurements were compared with the hot wire measurements. The results presented in ensemble-averaged, and the contour plot forms help to understand the physics of the separation phenomenon under periodic unsteady wake flow and different Reynolds number. It was found that the suction surface displayed a strong separation bubble for these three different reduced frequencies. For each condition, the locations defining the separation bubble were determined carefully analyzing and examining the pressure and mean velocity profile data. The location of the boundary layer separation was dependent of the Reynolds number. It is observed that starting point of the separation bubble and the re-attachment point move further downstream by increasing Reynolds number from 110,000 to 150,000. Also, the size of the separation bubble is smaller when compared to that for Re=110,000.

Effect of Reynolds Number and Periodic Unsteady Wake Flow Condition on Boundary Layer Development, Separation, and Re-attachment along the Suction Surface of a Low Pressure Turbine Blade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ozturk, B.; Schobeiri, M. T.; Ashpis, David E.

2005-01-01

The paper experimentally studies the effects of periodic unsteady wake flow and different Reynolds numbers on boundary layer development, separation and re-attachment along the suction surface of a low pressure turbine blade. The experimental investigations were performed on a large scale, subsonic unsteady turbine cascade research facility at Turbomachinery Performance and Flow Research Laboratory (TPFL) of Texas A&M University. The experiments were carried out at Reynolds numbers of 110,000 and 150,000 (based on suction surface length and exit velocity). One steady and two different unsteady inlet flow conditions with the corresponding passing frequencies, wake velocities, and turbulence intensities were investigated. The reduced frequencies chosen cover the operating range of LP turbines. In addition to the unsteady boundary layer measurements, surface pressure measurements were performed. The inception, onset, and the extent of the separation bubble information collected from the pressure measurements were compared with the hot wire measurements. The results presented in ensemble-averaged, and the contour plot forms help to understand the physics of the separation phenomenon under periodic unsteady wake flow and different Reynolds number. It was found that the suction surface displayed a strong separation bubble for these three different reduced frequencies. For each condition, the locations defining the separation bubble were determined carefully analyzing and examining the pressure and mean velocity profile data. The location of the boundary layer separation was dependent of the Reynolds number. It is observed that starting point of the separation bubble and the re-attachment point move further downstream by increasing Reynolds number from 110,000 to 150,000. Also, the size of the separation bubble is smaller when compared to that for Re=110,000.

Rocket Engine Turbine Blade Surface Pressure Distributions Experiment and Computations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hudson, Susan T.; Zoladz, Thomas F.; Dorney, Daniel J.; Turner, James (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Understanding the unsteady aspects of turbine rotor flow fields is critical to successful future turbine designs. A technology program was conducted at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to increase the understanding of unsteady environments for rocket engine turbines. The experimental program involved instrumenting turbine rotor blades with miniature surface mounted high frequency response pressure transducers. The turbine model was then tested to measure the unsteady pressures on the rotor blades. The data obtained from the experimental program is unique in two respects. First, much more unsteady data was obtained (several minutes per set point) than has been possible in the past. Also, an extensive steady performance database existed for the turbine model. This allowed an evaluation of the effect of the on-blade instrumentation on the turbine's performance. A three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes analysis was also used to blindly predict the unsteady flow field in the turbine at the design operating conditions and at +15 degrees relative incidence to the first-stage rotor. The predicted time-averaged and unsteady pressure distributions show good agreement with the experimental data. This unique data set, the lessons learned for acquiring this type of data, and the improvements made to the data analysis and prediction tools are contributing significantly to current Space Launch Initiative turbine airflow test and blade surface pressure prediction efforts.

Three-Dimensional Unsteady Simulation of Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer in a Modern High Pressure Turbine Stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shyam, Vikram; Ameri, Ali

2009-01-01

Unsteady 3-D RANS simulations have been performed on a highly loaded transonic turbine stage and results are compared to steady calculations as well as to experiment. A low Reynolds number k-epsilon turbulence model is employed to provide closure for the RANS system. A phase-lag boundary condition is used in the tangential direction. This allows the unsteady simulation to be performed by using only one blade from each of the two rows. The objective of this work is to study the effect of unsteadiness on rotor heat transfer and to glean any insight into unsteady flow physics. The role of the stator wake passing on the pressure distribution at the leading edge is also studied. The simulated heat transfer and pressure results agreed favorably with experiment. The time-averaged heat transfer predicted by the unsteady simulation is higher than the heat transfer predicted by the steady simulation everywhere except at the leading edge. The shock structure formed due to stator-rotor interaction was analyzed. Heat transfer and pressure at the hub and casing were also studied. Thermal segregation was observed that leads to the heat transfer patterns predicted by steady and unsteady simulations to be different.

Investigation into the behaviors of ventilated supercavities in unsteady flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Siyao; Wu, Yue; Haynes, Joseph; Arndt, Roger E. A.; Hong, Jiarong

2018-05-01

A systematic investigation of ventilated supercavitation behaviors in an unsteady flow is conducted using a high-speed water tunnel at the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory. The cavity is generated with a forward facing model under varying ventilation rates and cavitator sizes. The unsteady flow is produced by a gust generator consisting of two hydrofoils flapping in unison with a varying angle of attack (AoA) and frequency (fg). The current experiment reveals five distinct cavity states, namely, the stable state, wavy state, pulsating state I, pulsating state II, and collapsing state, based on the variation of cavity geometry and pressure signatures inside the cavity. The distribution of cavity states over a broad range of unsteady conditions is summarized in a cavity state map. It shows that the transition of the supercavity from the stable state to pulsating and collapsing states is primarily induced by increasing AoA while the transition to the wavy state triggers largely by increasing fg. Remarkably, the state map over the non-dimensionalized half wavelength and wave amplitude of the perturbation indicates that the supercavity loses its stability and transitions to pulsating or collapsing states when the level of its distortion induced by the flow unsteadiness exceeds the cavity dimension under a steady condition. The state maps under different ventilation rates and cavitator sizes yield similar distribution but show that the occurrence of the cavity collapse can be suppressed with increasing ventilation coefficient or cavitator size. Such knowledge can be integrated into designing control strategies for the supercavitating devices operating under different unsteady conditions.

An oscillatory kernel function method for lifting surfaces in mixed transonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cunningham, A. M., Jr.

1974-01-01

A study was conducted on the use of combined subsonic and supersonic linear theory to obtain economical and yet realistic solutions to unsteady transonic flow problems. With some modification, existing linear theory methods were combined into a single computer program. The method was applied to problems for which measured steady Mach number distributions and unsteady pressure distributions were available. By comparing theory and experiment, the transonic method showed a significant improvement over uniform flow methods. The results also indicated that more exact local Mach number effects and normal shock boundary conditions on the perturbation potential were needed. The validity of these improvements was demonstrated by application to steady flow.

Computation of rapidly varied unsteady, free-surface flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Basco, D.R.

1987-01-01

Many unsteady flows in hydraulics occur with relatively large gradients in free surface profiles. The assumption of hydrostatic pressure distribution with depth is no longer valid. These are rapidly-varied unsteady flows (RVF) of classical hydraulics and also encompass short wave propagation of coastal hydraulics. The purpose of this report is to present an introductory review of the Boussinnesq-type differential equations that describe these flows and to discuss methods for their numerical integration. On variable slopes and for large scale (finite-amplitude) disturbances, three independent derivational methods all gave differences in the motion equation for higher order terms. The importance of these higher-order terms for riverine applications must be determined by numerical experiments. Care must be taken in selection of the appropriate finite-difference scheme to minimize truncation error effects and the possibility of diverging (double mode) numerical solutions. It is recommended that practical hydraulics cases be established and tested numerically to demonstrate the order of differences in solution with those obtained from the long wave equations of St. Venant. (USGS)

The Relationship between Appendage Geometry and Propeller Blade Unsteady Forces.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-01

unsteady thrust and torque for a given propeller geometry. The results indicate that unsteady force reduction can be obtained by modification of the flow ... unsteady force calculation methods available are: 1) quasi-steady using uniform flow ; 2) quasi-steady using lifting-line theory; 3) two-dimensional... experimental data and the calculated unsteady forces that both the flow field near the body surface and behind the appendage tip must be

An experimental study of static and oscillating rotor blade sections in reverse flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lind, Andrew Hume

The rotorcraft community has a growing interest in the development of high-speed helicopters to replace outdated fleets. One barrier to the design of such helicopters is the lack of understanding of the aerodynamic behavior of retreating rotor blades in the reverse flow region. This work considers two fundamental models of this complex unsteady flow regime: static and oscillating (i.e., pitching) airfoils in reverse flow. Wind tunnel tests have been performed at the University of Maryland (UMD) and the United States Naval Academy (USNA). Four rotor blade sections are considered: two featuring a sharp geometric trailing edge (NACA 0012 and NACA 0024) and two featuring a blunt geometric trailing edge (ellipse and cambered ellipse). Static airfoil experiments were performed at angles of attack through 180 deg and Reynolds numbers up to one million, representative of the conditions found in the reverse flow region of a full-scale high-speed helicopter. Time-resolved velocity field measurements were used to identify three unsteady flow regimes: slender body vortex shedding, turbulent wake, and deep stall vortex shedding. Unsteady airloads were measured in these three regimes using unsteady pressure transducers. The magnitude of the unsteady airloads is high in the turbulent wake regime when the separated shear layer is close to the airfoil surface and in deep stall due to periodic vortex-induced flow. Oscillating airfoil experiments were performed on a NACA 0012 and cambered ellipse to investigate reverse flow dynamic stall characteristics by modeling cyclic pitching kinematics. The parameter space spanned three Reynolds numbers (165,000; 330,000; and 500,000), five reduced frequencies between 0.100 and 0.511, three mean pitch angles (5,10, and 15 deg), and two pitch amplitudes (5 deg and 10 deg). The sharp aerodynamic leading edge of the NACA 0012 airfoil forces flow separation resulting in deep dynamic stall. The number of associated vortex structures depends strongly on pitching kinematics. The cambered ellipse exhibits light reverse flow dynamic stall for a wide range of pitching kinematics. Deep dynamic stall over the cambered ellipse airfoil is observed for high mean pitch angles and pitch amplitudes. The detailed results and analysis in this work contributes to the development of a new generation of high-speed helicopters.

Investigation of hypersonic shock-induced combustion in a hydrogen-air system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahuja, J. K.; Tiwari, S. N.; Singh, D. J.

1992-01-01

A numerical study is conducted to simulate the ballistic range experiments at Mach 5.11 and 6.46. The flow field is found to be unsteady with periodic instabilities originating in the stagnation zone. The unsteadiness of the flow field decreased with increase in the Mach number, thus indicating that it is possible to stabilize such flow fields with a high degree of overdrive. The frequency of periodic instability is determined using Fourier power spectrum and is found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The physics of the instability is explained by the wave interaction models available in the literature.

An improved numerical model for wave rotor design and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.; Wilson, Jack

1993-01-01

A numerical model has been developed which can predict both the unsteady flows within a wave rotor and the steady averaged flows in the ports. The model is based on the assumptions of one-dimensional, unsteady, and perfect gas flow. Besides the dominant wave behavior, it is also capable of predicting the effects of finite tube opening time, leakage from the tube ends, and viscosity. The relative simplicity of the model makes it useful for design, optimization, and analysis of wave rotor cycles for any application. This paper discusses some details of the model and presents comparisons between the model and two laboratory wave rotor experiments.

An improved numerical model for wave rotor design and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.; Wilson, Jack

1992-01-01

A numerical model has been developed which can predict both the unsteady flows within a wave rotor and the steady averaged flows in the ports. The model is based on the assumptions of one-dimensional, unsteady, and perfect gas flow. Besides the dominant wave behavior, it is also capable of predicting the effects of finite tube opening time, leakage from the tube ends, and viscosity. The relative simplicity of the model makes it useful for design, optimization, and analysis of wave rotor cycles for any application. This paper discusses some details of the model and presents comparisons between the model and two laboratory wave rotor experiments.

The role of heater thermal response in reactor thermal limits during oscillartory two-phase flows

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ruggles, A.E.; Brown, N.W.; Vasil`ev, A.D.

1995-09-01

Analytical and numerical investigations of critical heat flux (CHF) and reactor thermal limits are conducted for oscillatory two-phase flows often associated with natural circulation conditions. It is shown that the CHF and associated thermal limits depend on the amplitude of the flow oscillations, the period of the flow oscillations, and the thermal properties and dimensions of the heater. The value of the thermal limit can be much lower in unsteady flow situations than would be expected using time average flow conditions. It is also shown that the properties of the heater strongly influence the thermal limit value in unsteady flowmore » situations, which is very important to the design of experiments to evaluate thermal limits for reactor fuel systems.« less

A Three-Dimensional Linearized Unsteady Euler Analysis for Turbomachinery Blade Rows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montgomery, Matthew D.; Verdon, Joseph M.

1997-01-01

A three-dimensional, linearized, Euler analysis is being developed to provide an efficient unsteady aerodynamic analysis that can be used to predict the aeroelastic and aeroacoustic responses of axial-flow turbo-machinery blading.The field equations and boundary conditions needed to describe nonlinear and linearized inviscid unsteady flows through a blade row operating within a cylindrical annular duct are presented. A numerical model for linearized inviscid unsteady flows, which couples a near-field, implicit, wave-split, finite volume analysis to a far-field eigenanalysis, is also described. The linearized aerodynamic and numerical models have been implemented into a three-dimensional linearized unsteady flow code, called LINFLUX. This code has been applied to selected, benchmark, unsteady, subsonic flows to establish its accuracy and to demonstrate its current capabilities. The unsteady flows considered, have been chosen to allow convenient comparisons between the LINFLUX results and those of well-known, two-dimensional, unsteady flow codes. Detailed numerical results for a helical fan and a three-dimensional version of the 10th Standard Cascade indicate that important progress has been made towards the development of a reliable and useful, three-dimensional, prediction capability that can be used in aeroelastic and aeroacoustic design studies.

Dynamic stability analysis for capillary channel flow: One-dimensional and three-dimensional computations and the equivalent steady state technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grah, Aleksander; Dreyer, Michael E.

2010-01-01

Spacecraft technology provides a series of applications for capillary channel flow. It can serve as a reliable means for positioning and transport of liquids under low gravity conditions. Basically, capillary channels provide liquid paths with one or more free surfaces. A problem may be flow instabilities leading to a collapse of the liquid surfaces. A result is undesired gas ingestion and a two phase flow which can in consequence cause several technical problems. The presented capillary channel consists of parallel plates with two free liquid surfaces. The flow rate is established by a pump at the channel outlet, creating a lower pressure within the channel. Owing to the pressure difference between the liquid phase and the ambient gas phase the free surfaces bend inwards and remain stable as long as they are able to resist the steady and unsteady pressure effects. For the numerical prediction of the flow stability two very different models are used. The one-dimensional unsteady model is mainly based on the Bernoulli equation, the continuity equation, and the Gauss-Laplace equation. For three-dimensional evaluations an open source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool is applied. For verifications the numerical results are compared with quasisteady and unsteady data of a sounding rocket experiment. Contrary to previous experiments this one results in a significantly longer observation sequence. Furthermore, the critical point of the steady flow instability could be approached by a quasisteady technique. As in previous experiments the comparison to the numerical model evaluation shows a very good agreement for the movement of the liquid surfaces and for the predicted flow instability. The theoretical prediction of the flow instability is related to the speed index, based on characteristic velocities of the capillary channel flow. Stable flow regimes are defined by stability criteria for steady and unsteady flow. The one-dimensional computation of the speed index is based on the technique of the equivalent steady system, which is published for the first time in the present paper. This approach assumes that for every unsteady state an equivalent steady state with a special boundary condition can be formulated. The equivalent steady state technique enables a reformulation of the equation system and an efficient and reliable speed index computation. Furthermore, the existence of the numerical singularity at the critical point of the steady flow instability, postulated in previous publication, is demonstrated in detail. The numerical singularity is related to the stability criterion for steady flow and represents the numerical consequence of the liquid surface collapse. The evaluation and generation of the pressure diagram is demonstrated in detail with a series of numerical dynamic flow studies. The stability diagram, based on one-dimensional computation, gives a detailed overview of the stable and instable flow regimes. This prediction is in good agreement with the experimentally observed critical flow conditions and results of three-dimensional CFD computations.

Finite length Taylor Couette flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streett, C. L.; Hussaini, M. Y.

1987-01-01

Axisymmetric numerical solutions of the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations for flow between concentric rotating cylinders of finite length are obtained by a spectral collocation method. These representative results pertain to two-cell/one-cell exchange process, and are compared with recent experiments.

Current Issues in Unsteady Turbomachinery Flows (Images)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Povinelli, Louis

2004-01-01

Among the numerous causes for unsteadiness in turbo machinery flows are turbulence and flow environment, wakes from stationary and rotating vanes, boundary layer separation, boundary layer/shear layer instabilities, presence of shock waves and deliberate unsteadiness for flow control purposes. These unsteady phenomena may lead to flow-structure interactions such as flutter and forced vibration as well as system instabilities such as stall and surge. A major issue of unsteadiness relates to the fact that a fundamental understanding of unsteady flow physics is lacking and requires continued attention. Accurate simulations and sufficient high fidelity experimental data are not available. The Glenn Research Center plan for Engine Component Flow Physics Modeling is part of the NASA 21st Century Aircraft Program. The main components of the plan include Low Pressure Turbine National Combustor Code. The goals, technical output and benefits/impacts of each element are described in the presentation. The specific areas selected for discussion in this presentation are blade wake interactions, flow control, and combustor exit turbulence and modeling.

A novel method for unsteady flow field segmentation based on stochastic similarity of direction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omata, Noriyasu; Shirayama, Susumu

2018-04-01

Recent developments in fluid dynamics research have opened up the possibility for the detailed quantitative understanding of unsteady flow fields. However, the visualization techniques currently in use generally provide only qualitative insights. A method for dividing the flow field into physically relevant regions of interest can help researchers quantify unsteady fluid behaviors. Most methods at present compare the trajectories of virtual Lagrangian particles. The time-invariant features of an unsteady flow are also frequently of interest, but the Lagrangian specification only reveals time-variant features. To address these challenges, we propose a novel method for the time-invariant spatial segmentation of an unsteady flow field. This segmentation method does not require Lagrangian particle tracking but instead quantitatively compares the stochastic models of the direction of the flow at each observed point. The proposed method is validated with several clustering tests for 3D flows past a sphere. Results show that the proposed method reveals the time-invariant, physically relevant structures of an unsteady flow.

Simulations of the flow past a cylinder using an unsteady double wake model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramos-García, N.; Sarlak, H.; Andersen, S. J.

2016-06-08

In the present work, the in-house UnSteady Double Wake Model (USDWM) is used to simulate flows past a cylinder at subcritical, supercritical, and transcritical Reynolds numbers. The flow model is a two-dimensional panel method which uses the unsteady double wake technique to model flow separation and its dynamics. In the present work the separation location is obtained from experimental data and fixed in time. The highly unsteady flow field behind the cylinder is analyzed in detail, comparing the vortex shedding charactericts under the different flow conditions.

Vorticity Distributions in Unsteady Flow Separation

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-11-08

a significant result, which was presented at the Unsteady Separated Flow Workshop at the Air Force Academy last July, and which is ready for...i~~A’I C amsi4 61102F 2307 A2 11 Ti-,LE (Incluce Security Claw fication) Vorticity Distributions in Unsteady Flow Separation 12 PERSONAL AUTHOR(S...LSIIAINO HSPG / UNCLASSIFIED Report MEUA-IT-88-2 VORTICITY DISTRIBUTIONS IN UNSTEADY FLOW SEPARATION Frederick S. Sherman Department of Mechanical

Unsteady Computations of a Jet in a Crossflow with Ground Effect

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pandya, Shishir; Murman, Scott; Venkateswaran, Sankaran; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A numerical study of a jet in crossflow with ground effect is conducted using OVERFLOW with dual time-stepping and low Mach number preconditioning. The results of the numerical study are compared to an experiment to show that the numerical methods are capable of capturing the dominant features of the flow field as well as the unsteadiness associated with the ground vortex.

Oscillatory Excitation of Unsteady Compressible Flows over Airfoils at Flight Reynolds Numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seifert, Avi; Pack, LaTunia G.

1999-01-01

An experimental investigation, aimed at delaying flow separation due to the occurrence of a shock-wave-boundary-layer interaction, is reported. The experiment was performed using a NACA 0012 airfoil and a NACA 0015 airfoil at high Reynolds number incompressible and compressible flow conditions. The effects of Mach and Reynolds numbers were identified, using the capabilities of the cryogenic-pressurized facility to maintain one parameter fixed and change the other. Significant Reynolds number effects were identified in the baseline compressible flow conditions even at Reynolds number of 10 and 20 million. The main objectives of the experiment were to study the effects of periodic excitation on airfoil drag-divergence and to alleviate the severe unsteadiness associated with shock-induced separation (known as "buffeting"). Zero-mass-flux oscillatory blowing was introduced through a downstream directed slot located at 10% chord on the upper surface of the NACA 0015 airfoil. The effective frequencies generated 2-4 vortices over the separated region, regardless of the Mach number. Even though the excitation was introduced upstream of the shock-wave, due to experimental limitations, it had pronounced effects downstream of it. Wake deficit (associated with drag) and unsteadiness (associated with buffeting) were significantly reduced. The spectral content of the wake pressure fluctuations indicates of steadier flow throughout the frequency range when excitation was applied. This is especially important at low frequencies which are more likely to interact with the airframe.

Unsteady aerodynamics of reverse flow dynamic stall on an oscillating blade section

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lind, Andrew H.; Jones, Anya R.

2016-07-01

Wind tunnel experiments were performed on a sinusoidally oscillating NACA 0012 blade section in reverse flow. Time-resolved particle image velocimetry and unsteady surface pressure measurements were used to characterize the evolution of reverse flow dynamic stall and its sensitivity to pitch and flow parameters. The effects of a sharp aerodynamic leading edge on the fundamental flow physics of reverse flow dynamic stall are explored in depth. Reynolds number was varied up to Re = 5 × 105, reduced frequency was varied up to k = 0.511, mean pitch angle was varied up to 15∘, and two pitch amplitudes of 5∘ and 10∘ were studied. It was found that reverse flow dynamic stall of the NACA 0012 airfoil is weakly sensitive to the Reynolds numbers tested due to flow separation at the sharp aerodynamic leading edge. Reduced frequency strongly affects the onset and persistence of dynamic stall vortices. The type of dynamic stall observed (i.e., number of vortex structures) increases with a decrease in reduced frequency and increase in maximum pitch angle. The characterization and parameter sensitivity of reverse flow dynamic stall given in the present work will enable the development of a physics-based analytical model of this unsteady aerodynamic phenomenon.

A Three-Dimensional Linearized Unsteady Euler Analysis for Turbomachinery Blade Rows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montgomery, Matthew D.; Verdon, Joseph M.

1996-01-01

A three-dimensional, linearized, Euler analysis is being developed to provide an efficient unsteady aerodynamic analysis that can be used to predict the aeroelastic and aeroacoustic response characteristics of axial-flow turbomachinery blading. The field equations and boundary conditions needed to describe nonlinear and linearized inviscid unsteady flows through a blade row operating within a cylindrical annular duct are presented. In addition, a numerical model for linearized inviscid unsteady flow, which is based upon an existing nonlinear, implicit, wave-split, finite volume analysis, is described. These aerodynamic and numerical models have been implemented into an unsteady flow code, called LINFLUX. A preliminary version of the LINFLUX code is applied herein to selected, benchmark three-dimensional, subsonic, unsteady flows, to illustrate its current capabilities and to uncover existing problems and deficiencies. The numerical results indicate that good progress has been made toward developing a reliable and useful three-dimensional prediction capability. However, some problems, associated with the implementation of an unsteady displacement field and numerical errors near solid boundaries, still exist. Also, accurate far-field conditions must be incorporated into the FINFLUX analysis, so that this analysis can be applied to unsteady flows driven be external aerodynamic excitations.

On the Physics of Flow Separation Along a Low Pressure Turbine Blade Under Unsteady Flow Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schobeiri, Meinhard T.; Ozturk, Burak; Ashpis, David E.

2005-01-01

The present study, which is the first of a series of investigations dealing with specific issues of low pressure turbine (LPT) boundary layer aerodynamics, is aimed at providing detailed unsteady boundary flow information to understand the underlying physics of the inception, onset, and extent of the separation zone. A detailed experimental study on the behavior of the separation zone on the suction surface of a highly loaded LPT-blade under periodic unsteady wake flow is presented. Experimental investigations were performed at Texas A&M Turbomachinery Performance and Flow Research Laboratory using a large-scale unsteady turbine cascade research facility with an integrated wake generator and test section unit. To account for a high flow deflection of LPT-cascades at design and off-design operating points, the entire wake generator and test section unit including the traversing system is designed to allow a precise angle adjustment of the cascade relative to the incoming flow. This is done by a hydraulic platform, which simultaneously lifts and rotates the wake generator and test section unit. The unit is then attached to the tunnel exit nozzle with an angular accuracy of better than 0.05 , which is measured electronically. Utilizing a Reynolds number of 110,000 based on the blade suction surface length and the exit velocity, one steady and two different unsteady inlet flow conditions with the corresponding passing frequencies, wake velocities and turbulence intensities are investigated using hot-wire anemometry. In addition to the unsteady boundary layer measurements, blade surface pressure measurements were performed at Re=50,000, 75,000, 100,000, and 125,000 at one steady and two periodic unsteady inlet flow conditions. Detailed unsteady boundary layer measurement identifies the onset and extent of the separation zone as well as its behavior under unsteady wake flow. The results presented in ensemble-averaged and contour plot forms contribute to understanding the physics of the separation phenomenon under periodic unsteady wake flow. Several physical mechanisms are discussed.

Development of a Linearized Unsteady Euler Analysis with Application to Wake/Blade-Row Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verdon, Joseph M.; Montgomery, Matthew D.; Chuang, H. Andrew

1999-01-01

A three-dimensional, linearized, Euler analysis is being developed to provide a comprehensive and efficient unsteady aerodynamic analysis for predicting the aeroacoustic and aeroelastic responses of axial-flow turbomachinery blading. The mathematical models needed to describe nonlinear and linearized, inviscid, unsteady flows through a blade row operating within a cylindrical annular duct are presented in this report. A numerical model for linearized inviscid unsteady flows, which couples a near-field, implicit, wave-split, finite volume analysis to far-field eigen analyses, is also described. The linearized aerodynamic and numerical models have been implemented into the three-dimensional unsteady flow code, LINFLUX. This code is applied herein to predict unsteady subsonic flows driven by wake or vortical excitations. The intent is to validate the LINFLUX analysis via numerical results for simple benchmark unsteady flows and to demonstrate this analysis via application to a realistic wake/blade-row interaction. Detailed numerical results for a three-dimensional version of the 10th Standard Cascade and a fan exit guide vane indicate that LINFLUX is becoming a reliable and useful unsteady aerodynamic prediction capability that can be applied, in the future, to assess the three-dimensional flow physics important to blade-row, aeroacoustic and aeroelastic responses.

Turbine blade unsteady aerodynamic loading and heat transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, David Alan

Stator indexing to minimize the unsteady aerodynamic loading of closely spaced airfoil rows in turbomachinery is a new technique for the passive control of flow-induced vibrations. This technique, along with the effects of steady blade loading, were studied by means of experiments performed in a two-stage low-speed research turbine. With the second vane row fixed, the inlet vane row was indexed to six positions over one vane-pitch cycle for a range of stage loadings. The aerodynamic forcing function to the first-stage rotor was measured in the rotating reference frame, with the resulting rotor blade unsteady aerodynamic response quantified by rotor blades instrumented with dynamic pressure transducers. Reductions in the unsteady lift magnitude were achieved at all turbine operating conditions, with attenuation ranging from 37% to 74% of the maximum unsteady lift. Additionally, in complementary experiments, the effects of stator indexing and steady blade loading on the unsteady heat transfer of the first- and second-stage rotors was studied for the design and highest blade loading conditions using platinum-film heat gages. The attenuation of unsteady heat transfer coefficient was blade-loading dependent and location dependent along the chord and span, ranging 10% to 90% of maximum. Due to the high degree of location dependence of attenuation, stator indexing is therefore best suited to minimize unsteady heat transfer in local hot spots of the blade rather than the blade as a whole.

Dynamics of Active Separation Control at High Reynolds Numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pack, LaTunia G.; Seifert, Avi

2000-01-01

A series of active flow control experiments were recently conducted at high Reynolds numbers on a generic separated configuration. The model simulates the upper surface of a 20% thick Glauert-Goldschmied type airfoil at zero angle of attack. The flow is fully turbulent since the tunnel sidewall boundary layer flows over the model. The main motivation for the experiments is to generate a comprehensive data base for validation of unsteady numerical simulation as a first step in the development of a CFD design tool, without which it would not be possible to effectively utilize the great potential of unsteady flow control. This paper focuses on the dynamics of several key features of the baseline as well as the controlled flow. It was found that the thickness of the upstream boundary layer has a negligible effect on the flow dynamics. It is speculated that separation is caused mainly by the highly convex surface while viscous effects are less important. The two-dimensional separated flow contains unsteady waves centered on a reduced frequency of 0.9, while in the three dimensional separated flow, frequencies around a reduced frequency of 0.3 and 1 are active. Several scenarios of resonant wave interaction take place at the separated shear-layer and in the pressure recovery region. The unstable reduced frequency bands for periodic excitation are centered on 1.5 and 5, but these reduced frequencies are based on the length of the baseline bubble that shortens due to the excitation. The conventional works well for the coherent wave features. Reproduction of these dynamic effects by a numerical simulation would provide benchmark validation.

A Numerical Simulator for Three-Dimensional Flows Through Vibrating Blade Rows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chuang, H. Andrew; Verdon, Joseph M.

1998-01-01

The three-dimensional, multi-stage, unsteady, turbomachinery analysis, TURBO, has been extended to predict the aeroelastic and aeroacoustic response behaviors of a single blade row operating within a cylindrical annular duct. In particular, a blade vibration capability has been incorporated so that the TURBO analysis can be applied over a solution domain that deforms with a vibratory blade motion. Also, unsteady far-field conditions have been implemented to render the computational boundaries at inlet and exit transparent to outgoing unsteady disturbances. The modified TURBO analysis is applied herein to predict unsteady subsonic and transonic flows. The intent is to partially validate this nonlinear analysis for blade flutter applications, via numerical results for benchmark unsteady flows, and to demonstrate the analysis for a realistic fan rotor. For these purposes, we have considered unsteady subsonic flows through a 3D version of the 10th Standard Cascade, and unsteady transonic flows through the first stage rotor of the NASA Lewis, Rotor 67, two-stage fan.

On the Physics of Flow Separation Along a Low Pressure Turbine Blade Under Unsteady Flow Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schobeiri, Meinhard T.; Ozturk, Burak; Ashpis, David E.

2003-01-01

The present study, which is the first of a series of investigations dealing with specific issues of low pressure turbine (LPT) boundary layer aerodynamics, is aimed at providing detailed unsteady boundary flow information to understand the underlying physics of the inception, onset, and extent of the separation zone. A detailed experimental study on the behavior of the separation zone on the suction surface of a highly loaded LPT-blade under periodic unsteady wake flow is presented. Experimental investigations were performed at Texas A&M Turbomachinery Performance and Flow Research Laboratory using a large-scale unsteady turbine cascade research facility with an integrated wake generator and test section unit. To account for a high flow deflection of LPT-cascades at design and off-design operating points, the entire wake generator and test section unit including the traversing system is designed to allow a precise angle adjustment of the cascade relative to the incoming flow. This is done by a hydraulic platform, which simultaneously lifts and rotates the wake generator and test section unit. The unit is then attached to the tunnel exit nozzle with an angular accuracy of better than 0.05 , which is measured electronically. Utilizing a Reynolds number of 110,000 based on the blade suction surface length and the exit velocity, one steady and two different unsteady inlet flowconditions with the corresponding passing frequencies, wake velocities and turbulence intensities are investigated using hot-wire anemometry. In addition to the unsteady boundary layer measurements, blade surface pressure measurements were performed at Re=50,000, 75,000, 100,000, and 125,000 at one steady and two periodic unsteady inlet flow conditions. Detailed unsteady boundary layer measurement identifies the onset and extent of the separation zone as well as its behavior under unsteady wake flow. The results presented in ensemble-averaged and contour plot forms contribute to understanding the physics of the separation phenomenon under periodic unsteady wake flow. Several physical mechanisms are discussed.

Unsteady penetration of a target by a liquid jet

PubMed Central

Uth, Tobias; Deshpande, Vikram S.

2013-01-01

It is widely acknowledged that ceramic armor experiences an unsteady penetration response: an impacting projectile may erode on the surface of a ceramic target without substantial penetration for a significant amount of time and then suddenly start to penetrate the target. Although known for more than four decades, this phenomenon, commonly referred to as dwell, remains largely unexplained. Here, we use scaled analog experiments with a low-speed water jet and a soft, translucent target material to investigate dwell. The transient target response, in terms of depth of penetration and impact force, is captured using a high-speed camera in combination with a piezoelectric force sensor. We observe the phenomenon of dwell using a soft (noncracking) target material. The results show that the penetration rate increases when the flow of the impacting water jet is reversed due to the deformation of the jet–target interface––this reversal is also associated with an increase in the force exerted by the jet on the target. Creep penetration experiments with a constant indentation force did not show an increase in the penetration rate, confirming that flow reversal is the cause of the unsteady penetration rate. Our results suggest that dwell can occur in a ductile noncracking target due to flow reversal. This phenomenon of flow reversal is rather widespread and present in a wide range of impact situations, including water-jet cutting, needleless injection, and deposit removal via a fluid jet. PMID:24277818

Development of a linearized unsteady Euler analysis for turbomachinery blade rows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verdon, Joseph M.; Montgomery, Matthew D.; Kousen, Kenneth A.

1995-01-01

A linearized unsteady aerodynamic analysis for axial-flow turbomachinery blading is described in this report. The linearization is based on the Euler equations of fluid motion and is motivated by the need for an efficient aerodynamic analysis that can be used in predicting the aeroelastic and aeroacoustic responses of blade rows. The field equations and surface conditions required for inviscid, nonlinear and linearized, unsteady aerodynamic analyses of three-dimensional flow through a single, blade row operating within a cylindrical duct, are derived. An existing numerical algorithm for determining time-accurate solutions of the nonlinear unsteady flow problem is described, and a numerical model, based upon this nonlinear flow solver, is formulated for the first-harmonic linear unsteady problem. The linearized aerodynamic and numerical models have been implemented into a first-harmonic unsteady flow code, called LINFLUX. At present this code applies only to two-dimensional flows, but an extension to three-dimensions is planned as future work. The three-dimensional aerodynamic and numerical formulations are described in this report. Numerical results for two-dimensional unsteady cascade flows, excited by prescribed blade motions and prescribed aerodynamic disturbances at inlet and exit, are also provided to illustrate the present capabilities of the LINFLUX analysis.

Computational and experimental studies of LEBUs at high device Reynolds numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bertelrud, Arild; Watson, R. D.

1988-01-01

The present paper summarizes computational and experimental studies for large-eddy breakup devices (LEBUs). LEBU optimization (using a computational approach considering compressibility, Reynolds number, and the unsteadiness of the flow) and experiments with LEBUs at high Reynolds numbers in flight are discussed. The measurements include streamwise as well as spanwise distributions of local skin friction. The unsteady flows around the LEBU devices and far downstream are characterized by strain-gage measurements on the devices and hot-wire readings downstream. Computations are made with available time-averaged and quasi-stationary techniques to find suitable device profiles with minimum drag.

Development of a nonlinear unsteady transonic flow theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahara, S. S.; Spreiter, J. R.

1973-01-01

A nonlinear, unsteady, small-disturbance theory capable of predicting inviscid transonic flows about aerodynamic configurations undergoing both rigid body and elastic oscillations was developed. The theory is based on the concept of dividing the flow into steady and unsteady components and then solving, by method of local linearization, the coupled differential equation for unsteady surface pressure distribution. The equations, valid at all frequencies, were derived for two-dimensional flows, numerical results, were obtained for two classses of airfoils and two types of oscillatory motions.

Evolution of Unsteady Groundwater Flow Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Xing; Jin, Menggui; Niu, Hong

2016-04-01

Natural groundwater flow is usually transient, especially in long time scale. A theoretical approach on unsteady groundwater flow systems was adopted to highlight some of the knowledge gaps in the evolution of groundwater flow systems. The specific consideration was focused on evolution of groundwater flow systems from unsteady to steady under natural and mining conditions. Two analytical solutions were developed, using segregation variable method to calculate the hydraulic head under steady and unsteady flow conditions. The impact of anisotropy ratio, hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific yield (μs) on the flow patterns were analyzed. The results showed that the area of the equal velocity region increased and the penetrating depth of the flow system decreased while the anisotropy ratio (ɛ = °Kx-/Kz--) increased. Stagnant zones were found in the flow field where the directions of streamlines were opposite. These stagnant zones moved up when the horizontal hydraulic conductivity increased. The results of the study on transient flow indicated a positive impact on hydraulic head with an increase of hydraulic conductivity, while a negative effect on hydraulic head was observed when the specific yield was enhanced. An unsteady numerical model of groundwater flow systems with annual periodic recharge was developed using MODFLOW. It was observed that the transient groundwater flow patterns were different from that developed in the steady flow under the same recharge intensity. The water table fluctuated when the recharge intensity altered. The monitoring of hydraulic head and concentration migration revealed that the unsteady recharge affected the shallow local flow system more than the deep regional flow system. The groundwater flow systems fluctuated with the action of one or more pumping wells. The comparison of steady and unsteady groundwater flow observation indicated that the unsteady flow patterns cannot be simulated by the steady model when the condition changes frequently. This study was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1403282 & 41272258).

Vortex scale of unsteady separation on a pitching airfoil.

PubMed

Fuchiwaki, Masaki; Tanaka, Kazuhiro

2002-10-01

The streaklines of unsteady separation on two kinds of pitching airfoils, the NACA65-0910 and a blunt trailing edge airfoil, were studied by dye flow visualization and by the Schlieren method. The latter visualized the discrete vortices shed from the leading edge. The results of these visualization studies allow a comparison between the dynamic behavior of the streakline of unsteady separation and that of the discrete vortices shed from the leading edge. The influence of the airfoil configuration on the flow characteristics was also examined. Furthermore, the scale of a discrete vortex forming the recirculation region was investigated. The non-dimensional pitching rate was k = 0.377, the angle of attack alpha(m) = 16 degrees and the pitching amplitude was fixed to A = +/-6 degrees for Re = 4.0 x 10(3) in this experiment.

Numerical solutions of the linearized Euler equations for unsteady vortical flows around lifting airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, James R.; Atassi, Hafiz M.

1990-01-01

A linearized unsteady aerodynamic analysis is presented for unsteady, subsonic vortical flows around lifting airfoils. The analysis fully accounts for the distortion effects of the nonuniform mean flow on the imposed vortical disturbances. A frequency domain numerical scheme which implements this linearized approach is described, and numerical results are presented for a large variety of flow configurations. The results demonstrate the effects of airfoil thickness, angle of attack, camber, and Mach number on the unsteady lift and moment of airfoils subjected to periodic vortical gusts. The results show that mean flow distortion can have a very strong effect on the airfoil unsteady response, and that the effect depends strongly upon the reduced frequency, Mach number, and gust wave numbers.

Numerical Study of Unsteady Flow in Centrifugal Cold Compressor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ning; Zhang, Peng; Wu, Jihao; Li, Qing

In helium refrigeration system, high-speed centrifugal cold compressor is utilized to pumped gaseous helium from saturated liquid helium tank at low temperature and low pressure for producing superfluid helium or sub-cooled helium. Stall and surge are common unsteady flow phenomena in centrifugal cold compressors which severely limit operation range and impact efficiency reliability. In order to obtain the installed range of cold compressor, unsteady flow in the case of low mass flow or high pressure ratio is investigated by the CFD. From the results of the numerical analysis, it can be deduced that the pressure ratio increases with the decrease in reduced mass flow. With the decrease of the reduced mass flow, backflow and vortex are intensified near the shroud of impeller. The unsteady flow will not only increase the flow loss, but also damage the compressor. It provided a numerical foundation of analyzing the effect of unsteady flow field and reducing the flow loss, and it is helpful for the further study and able to instruct the designing.

Estimation of Time Scales in Unsteady Flows in a Turbomachinery Rig

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewalle, Jacques; Ashpis, David E.

2004-01-01

Time scales in turbulent and transitional flow provide a link between experimental data and modeling, both in terms of physical content and for quantitative assessment. The problem of interest here is the definition of time scales in an unsteady flow. Using representative samples of data from GEAE low pressure turbine experiment in low speed research turbine facility with wake-induced transition, we document several methods to extract dominant frequencies, and compare the results. We show that conventional methods of time scale evaluation (based on autocorrelation functions and on Fourier spectra) and wavelet-based methods provide similar information when applied to stationary signals. We also show the greater flexibility of the wavelet-based methods when dealing with intermittent or strongly modulated data, as are encountered in transitioning boundary layers and in flows with unsteady forcing associated with wake passing. We define phase-averaged dominant frequencies that characterize the turbulence associated with freestream conditions and with the passing wakes downstream of a rotor. The relevance of these results for modeling is discussed in the paper.

Numerical investigation of velocity slip and temperature jump effects on unsteady flow over a stretching permeable surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseini, E.; Loghmani, G. B.; Heydari, M.; Rashidi, M. M.

2017-02-01

In this paper, the boundary layer flow and heat transfer of unsteady flow over a porous accelerating stretching surface in the presence of the velocity slip and temperature jump effects are investigated numerically. A new effective collocation method based on rational Bernstein functions is applied to solve the governing system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. This method solves the problem on the semi-infinite domain without truncating or transforming it to a finite domain. In addition, the presented method reduces the solution of the problem to the solution of a system of algebraic equations. Graphical and tabular results are presented to investigate the influence of the unsteadiness parameter A , Prandtl number Pr, suction parameter fw, velocity slip parameter γ and thermal slip parameter φ on the velocity and temperature profiles of the fluid. The numerical experiments are reported to show the accuracy and efficiency of the novel proposed computational procedure. Comparisons of present results are made with those obtained by previous works and show excellent agreement.

Sensitivity analysis for aeroacoustic and aeroelastic design of turbomachinery blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorence, Christopher B.; Hall, Kenneth C.

1995-01-01

A new method for computing the effect that small changes in the airfoil shape and cascade geometry have on the aeroacoustic and aeroelastic behavior of turbomachinery cascades is presented. The nonlinear unsteady flow is assumed to be composed of a nonlinear steady flow plus a small perturbation unsteady flow that is harmonic in time. First, the full potential equation is used to describe the behavior of the nonlinear mean (steady) flow through a two-dimensional cascade. The small disturbance unsteady flow through the cascade is described by the linearized Euler equations. Using rapid distortion theory, the unsteady velocity is split into a rotational part that contains the vorticity and an irrotational part described by a scalar potential. The unsteady vorticity transport is described analytically in terms of the drift and stream functions computed from the steady flow. Hence, the solution of the linearized Euler equations may be reduced to a single inhomogeneous equation for the unsteady potential. The steady flow and small disturbance unsteady flow equations are discretized using bilinear quadrilateral isoparametric finite elements. The nonlinear mean flow solution and streamline computational grid are computed simultaneously using Newton iteration. At each step of the Newton iteration, LU decomposition is used to solve the resulting set of linear equations. The unsteady flow problem is linear, and is also solved using LU decomposition. Next, a sensitivity analysis is performed to determine the effect small changes in cascade and airfoil geometry have on the mean and unsteady flow fields. The sensitivity analysis makes use of the nominal steady and unsteady flow LU decompositions so that no additional matrices need to be factored. Hence, the present method is computationally very efficient. To demonstrate how the sensitivity analysis may be used to redesign cascades, a compressor is redesigned for improved aeroelastic stability and two different fan exit guide vanes are redesigned for reduced downstream radiated noise. In addition, a framework detailing how the two-dimensional version of the method may be used to redesign three-dimensional geometries is presented.

A new method to calculate unsteady particle kinematics and drag coefficient in a subsonic post-shock flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordoloi, Ankur D.; Ding, Liuyang; Martinez, Adam A.; Prestridge, Katherine; Adrian, Ronald J.

2018-07-01

We introduce a new method (piecewise integrated dynamics equation fit, PIDEF) that uses the particle dynamics equation to determine unsteady kinematics and drag coefficient (C D) for a particle in subsonic post-shock flow. The uncertainty of this method is assessed based on simulated trajectories for both quasi-steady and unsteady flow conditions. Traditional piecewise polynomial fitting (PPF) shows high sensitivity to measurement error and the function used to describe C D, creating high levels of relative error (1) when applied to unsteady shock-accelerated flows. The PIDEF method provides reduced uncertainty in calculations of unsteady acceleration and drag coefficient for both quasi-steady and unsteady flows. This makes PIDEF a preferable method over PPF for complex flows where the temporal response of C D is unknown. We apply PIDEF to experimental measurements of particle trajectories from 8-pulse particle tracking and determine the effect of incident Mach number on relaxation kinematics and drag coefficient of micron-sized particles.

Assessment of numerical techniques for unsteady flow calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsieh, Kwang-Chung

1989-01-01

The characteristics of unsteady flow motions have long been a serious concern in the study of various fluid dynamic and combustion problems. With the advancement of computer resources, numerical approaches to these problems appear to be feasible. The objective of this paper is to assess the accuracy of several numerical schemes for unsteady flow calculations. In the present study, Fourier error analysis is performed for various numerical schemes based on a two-dimensional wave equation. Four methods sieved from the error analysis are then adopted for further assessment. Model problems include unsteady quasi-one-dimensional inviscid flows, two-dimensional wave propagations, and unsteady two-dimensional inviscid flows. According to the comparison between numerical and exact solutions, although second-order upwind scheme captures the unsteady flow and wave motions quite well, it is relatively more dissipative than sixth-order central difference scheme. Among various numerical approaches tested in this paper, the best performed one is Runge-Kutta method for time integration and six-order central difference for spatial discretization.

Numerical simulation of steady and unsteady asymmetric vortical flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kandil, Osama A.; Wong, Tin-Chee; Liu, C. H.

1992-01-01

The unsteady, compressible, thin-layer, Navier-Stokes (NS) equations are solved to simulate steady and unsteady, asymmetric, vortical laminar flow around cones at high incidences and supersonic Mach numbers. The equations are solved by using an implicit, upwind, flux-difference splitting (FDS), finite-volume scheme. The locally conical flow assumption is used and the solutions are obtained by forcing the conserved components of the flowfield vector to be equal at two axial stations located at 0.95 and 1.0. Computational examples cover steady and unsteady asymmetric flows around a circular cone and its control using side strakes. The unsteady asymmetric flow solution around the circular cone has also been validated using the upwind, flux-vector splitting (FVS) scheme with the thin-layer NS equations and the upwind FDS with the full NS equations. The results are in excellent agreement with each other. Unsteady asymmetric flows are also presented for elliptic- and diamond-section cones, which model asymmetric vortex shedding around round- and sharp-edged delta winds.

Experimental Study of the Effects of Periodic Unsteady Wakes on Flow Separation in Low Pressure Turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ozturk, Burak; Schobeiri, Meinhard T.

2009-01-01

The present study, which is the first of a series of investigations of low pressure turbine (LPT) boundary layer aerodynamics, is aimed at providing detailed unsteady boundary layer flow information to understand the underlying physics of the inception, onset, and extent of the separation zone. A detailed experimental study on the behavior of the separation zone on the suction surface of a highly loaded LPT-blade under periodic unsteady wake flow is presented. Experimental investigations were performed on a large-scale, high-subsonic unsteady turbine cascade research facility with an integrated wake generator and test section unit. Blade Pak B geometry was used in the cascade. The wakes were generated by continuously moving cylindrical bars device. Boundary layer investigations were performed using hot wire anemometry at Reynolds number of 110,000, based on the blade suction surface length and the exit velocity, for one steady and two unsteady inlet flow conditions, with the corresponding passing frequencies, wake velocities, and turbulence intensities. The reduced frequencies cover the entire operation range of LP-turbines. In addition to the unsteady boundary layer measurements, blade surface pressure measurements were performed at Re = 50,000, 75,000, 100,000, 110,000, and 125,000. For each Reynolds number, surface pressure measurements are carried out at one steady and two periodic unsteady inlet flow conditions. Detailed unsteady boundary layer measurement identifies the onset and extension of the separation zone as well as its behavior under unsteady wake flow. The results, presented in ensemble-averaged and contour plot forms, help to understand the physics of the separation phenomenon under periodic unsteady wake flow.

Dynamics of temporal variations in phonatory flow.

PubMed

Krane, Michael H; Barry, Michael; Wei, Timothy

2010-07-01

This paper addresses the dynamic relevance of time variations of phonatory airflow, commonly neglected under the quasisteady phonatory flow assumption. In contrast to previous efforts, which relied on direct measurement of glottal impedance, this work uses spatially and temporally resolved measurements of the velocity field to estimate the unsteady and convective acceleration terms in the unsteady Bernoulli equation. Theoretical considerations suggest that phonatory flow is inherently unsteady when two related conditions apply: (1) that the unsteady and convective accelerations are commensurate, and (2) that the inertia of the glottal jet is non-negligible. Acceleration waveforms, computed from experimental data, show that unsteady and convective accelerations to be the same order of magnitude, throughout the cycle, and that the jet flow contributes significantly to the unsteady acceleration. In the middle of the cycle, however, jet inertia is negligible because the convective and unsteady accelerations nearly offset one another in the jet region. These results, consistent with previous findings treating quasisteady phonatory flow, emphasize that unsteady acceleration cannot be neglected during the final stages of the phonation cycle, during which voice sound power and spectral content are largely determined. Furthermore, glottal jet dynamics must be included in any model of phonatory airflow.

Dynamics of temporal variations in phonatory flow1

PubMed Central

Krane, Michael H.; Barry, Michael; Wei, Timothy

2010-01-01

This paper addresses the dynamic relevance of time variations of phonatory airflow, commonly neglected under the quasisteady phonatory flow assumption. In contrast to previous efforts, which relied on direct measurement of glottal impedance, this work uses spatially and temporally resolved measurements of the velocity field to estimate the unsteady and convective acceleration terms in the unsteady Bernoulli equation. Theoretical considerations suggest that phonatory flow is inherently unsteady when two related conditions apply: (1) that the unsteady and convective accelerations are commensurate, and (2) that the inertia of the glottal jet is non-negligible. Acceleration waveforms, computed from experimental data, show that unsteady and convective accelerations to be the same order of magnitude, throughout the cycle, and that the jet flow contributes significantly to the unsteady acceleration. In the middle of the cycle, however, jet inertia is negligible because the convective and unsteady accelerations nearly offset one another in the jet region. These results, consistent with previous findings treating quasisteady phonatory flow, emphasize that unsteady acceleration cannot be neglected during the final stages of the phonation cycle, during which voice sound power and spectral content are largely determined. Furthermore, glottal jet dynamics must be included in any model of phonatory airflow. PMID:20649231

The role of unsteady buoyancy flux on transient eruption plume velocity structure and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chojnicki, K. N.; Clarke, A. B.; Phillips, J. C.

2010-12-01

Volcanic vent exit velocities, eruption column velocity profiles, and atmospheric entrainment are important parameters that control the evolution of explosive volcanic eruption plumes. New data sets tracking short-term variability in such parameters are becoming more abundant in volcanology and are being used to indirectly estimate eruption source conditions such vent flux, material properties of the plume, and source mechanisms. However, inadequate theory describing the relationships between time-varying source fluxes and evolution of unsteady turbulent flows such as eruption plumes, limits the interpretation potential of these data sets. In particular, the relative roles of gas-thrust and buoyancy in volcanic explosions is known to generate distinct differences in the ascent dynamics. Here we investigate the role of initial buoyancy in unsteady, short-duration eruption dynamics through scaled laboratory experiments and provide an empirical description of the relationship between unsteady source flux and plume evolution. The experiments involved source fluids of various densities (960-1000 kg/m3) injected, with a range of initial momentum and buoyancy, into a tank of fresh water through a range of vent diameters (3-15 mm). A scaled analysis was used to determine the fundamental parameters governing the evolution of the laboratory plumes as a function of unsteady source conditions. The subsequent model can be applied to predict flow front propagation speeds, and maximum flow height and width of transient volcanic eruption plumes which can not be adequately described by existing steady approximations. In addition, the model describes the relative roles of momentum or gas-thrust and buoyancy in plume motion which is suspected to be a key parameter in quantitatively defining explosive eruption style. The velocity structure of the resulting flows was measured using the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique in which velocity vector fields were generated from displacements in time-resolved video images of particles in the flow interior. Cross-sectional profiles of vertical velocity and entrainment of ambient fluid were characterized using the resulting velocity vector maps. These data elucidate the relationship between flow front velocity and internal velocity structure which may improve interpretations of field measurements of volcanic explosions. The velocity maps also demonstrate the role of buoyancy in enhancing ambient entrainment and converting vertical velocity to horizontal velocity, which may explain why buoyancy at the vent leads to faster deceleration of the flow.

Computation of Sound Generated by Flow Over a Circular Cylinder: An Acoustic Analogy Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brentner, Kenneth S.; Cox, Jared S.; Rumsey, Christopher L.; Younis, Bassam A.

1997-01-01

The sound generated by viscous flow past a circular cylinder is predicted via the Lighthill acoustic analogy approach. The two dimensional flow field is predicted using two unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solvers. Flow field computations are made for laminar flow at three Reynolds numbers (Re = 1000, Re = 10,000, and Re = 90,000) and two different turbulent models at Re = 90,000. The unsteady surface pressures are utilized by an acoustics code that implements Farassat's formulation 1A to predict the acoustic field. The acoustic code is a 3-D code - 2-D results are found by using a long cylinder length. The 2-D predictions overpredict the acoustic amplitude; however, if correlation lengths in the range of 3 to 10 cylinder diameters are used, the predicted acoustic amplitude agrees well with experiment.

Calculations of unsteady turbulent boundary layers with flow reversal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nash, J. F.; Patel, V. C.

1975-01-01

The results are presented of a series of computational experiments aimed at studying the characteristics of time-dependent turbulent boundary layers with embedded reversed-flow regions. A calculation method developed earlier was extended to boundary layers with reversed flows for this purpose. The calculations were performed for an idealized family of external velocity distributions, and covered a range of degrees of unsteadiness. The results confirmed those of previous studies in demonstrating that the point of flow reversal is nonsingular in a time-dependent boundary layer. A singularity was observed to develop downstream of reversal, under certain conditions, accompanied by the breakdown of the boundary-layer approximations. A tentative hypothesis was advanced in an attempt to predict the appearance of the singularity, and is shown to be consistent with the calculated results.

Parametric Studies of Flow Separation using Air Injection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Wei

2004-01-01

Boundary Layer separation causes the airfoil to stall and therefore imposes dramatic performance degradation on the airfoil. In recent years, flow separation control has been one of the active research areas in the field of aerodynamics due to its promising performance improvements on the lifting device. These active flow separation control techniques include steady and unsteady air injection as well as suction on the airfoil surface etc. This paper will be focusing on the steady and unsteady air injection on the airfoil. Although wind tunnel experiments revealed that the performance improvements on the airfoil using injection techniques, the details of how the key variables such as air injection slot geometry and air injection angle etc impact the effectiveness of flow separation control via air injection has not been studied. A parametric study of both steady and unsteady air injection active flow control will be the main objective for this summer. For steady injection, the key variables include the slot geometry, orientation, spacing, air injection velocity as well as the injection angle. For unsteady injection, the injection frequency will also be investigated. Key metrics such as lift coefficient, drag coefficient, total pressure loss and total injection mass will be used to measure the effectiveness of the control technique. A design of experiments using the Box-Behnken Design is set up in order to determine how each of the variables affects each of the key metrics. Design of experiment is used so that the number of experimental runs will be at minimum and still be able to predict which variables are the key contributors to the responses. The experiments will then be conducted in the 1ft by 1ft wind tunnel according to the design of experiment settings. The data obtained from the experiments will be imported into JMP, statistical software, to generate sets of response surface equations which represent the statistical empirical model for each of the metrics as a function of the key variables. Next, the variables such as the slot geometry can be optimized using the build-in optimizer within JMP. Finally, a wind tunnel testing will be conducted using the optimized slot geometry and other key variables to verify the empirical statistical model. The long term goal for this effort is to assess the impacts of active flow control using air injection at system level as one of the task plan included in the NASAs URETI program with Georgia Institute of Technology.

Steady and Unsteady Simulations of the Flow in an Impeller/Diffuser Stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canabal, Francisco; Dorney, Daniel J.; Garcia, Roberto; Turner, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

SLI engine designs will require pumps to throttle over a wide flow range while maintaining high performance. Unsteadiness generated by impeller/diffuser interaction is one of the major factors affecting off-design performance. Initial unsteady simulations are completed for impeller/diffuser stage. The Corsair simulations will continue across a wide flow range and for inducer/impeller/diffuser combinations. Results of unsteady simulations are being used to guide and explore new designs.

The role of surface vorticity during unsteady separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melius, Matthew S.; Mulleners, Karen; Cal, Raúl Bayoán

2018-04-01

Unsteady flow separation in rotationally augmented flow fields plays a significant role in a variety of fundamental flows. Through the use of time-resolved particle image velocimetry, vorticity accumulation and vortex shedding during unsteady separation over a three-dimensional airfoil are examined. The results of the study describe the critical role of surface vorticity accumulation during unsteady separation and reattachment. Through evaluation of the unsteady characteristics of the shear layer, it is demonstrated that the buildup and shedding of surface vorticity directly influence the dynamic changes of the separation point location. The quantitative characterization of surface vorticity and shear layer stability enables improved aerodynamic designs and has a broad impact within the field of unsteady fluid dynamics.

An Evaluation of the NEKTON Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

features could be studied. Test cases were chosen for which experimental data or analytic solutions exist. These test cases verify NEKTON’s unsteady flow ...including steady and unsteady incompressible flow problems in two or three spatial dimensions. NEKTON version 2.6, which was evaluated for this... unsteady flow decay of a free surface moderate [7] 2-D laminar flow flow past a cylinder 100 [7] 3-D Stokes flow spiral groove thrust bearing < 1 [8

In Search of the Physics: NASA's Approach to Airframe Noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macaraeg, Michele G.; Lockard, David P.; Streett, Craig L.

1999-01-01

An extensive numerical and experimental study of airframe noise mechanisms associated with a subsonic high-lift system has been performed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). Investigations involving both steady and unsteady computations and experiments on small-scale models with part-span flaps and full-span flaps are presented. Both surface (steady and unsteady pressure measurements, hot films, oil flows, pressure sensitive paint) and off-surface (5 holeprobe, particle-imaged velocimetry, laser velocimetry, laser light sheet measurements) were taken in the LaRC Quiet Flow Facility (QFF) and several hard-wall tunnels. Experiments in the Low Turbulence Pressure Tunnel (LTPT) included Reynolds number variations up to flight conditions. Successful microphone array measurements were also taken providing both acoustic source maps on the model, and quantitative spectra. Critical directivity measurements were obtained in the QFF. NASA Langley unstructured and structured Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes codes modeled the steady aspects of the flows. Excellent comparisons with surface and off-surface experimental data were obtained. Subsequently, these meanflow calculations were utilized in both linear stability and direct numerical simulations of the flow fields to calculate unsteady surface pressures and farfield acoustic spectra. Accurate calculations were critical in obtaining not only noise source characteristics, but shear layer correction data as well. Techniques utilized in these investigations as well as brief overviews of the results are given.

Investigation of oscillating cascade aerodynamics by an experimental influence coefficient technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buffum, Daniel H.; Fleeter, Sanford

1988-01-01

Fundamental experiments are performed in the NASA Lewis Transonic Oscillating Cascade Facility to investigate the torsion mode unsteady aerodynamics of a biconvex airfoil cascade at realistic values of the reduced frequency for all interblade phase angles at a specified mean flow condition. In particular, an unsteady aerodynamic influence coefficient technique is developed and utilized in which only one airfoil in the cascade is oscillated at a time and the resulting airfoil surface unsteady pressure distribution measured on one dynamically instrumented airfoil. The unsteady aerodynamics of an equivalent cascade with all airfoils oscillating at a specified interblade phase angle are then determined through a vector summation of these data. These influence coefficient determined oscillation cascade data are correlated with data obtained in this cascade with all airfoils oscillating at several interblade phase angle values. The influence coefficients are then utilized to determine the unsteady aerodynamics of the cascade for all interblade phase angles, with these unique data subsequently correlated with predictions from a linearized unsteady cascade model.

A Sample of NASA Langley Unsteady Pressure Experiments for Computational Aerodynamics Code Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuster, David M.; Scott, Robert C.; Bartels, Robert E.; Edwards, John W.; Bennett, Robert M.

2000-01-01

As computational fluid dynamics methods mature, code development is rapidly transitioning from prediction of steady flowfields to unsteady flows. This change in emphasis offers a number of new challenges to the research community, not the least of which is obtaining detailed, accurate unsteady experimental data with which to evaluate new methods. Researchers at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) have been actively measuring unsteady pressure distributions for nearly 40 years. Over the last 20 years, these measurements have focused on developing high-quality datasets for use in code evaluation. This paper provides a sample of unsteady pressure measurements obtained by LaRC and available for government, university, and industry researchers to evaluate new and existing unsteady aerodynamic analysis methods. A number of cases are highlighted and discussed with attention focused on the unique character of the individual datasets and their perceived usefulness for code evaluation. Ongoing LaRC research in this area is also presented.

Turbulent Boundary Layers in Oscillating Flows. Part 1: an Experimental and Computational Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, W. J.

1986-01-01

An experimental-computational study of the behavior of turbulent boundary layers for oscillating air flows over a plane surface with a small favorable mean pressure gradient is described. Experimental studies were conducted for boundary layers generated on the test section wall of a facility that produces a flow with a mean free stream velocity and a superposed nearly-pure sinusoidal component over a wide range of frequency. Flow at a nominal mean free stream velocity of 50 m/s were studied at atmospheric pressure and temperature at selected axial positions over a 2 m test length for frequencies ranging from 4 to 29 Hz. Quantitative experimental results are presented for unsteady velocity profiles and longitudinal turbulence levels obtained from hot wire anemometer measurements at three axial positions. Mean velocity profiles for oscillating flows were found to exhibit only small deviations from corresponding steady flow profiles, while amplitudes and phase relationships exhibited a strong dependence on axial position and frequency. Since sinusoidal flows could be generated over a wide range of frequency, studies at fixed values of reduced frequency at different axial positions were studied. Results show that there is some utility in the use of reduced frequency to correlate unsteady velocity results. The turbulence level u' sub rms was observed to vary essentially sinusoidally around values close to those measured in steady flow. However, the amplitude of oscillation and phase relations for turbulence level were found to be strongly frequency dependent. Numerical predictions were obtained using an unsteady boundary layer computational code and the Cebeci-Smith and Glushko turbulence models. Predicted quantities related to unsteady velocity profiles exhibit fair agreement with experiment when the Cebeci-Smith turbulence model is used.

Unsteady aerodynamics of an oscillating cascade in a compressible flow field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buffum, Daniel H.; Boldman, Donald R.; Fleeter, Sanford

1987-01-01

Fundamental experiments were performed in the NASA Lewis Transonic Oscillating Cascade Facility to investigate and quantify the unsteady aerodynamics of a cascade of biconvex airfoils executing torsion-mode oscillations at realistic reduced frequencies. Flush-mounted, high-response miniature pressure transducers were used to measure the unsteady airfoil surface pressures. The pressures were measured for three interblade phase angles at two inlet Mach numbers, 0.65 and 0.80, and two incidence angles, 0 and 7 deg. The time-variant pressures were analyzed by means of discrete Fourier transform techniques, and these unique data were then compared with predictions from a linearized unsteady cascade model. The experimental results indicate that the interblade phase angle had a major effect on the chordwise distributions of the airfoil surface unsteady pressure, and that reduced frequency, incidence angle, and Mach number had a somewhat less significant effect.

Steadiness in Dilute Pyroclastic Density Currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, B. J.

2015-12-01

Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) are often unsteady, as evidenced by direct observations of dilute lobes or jets emerging from the fronts of larger currents and by deposits that indicate transient transport and depositional regimes. We used scaled experiments to investigate unsteadiness in dilute PDCs. The experimental currents were run in an 8.5x6.1x2.6 m tank and comprised heated or ambient temperature 20-μm talc powder turbulently suspended in air. Experiments were scaled such that densimetric and thermal Richardson numbers, Froude number, and particle Stokes and settling numbers were dynamically similar to natural dilute PDCs. Although the experiment Reynolds numbers are substantially lower than those of natural PDCs, the experiments are fully turbulent. Experiments were observed with video and high-speed cameras and high-frequency thermocouples. Currents were generated with total eruption durations of 100 s. Unsteadiness in source conditions was produced by interrupting supply for intervals, t, with durations of 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 s in the experimental runs at 35 and 70 s. When t<2.5 s, the currents are indistinguishable from currents with steady supply. In runs with t=2.5-5 s, the individual pulses comprising each current are readily apparent near the source, but decay with distance downstream until the currents appear as single (e.g. steady) flows. In experiments with t=10 s, the 3 pulses comprising each run never merge and the currents remain unsteady. Comparison with the integral turbulent timescale, τ, and current velocity, U, show that unsteadiness is persistent when t>3<τ but currents are steady when t<τ. In currents with 3τ>t>τ, unsteadiness decays such that at a distance of ~4Ut, the currents are again steady. Applied to natural dilute PDCs, our results suggest that currents and their resulting deposits, will only show evidence of unsteadiness if they are disrupted for many seconds and those breaks may "heal" over distances of 100s of meters.

Unsteady specific work and isentropic efficiency of a radial turbine driven by pulsed detonations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouser, Kurt P.

There has been longstanding government and industry interest in pressure-gain combustion for use in Brayton cycle based engines. Theoretically, pressure-gain combustion allows heat addition with reduced entropy loss. The pulsed detonation combustor (PDC) is a device that can provide such pressure-gain combustion and possibly replace typical steady deflagration combustors. The PDC is inherently unsteady, however, and comparisons with conventional steady deflagration combustors must be based upon time-integrated performance variables. In this study, the radial turbine of a Garrett automotive turbocharger was coupled directly to and driven, full admission, by a PDC in experiments fueled by hydrogen or ethylene. Data included pulsed cycle time histories of turbine inlet and exit temperature, pressure, velocity, mass flow, and enthalpy. The unsteady inlet flowfield showed momentary reverse flow, and thus unsteady accumulation and expulsion of mass and enthalpy within the device. The coupled turbine-driven compressor provided a time-resolved measure of turbine power. Peak power increased with PDC fill fraction, and duty cycle increased with PDC frequency. Cycle-averaged unsteady specific work increased with fill fraction and frequency. An unsteady turbine efficiency formulation is proposed, including heat transfer effects, enthalpy flux-weighted total pressure ratio, and ensemble averaging over multiple cycles. Turbine efficiency increased with frequency but was lower than the manufacturer reported conventional steady turbine efficiency.

Dynamics of Active Separation Control at High Reynolds Numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pack, LaTunia G.; Seifert, Avi

2000-01-01

A series of active flow control experiments were recently conducted at high Reynolds numbers on a generic separated configuration. The model simulates the upper surface of a 20% thick Glauert-Goldschmied type airfoil at zero angle of attack. The flow is fully turbulent since the tunnel sidewall boundary layer flows over the model. The main motivation for the experiments is to generate a comprehensive data base for validation of unsteady numerical simulation as a first step in the development of a CFD design tool, without which it would not be possible to effectively utilize the great potential of unsteady flow control. This paper focuses on the dynamics of several key features of the baseline as well as the controlled flow. It was found that the thickness of the upstream boundary layer has a negligible effect on the flow dynamics. It is speculated that separation is caused mainly by the highly convex surface while viscous effects are less important. The two-dimensional separated flow contains unsteady waves centered on a reduced frequency of 0.8, while in the three dimensional separated flow, frequencies around a reduced frequency of 0.3 and 1 are active. Several scenarios of resonant wave interaction take place at the separated shear-layer and in the pressure recovery region. The unstable reduced frequency bands for periodic excitation are centered on 1.5 and 5, but these reduced frequencies are based on the length of the baseline bubble that shortens due to the excitation. The conventional swept wing-scaling works well for the coherent wave features. Reproduction of these dynamic effects by a numerical simulation would provide benchmark validation.

Characterization of Unsteady Flow Structures Near Landing-Edge Slat. Part 2; 2D Computations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khorrami, Mehdi; Choudhari, Meelan M.; Jenkins, Luther N.

2004-01-01

In our previous computational studies of a generic high-lift configuration, quasi-laminar (as opposed to fully turbulent) treatment of the slat cove region proved to be an effective approach for capturing the unsteady dynamics of the cove flow field. Combined with acoustic propagation via Ffowes Williams and Hawkings formulation, the quasi-laminar simulations captured some important features of the slat cove noise measured with microphone array techniques. However. a direct assessment of the computed cove flow field was not feasible due to the unavailability of off-surface flow measurements. To remedy this shortcoming, we have undertaken a combined experiment and computational study aimed at characterizing the flow structures and fluid mechanical processes within the slat cove region. Part I of this paper outlines the experimental aspects of this investigation focused on the 30P30N high-lift configuration; the present paper describes the accompanying computational results including a comparison between computation and experiment at various angles of attack. Even through predictions of the time-averaged flow field agree well with the measured data, the study indicates the need for further refinement of the zonal turbulence approach in order to capture the full dynamics of the cove's fluctuating flow field.

Plasma actuators for bluff body flow control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozlov, Alexey V.

The aerodynamic plasma actuators have shown to be efficient flow control devices in various applications. In this study the results of flow control experiments utilizing single dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators to control flow separation and unsteady vortex shedding from a circular cylinder in cross-flow are reported. This work is motivated by the need to reduce landing gear noise for commercial transport aircraft via an effective streamlining created by the actuators. The experiments are performed at Re D = 20,000...164,000. Circular cylinders in cross-flow are chosen for study since they represent a generic flow geometry that is similar in all essential aspects to a landing gear oleo or strut. The minimization of the unsteady flow separation from the models and associated large-scale wake vorticity by using actuators reduces the radiated aerodynamic noise. Using either steady or unsteady actuation at ReD = 25,000, Karman shedding is totally eliminated, turbulence levels in the wake decrease significantly and near-field sound pressure levels are reduced by 13.3 dB. Unsteady actuation at an excitation frequency of St D = 1 is found to be most effective. The unsteady actuation also has the advantage that total suppression of shedding is achieved for a duty cycle of only 25%. However, since unsteady actuation is associated with an unsteady body force and produces a tone at the actuation frequency, steady actuation is more suitable for noise control applications. Two actuation strategies are used at ReD = 82,000: spanwise and streamwise oriented actuators. Near field microphone measurements in an anechoic wind tunnel and detailed study of the near wake using LDA are presented in the study. Both spanwise and streamwise actuators give nearly the same noise reduction level of 11.2 dB and 14.2 dB, respectively, and similar changes in the wake velocity profiles. The contribution of the actuator induced noise is found to be small compared to the natural shedding noise. A tandem cylinder configuration with the plasma actuation on the upstream cylinder is investigated using surface dynamic pressure sensors. As a result of the plasma actuation, the surface pressure fluctuations on the downstream cylinder are reduced by about two times at the free-stream velocity of 40 m/s (ReD = 164,000). In addition, this study presents the results of a parametric experimental investigation aimed at optimizing the body force produced by single dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) plasma actuators used for aerodynamic flow control. A primary goal of the study is the improvement of actuator authority for flow control applications at higher Reynolds number than previously possible. The study examines the effects of dielectric material and thickness, applied voltage amplitude and frequency, voltage waveform, exposed electrode geometry, covered electrode width and multiple actuator arrays. The metric used to evaluate the performance of the actuator in each case is the measured actuator-induced thrust which is proportional to the total body force. It is demonstrated that actuators constructed with thick dielectric material of low dielectric constant and operated at low frequency AC voltage produce a body force that is an order of magnitude larger than that obtained by the Kapton-based actuators used in many previous plasma flow control studies. These actuators allow operation at much higher applied voltages without the formation of discrete streamers which lead to body force saturation.

Dynamic Load Predictions for Launchers Using Extra-Large Eddy Simulations X-Les

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maseland, J. E. J.; Soemarwoto, B. I.; Kok, J. C.

2005-02-01

Flow-induced unsteady loads can have a strong impact on performance and flight characteristics of aerospace vehicles and therefore play a crucial role in their design and operation. Complementary to costly flight tests and delicate wind-tunnel experiments, unsteady loads can be calculated using time-accurate Computational Fluid Dynamics. A capability to accurately predict the dynamic loads on aerospace structures at flight Reynolds numbers can be of great value for the design and analysis of aerospace vehicles. Advanced space launchers are subject to dynamic loads in the base region during the ascent to space. In particular the engine and nozzle experience aerodynamic pressure fluctuations resulting from massive flow separations. Understanding these phenomena is essential for performance enhancements for future launchers which operate a larger nozzle. A new hybrid RANS-LES turbulence modelling approach termed eXtra-Large Eddy Simulations (X-LES) holds the promise to capture the flow structures associated with massive separations and enables the prediction of the broad-band spectrum of dynamic loads. This type of method has become a focal point, reducing the cost of full LES, driven by the demand for their applicability in an industrial environment. The industrial feasibility of X-LES simulations is demonstrated by computing the unsteady aerodynamic loads on the main-engine nozzle of a generic space launcher configuration. The potential to calculate the dynamic loads is qualitatively assessed for transonic flow conditions in a comparison to wind-tunnel experiments. In terms of turn-around-times, X-LES computations are already feasible within the time-frames of the development process to support the structural design. Key words: massive separated flows; buffet loads; nozzle vibrations; space launchers; time-accurate CFD; composite RANS-LES formulation.

Dynamics of coherent flow structures of a pulsating unsteady glottal jet in human phonation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neubauer, Juergen; Miraghaie, Reza; Berry, David

2004-11-01

The primary sound source for human voice is oscillation of the vocal folds in the larynx. Phonation is the self-sustained oscillation of the viscoelastic vocal fold tissue driven by the air flow from the lung. It is due to the flow-induced Hopf instability of the biomechanical-aerodynamic system of vocal folds coupled to the aeroacoustic driving air flow. The aim of this study is to provide insight to the aero-acoustic part of the primary sound source of human voice. A physical rubber model of vocal folds with air flow conditions typical for human phonation was used. This model exhibits self-sustained oscillations similar to those in human phonation. The oscillating physical model can be regarded as a dynamic slit-like orifice that discharges a pulsating unsteady jet. A left-right flapping of the glottal jet axis was detected using hotwire anemometer measurements of the unsteady glottal jet. Flow visualization experiments revealed the detachment of the glottal jet from the physical model folds during the accelerating and decelerating phase of the jet pulsation. Roll-up of large-scale vortex rings as well as secondary vortex shedding in the form of Von Karman street due to shear layer instability were found downstream of the physical model.

A new method to calculate unsteady particle kinematics and drag coefficient in a subsonic post-shock flow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bordoloi, Ankur D.; Ding, Liuyang; Martinez, Adam A.

In this paper, we introduce a new method (piecewise integrated dynamics equation fit, PIDEF) that uses the particle dynamics equation to determine unsteady kinematics and drag coefficient (C D) for a particle in subsonic post-shock flow. The uncertainty of this method is assessed based on simulated trajectories for both quasi-steady and unsteady flow conditions. Traditional piecewise polynomial fitting (PPF) shows high sensitivity to measurement error and the function used to describe C D, creating high levels of relative error (>>1) when applied to unsteady shock-accelerated flows. The PIDEF method provides reduced uncertainty in calculations of unsteady acceleration and drag coefficientmore » for both quasi-steady and unsteady flows. This makes PIDEF a preferable method over PPF for complex flows where the temporal response of C D is unknown. Finally, we apply PIDEF to experimental measurements of particle trajectories from 8-pulse particle tracking and determine the effect of incident Mach number on relaxation kinematics and drag coefficient of micron-sized particles.« less

A new method to calculate unsteady particle kinematics and drag coefficient in a subsonic post-shock flow

DOE PAGES

Bordoloi, Ankur D.; Ding, Liuyang; Martinez, Adam A.; ...

2018-04-26

In this paper, we introduce a new method (piecewise integrated dynamics equation fit, PIDEF) that uses the particle dynamics equation to determine unsteady kinematics and drag coefficient (C D) for a particle in subsonic post-shock flow. The uncertainty of this method is assessed based on simulated trajectories for both quasi-steady and unsteady flow conditions. Traditional piecewise polynomial fitting (PPF) shows high sensitivity to measurement error and the function used to describe C D, creating high levels of relative error (>>1) when applied to unsteady shock-accelerated flows. The PIDEF method provides reduced uncertainty in calculations of unsteady acceleration and drag coefficientmore » for both quasi-steady and unsteady flows. This makes PIDEF a preferable method over PPF for complex flows where the temporal response of C D is unknown. Finally, we apply PIDEF to experimental measurements of particle trajectories from 8-pulse particle tracking and determine the effect of incident Mach number on relaxation kinematics and drag coefficient of micron-sized particles.« less

Numerical simulation of unsteady rotational flow over propfan configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, R.; Sankar, L. N.

1989-01-01

The objective is to develop efficient numerical techniques for the study of aeroelastic response of a propfan in an unsteady transonic flow. A three dimensional unsteady Euler solver is being modified to address this problem.

Minimum-domain impulse theory for unsteady aerodynamic force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, L. L.; Liu, L. Q.; Su, W. D.; Wu, J. Z.

2018-01-01

We extend the impulse theory for unsteady aerodynamics from its classic global form to finite-domain formulation then to minimum-domain form and from incompressible to compressible flows. For incompressible flow, the minimum-domain impulse theory raises the finding of Li and Lu ["Force and power of flapping plates in a fluid," J. Fluid Mech. 712, 598-613 (2012)] to a theorem: The entire force with discrete wake is completely determined by only the time rate of impulse of those vortical structures still connecting to the body, along with the Lamb-vector integral thereof that captures the contribution of all the rest disconnected vortical structures. For compressible flows, we find that the global form in terms of the curl of momentum ∇ × (ρu), obtained by Huang [Unsteady Vortical Aerodynamics (Shanghai Jiaotong University Press, 1994)], can be generalized to having an arbitrary finite domain, but the formula is cumbersome and in general ∇ × (ρu) no longer has discrete structures and hence no minimum-domain theory exists. Nevertheless, as the measure of transverse process only, the unsteady field of vorticity ω or ρω may still have a discrete wake. This leads to a minimum-domain compressible vorticity-moment theory in terms of ρω (but it is beyond the classic concept of impulse). These new findings and applications have been confirmed by our numerical experiments. The results not only open an avenue to combine the theory with computation-experiment in wide applications but also reveal a physical truth that it is no longer necessary to account for all wake vortical structures in computing the force and moment.

Some remarks on the design of transonic tunnels with low levels of flow unsteadiness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mabey, D. G.

1976-01-01

The principal sources of flow unsteadiness in the circuit of a transonic wind tunnel are presented. Care must be taken to avoid flow separations, acoustic resonances and large scale turbulence. Some problems discussed are the elimination of diffuser separations, the aerodynamic design of coolers and the unsteadiness generated in ventilated working sections.

Visualizing Time-Varying Phenomena In Numerical Simulations Of Unsteady Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, David A.

1996-01-01

Streamlines, contour lines, vector plots, and volume slices (cutting planes) are commonly used for flow visualization. These techniques are sometimes referred to as instantaneous flow visualization techniques because calculations are based on an instant of the flowfield in time. Although instantaneous flow visualization techniques are effective for depicting phenomena in steady flows,they sometimes do not adequately depict time-varying phenomena in unsteady flows. Streaklines and timelines are effective visualization techniques for depicting vortex shedding, vortex breakdown, and shock waves in unsteady flows. These techniques are examples of time-dependent flow visualization techniques, which are based on many instants of the flowfields in time. This paper describes the algorithms for computing streaklines and timelines. Using numerically simulated unsteady flows, streaklines and timelines are compared with streamlines, contour lines, and vector plots. It is shown that streaklines and timelines reveal vortex shedding and vortex breakdown more clearly than instantaneous flow visualization techniques.

Unsteady three-dimensional flow separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hui, W. H.

1988-01-01

A concise mathematical framework is constructed to study the topology of steady 3-D separated flows of an incompressible, or a compressible viscous fluid. Flow separation is defined by the existence of a stream surface which intersects with the body surface. The line of separation is itself a skin-friction line. Flow separation is classified as being either regular or singular, depending respectively on whether the line of separation contains only a finite number of singular points or is a singular line of the skin-friction field. The special cases of 2-D and axisymmetric flow separation are shown to be of singular type. In regular separation it is shown that a line of separation originates from a saddle point of separation of the skin-friction field and ends at nodal points of separation. Unsteady flow separation is defined relative to a coordinate system fixed to the body surface. It is shown that separation of an unsteady 3-D incompressible viscous flow at time t, when viewed from such a frame of reference, is topologically the same as that of the fictitious steady flow obtained by freezing the unsteady flow at the instant t. Examples are given showing effects of various forms of flow unsteadiness on flow separation.

Orbiter BLT Flight Experiment Wind Tunnel Simulations: Nearfield Flowfield Imaging and Surface Thermography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danehy, Paul M.; Ivey, Christoper B.; Barthel, Brett F.; Inman, Jennifer A.; Jones, Stephen B.; Watkins, Anthony N.; Goodman, Kyle Z.; McCrea, Andrew C.; Leighty, Bradley D.; Lipford, William K.;

An advanced panel method for analysis of arbitrary configurations in unsteady subsonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dusto, A. R.; Epton, M. A.

1980-01-01

An advanced method is presented for solving the linear integral equations for subsonic unsteady flow in three dimensions. The method is applicable to flows about arbitrary, nonplanar boundary surfaces undergoing small amplitude harmonic oscillations about their steady mean locations. The problem is formulated with a wake model wherein unsteady vorticity can be convected by the steady mean component of flow. The geometric location of the unsteady source and doublet distributions can be located on the actual surfaces of thick bodies in their steady mean locations. The method is an outgrowth of a recently developed steady flow panel method and employs the linear source and quadratic doublet splines of that method.

Deterministic Stress Modeling of Hot Gas Segregation in a Turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Busby, Judy; Sondak, Doug; Staubach, Brent; Davis, Roger

1998-01-01

Simulation of unsteady viscous turbomachinery flowfields is presently impractical as a design tool due to the long run times required. Designers rely predominantly on steady-state simulations, but these simulations do not account for some of the important unsteady flow physics. Unsteady flow effects can be modeled as source terms in the steady flow equations. These source terms, referred to as Lumped Deterministic Stresses (LDS), can be used to drive steady flow solution procedures to reproduce the time-average of an unsteady flow solution. The goal of this work is to investigate the feasibility of using inviscid lumped deterministic stresses to model unsteady combustion hot streak migration effects on the turbine blade tip and outer air seal heat loads using a steady computational approach. The LDS model is obtained from an unsteady inviscid calculation. The LDS model is then used with a steady viscous computation to simulate the time-averaged viscous solution. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional applications are examined. The inviscid LDS model produces good results for the two-dimensional case and requires less than 10% of the CPU time of the unsteady viscous run. For the three-dimensional case, the LDS model does a good job of reproducing the time-averaged viscous temperature migration and separation as well as heat load on the outer air seal at a CPU cost that is 25% of that of an unsteady viscous computation.

Numerical investigation of the unsteady tip leakage flow and rotating stall inception in a transonic compressor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yanfeng; Lu, Xingen; Chu, Wuli; Zhu, Junqiang

2010-08-01

It is well known that tip leakage flow has a strong effect on the compressor performance and stability. This paper reports on a numerical investigation of detailed flow structures in an isolated transonic compressor rotor-NASA Rotor 37 at near stall and stalled conditions aimed at improving understanding of changes in 3D tip leakage flow structures with rotating stall inception. Steady and unsteady 3D Navier-Stokes analyses were conducted to investigate flow structures in the same rotor. For steady analysis, the predicted results agree well with the experimental data for the estimation of compressor rotor global performance. For unsteady flow analysis, the unsteady flow nature caused by the breakdown of the tip leakage vortex in blade tip region in the transonic compressor rotor at near stall condition has been captured with a single blade passage. On the other hand, the time-accurate unsteady computations of multi-blade passage at near stall condition indicate that the unsteady breakdown of the tip leakage vortex triggered the short length-scale — spike type rotating stall inception at blade tip region. It was the forward spillage of the tip leakage flow at blade leading edge resulting in the spike stall inception. As the mass flow ratio is decreased, the rotating stall cell was further developed in the blade passage.

Investigation of Turbulent Tip Leakage Vortex in an Axial Water Jet Pump with Large Eddy Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hah, Chunill; Katz, Joseph

2012-01-01

Detailed steady and unsteady numerical studies were performed to investigate tip clearance flow in an axial water jet pump. The primary objective is to understand physics of unsteady tip clearance flow, unsteady tip leakage vortex, and cavitation inception in an axial water jet pump. Steady pressure field and resulting steady tip leakage vortex from a steady flow analysis do not seem to explain measured cavitation inception correctly. The measured flow field near the tip is unsteady and measured cavitation inception is highly transient. Flow visualization with cavitation bubbles shows that the leakage vortex is oscillating significantly and many intermittent vortex ropes are present between the suction side of the blade and the tip leakage core vortex. Although the flow field is highly transient, the overall flow structure is stable and a characteristic frequency seems to exist. To capture relevant flow physics as much as possible, a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) calculation and a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) were applied for the current investigation. The present study reveals that several vortices from the tip leakage vortex system cross the tip gap of the adjacent blade periodically. Sudden changes in local pressure field inside tip gap due to these vortices create vortex ropes. The instantaneous pressure filed inside the tip gap is drastically different from that of the steady flow simulation. Unsteady flow simulation which can calculate unsteady vortex motion is necessary to calculate cavitation inception accurately even at design flow condition in such a water jet pump.

Computational aeroelasticity using a pressure-based solver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamakoti, Ramji

A computational methodology for performing fluid-structure interaction computations for three-dimensional elastic wing geometries is presented. The flow solver used is based on an unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) model. A well validated k-ε turbulence model with wall function treatment for near wall region was used to perform turbulent flow calculations. Relative merits of alternative flow solvers were investigated. The predictor-corrector-based Pressure Implicit Splitting of Operators (PISO) algorithm was found to be computationally economic for unsteady flow computations. Wing structure was modeled using Bernoulli-Euler beam theory. A fully implicit time-marching scheme (using the Newmark integration method) was used to integrate the equations of motion for structure. Bilinear interpolation and linear extrapolation techniques were used to transfer necessary information between fluid and structure solvers. Geometry deformation was accounted for by using a moving boundary module. The moving grid capability was based on a master/slave concept and transfinite interpolation techniques. Since computations were performed on a moving mesh system, the geometric conservation law must be preserved. This is achieved by appropriately evaluating the Jacobian values associated with each cell. Accurate computation of contravariant velocities for unsteady flows using the momentum interpolation method on collocated, curvilinear grids was also addressed. Flutter computations were performed for the AGARD 445.6 wing at subsonic, transonic and supersonic Mach numbers. Unsteady computations were performed at various dynamic pressures to predict the flutter boundary. Results showed favorable agreement of experiment and previous numerical results. The computational methodology exhibited capabilities to predict both qualitative and quantitative features of aeroelasticity.

A practical model for pressure probe system response estimation (with review of existing models)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, B. F.; Povey, T.

2018-04-01

The accurate estimation of the unsteady response (bandwidth) of pneumatic pressure probe systems (probe, line and transducer volume) is a common practical problem encountered in the design of aerodynamic experiments. Understanding the bandwidth of the probe system is necessary to capture unsteady flow features accurately. Where traversing probes are used, the desired traverse speed and spatial gradients in the flow dictate the minimum probe system bandwidth required to resolve the flow. Existing approaches for bandwidth estimation are either complex or inaccurate in implementation, so probes are often designed based on experience. Where probe system bandwidth is characterized, it is often done experimentally, requiring careful experimental set-up and analysis. There is a need for a relatively simple but accurate model for estimation of probe system bandwidth. A new model is presented for the accurate estimation of pressure probe bandwidth for simple probes commonly used in wind tunnel environments; experimental validation is provided. An additional, simple graphical method for air is included for convenience.

Evaluation of methods for measuring relative permeability of anhydride from the Salado Formation: Sensitivity analysis and data reduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Christiansen, R.L.; Kalbus, J.S.; Howarth, S.M.

This report documents, demonstrates, evaluates, and provides theoretical justification for methods used to convert experimental data into relative permeability relationships. The report facilities accurate determination of relative permeabilities of anhydride rock samples from the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Relative permeability characteristic curves are necessary for WIPP Performance Assessment (PA) predictions of the potential for flow of waste-generated gas from the repository and brine flow into repository. This report follows Christiansen and Howarth (1995), a comprehensive literature review of methods for measuring relative permeability. It focuses on unsteady-state experiments and describes five methods for obtaining relativemore » permeability relationships from unsteady-state experiments. Unsteady-state experimental methods were recommended for relative permeability measurements of low-permeability anhydrite rock samples form the Salado Formation because these tests produce accurate relative permeability information and take significantly less time to complete than steady-state tests. Five methods for obtaining relative permeability relationships from unsteady-state experiments are described: the Welge method, the Johnson-Bossler-Naumann method, the Jones-Roszelle method, the Ramakrishnan-Cappiello method, and the Hagoort method. A summary, an example of the calculations, and a theoretical justification are provided for each of the five methods. Displacements in porous media are numerically simulated for the calculation examples. The simulated product data were processed using the methods, and the relative permeabilities obtained were compared with those input to the numerical model. A variety of operating conditions were simulated to show sensitivity of production behavior to rock-fluid properties.« less

Mass transfer from a circular cylinder: Effects of flow unsteadiness and slight nonuniformities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marziale, M. L.; Mayle, R. E.

1984-01-01

Experiments were performed to determine the effect of periodic variations in the angle of the flow incident to a turbine blade on its leading edge heat load. To model this situation, measurements were made on a circular cylinder oscillating rotationally in a uniform steady flow. A naphthalene mass transfer technique was developed and used in the experiments and heat transfer rates are inferred from the results. The investigation consisted of two parts. In the first, a stationary cylinder was used and the transfer rate was measured for Re = 75,000 to 110,000 and turbulence levels from .34 percent to 4.9 percent. Comparisons with both theory and the results of others demonstrate that the accuracy and repeatability of the developed mass transfer technique is about + or - 2 percent, a large improvement over similar methods. In the second part identical flow conditions were used but the cylinder was oscillated. A Strouhal number range from .0071 to .1406 was covered. Comparisons of the unsteady and steady results indicate that the magnitude of the effect of oscillation is small and dependent on the incident turbulence conditions.

Analysis of unsteady compressible viscous layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Power, G. D.; Verdon, J. M.; Kousen, K. A.

1990-01-01

The development of an analysis to predict the unsteady compressible flows in blade boundary layers and wakes is presented. The equations that govern the flows in these regions are transformed using an unsteady turbulent generalization of the Levy-Lees transformation. The transformed equations are solved using a finite difference technique in which the solution proceeds by marching in time and in the streamwise direction. Both laminar and turbulent flows are studied, the latter using algebraic turbulence and transition models. Laminar solutions for a flat plate are shown to approach classical asymptotic results for both high and low frequency unsteady motions. Turbulent flat-plate results are in qualitative agreement with previous predictions and measurements. Finally, the numerical technique is also applied to the stator and rotor of a low-speed turbine stage to determine unsteady effects on surface heating. The results compare reasonably well with measured heat transfer data and indicate that nonlinear effects have minimal impact on the mean and unsteady components of the flow.

Measurements With a Split-Fiber Probe in Complex Unsteady Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lepicovsky, Jan

2004-01-01

A split-fiber probe was used to acquire unsteady data in a research compressor. A calibration method was devised for a split-fiber probe, and a new algorithm was developed to decompose split-fiber probe signals into velocity magnitude and direction. The algorithm is based on the minimum value of a merit function that is built over the entire range of flow velocities for which the probe was calibrated. The split-fiber probe performance and signal decomposition was first verified in a free-jet facility by comparing the data from three thermo-anemometric probes, namely a single-wire, a single-fiber, and the split-fiber probe. All three probes performed extremely well as far as the velocity magnitude was concerned. However, there are differences in the peak values of measured velocity unsteadiness in the jet shear layer. The single-wire probe indicates the highest unsteadiness level, followed closely by the split-fiber probe. The single-fiber probe indicates a noticeably lower level of velocity unsteadiness. Experiments in the NASA Low Speed Axial Compressor facility revealed similar results. The mean velocities agreed well, and differences in the velocity unsteadiness are similar to the case of a free jet. A reason for these discrepancies is in the different frequency response characteristics of probes used. It follows that the single-fiber probe has the slowest frequency response. In summary, the split-fiber probe worked reliably during the entire program. The acquired data averaged in time followed closely data acquired by conventional pneumatic probes.

Separated flow over bodies of revolution using an unsteady discrete-vorticity cross wake. Part 1: Theory and application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, F. J.; Deffenbaugh, F. D.

1974-01-01

A method is developed to determine the flow field of a body of revolution in separated flow. The technique employed is the use of the computer to integrate various solutions and solution properties of the sub-flow fields which made up the entire flow field without resorting to a finite difference solution to the complete Navier-Stokes equations. The technique entails the use of the unsteady cross flow analogy and a new solution to the required two-dimensional unsteady separated flow problem based upon an unsteady, discrete-vorticity wake. Data for the forces and moments on aerodynamic bodies at low speeds and high angle of attack (outside the range of linear inviscid theories) such that the flow is substantially separated are produced which compare well with experimental data. In addition, three dimensional steady separation regions and wake vortex patterns are determined.

Separated flow over bodies of revolution using an unsteady discrete-vorticity cross wake. Part 2: Computer program description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, F. J.; Deffenbaugh, F. D.

1974-01-01

A method is developed to determine the flow field of a body of revolution in separated flow. The computer was used to integrate various solutions and solution properties of the sub-flow fields which made up the entire flow field without resorting to a finite difference solution to the complete Navier-Stokes equations. The technique entails the use of the unsteady cross flow analogy and a new solution to the two-dimensional unsteady separated flow problem based upon an unsteady, discrete-vorticity wake. Data for the forces and moments on aerodynamic bodies at low speeds and high angle of attack (outside the range of linear inviscid theories) such that the flow is substantially separated are produced which compare well with experimental data. In addition, three dimensional steady separated regions and wake vortex patterns are determined. The computer program developed to perform the numerical calculations is described.

Unsteady Thick Airfoil Aerodynamics: Experiments, Computation, and Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strangfeld, C.; Rumsey, C. L.; Mueller-Vahl, H.; Greenblatt, D.; Nayeri, C. N.; Paschereit, C. O.

2015-01-01

An experimental, computational and theoretical investigation was carried out to study the aerodynamic loads acting on a relatively thick NACA 0018 airfoil when subjected to pitching and surging, individually and synchronously. Both pre-stall and post-stall angles of attack were considered. Experiments were carried out in a dedicated unsteady wind tunnel, with large surge amplitudes, and airfoil loads were estimated by means of unsteady surface mounted pressure measurements. Theoretical predictions were based on Theodorsen's and Isaacs' results as well as on the relatively recent generalizations of van der Wall. Both two- and three-dimensional computations were performed on structured grids employing unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS). For pure surging at pre-stall angles of attack, the correspondence between experiments and theory was satisfactory; this served as a validation of Isaacs theory. Discrepancies were traced to dynamic trailing-edge separation, even at low angles of attack. Excellent correspondence was found between experiments and theory for airfoil pitching as well as combined pitching and surging; the latter appears to be the first clear validation of van der Wall's theoretical results. Although qualitatively similar to experiment at low angles of attack, two-dimensional URANS computations yielded notable errors in the unsteady load effects of pitching, surging and their synchronous combination. The main reason is believed to be that the URANS equations do not resolve wake vorticity (explicitly modeled in the theory) or the resulting rolled-up un- steady flow structures because high values of eddy viscosity tend to \\smear" the wake. At post-stall angles, three-dimensional computations illustrated the importance of modeling the tunnel side walls.

Numerical Leak Detection in a Pipeline Network of Complex Structure with Unsteady Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aida-zade, K. R.; Ashrafova, E. R.

2017-12-01

An inverse problem for a pipeline network of complex loopback structure is solved numerically. The problem is to determine the locations and amounts of leaks from unsteady flow characteristics measured at some pipeline points. The features of the problem include impulse functions involved in a system of hyperbolic differential equations, the absence of classical initial conditions, and boundary conditions specified as nonseparated relations between the states at the endpoints of adjacent pipeline segments. The problem is reduced to a parametric optimal control problem without initial conditions, but with nonseparated boundary conditions. The latter problem is solved by applying first-order optimization methods. Results of numerical experiments are presented.

Nonlinear dynamo action in a precessing cylindrical container.

PubMed

Nore, C; Léorat, J; Guermond, J-L; Luddens, F

2011-07-01

It is numerically demonstrated by means of a magnetohydrodynamics code that precession can trigger the dynamo effect in a cylindrical container. When the Reynolds number, based on the radius of the cylinder and its angular velocity, increases, the flow, which is initially centrosymmetric, loses its stability and bifurcates to a quasiperiodic motion. This unsteady and asymmetric flow is shown to be capable of sustaining dynamo action in the linear and nonlinear regimes. The magnetic field thus generated is unsteady and quadrupolar. These numerical evidences of dynamo action in a precessing cylindrical container may be useful for an experiment now planned at the Dresden sodium facility for dynamo and thermohydraulic studies in Germany.

Development of iterative techniques for the solution of unsteady compressible viscous flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sankar, Lakshmi; Hixon, Duane

1993-01-01

The work done under this project was documented in detail as the Ph. D. dissertation of Dr. Duane Hixon. The objectives of the research project were evaluation of the generalized minimum residual method (GMRES) as a tool for accelerating 2-D and 3-D unsteady flows and evaluation of the suitability of the GMRES algorithm for unsteady flows, computed on parallel computer architectures.

Numerical simulation of unsteady viscous flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hankey, Wilbur L.

1987-01-01

Most unsteady viscous flows may be grouped into two categories, i.e., forced and self-sustained oscillations. Examples of forced oscillations occur in turbomachinery and in internal combustion engines while self-sustained oscillations prevail in vortex shedding, inlet buzz, and wing flutter. Numerical simulation of these phenomena was achieved due to the advancement of vector processor computers. Recent progress in the simulation of unsteady viscous flows is addressed.

Simulation of Unsteady Flows Using an Unstructured Navier-Stokes Solver on Moving and Stationary Grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biedron, Robert T.; Vatsa, Veer N.; Atkins, Harold L.

2005-01-01

We apply an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) solver for unstructured grids to unsteady flows on moving and stationary grids. Example problems considered are relevant to active flow control and stability and control. Computational results are presented using the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model and are compared to experimental data. The effect of grid and time-step refinement are examined.

Unsteady viscous effects in the flow over an oscillating surface. [mathematical model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lerner, J. I.

1972-01-01

A theoretical model for the interaction of a turbulent boundary layer with an oscillating wavy surface over which a fluid is flowing is developed, with an application to wind-driven water waves and to panel flutter in low supersonic flow. A systematic methodology is developed to obtain the surface pressure distribution by considering separately the effects on the perturbed flow of a mean shear velocity profile, viscous stresses, the turbulent Reynolds stresses, compressibility, and three-dimensionality. The inviscid theory is applied to the wind-water wave problem by specializing to traveling-wave disturbances, and the pressure magnitude and phase shift as a function of the wave phase speed are computed for a logarithmic mean velocity profile and compared with inviscid theory and experiment. The results agree with experimental evidence for the stabilization of the panel motion due to the influence of the unsteady boundary layer.

Unsteady flow past an airfoil pitched at constant rate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lourenco, L.; Vandommelen, L.; Shib, C.; Krothapalli, A.

1992-01-01

The unsteady flow past a NACA 0012 airfoil that is undertaking a constant-rate pitching up motion is investigated experimentally by the PIDV technique in a water towing tank. The Reynolds number is 5000, based upon the airfoil's chord and the free-stream velocity. The airfoil is pitching impulsively from 0 to 30 deg. with a dimensionless pitch rate alpha of 0.131. Instantaneous velocity and associated vorticity data have been acquired over the entire flow field. The primary vortex dominates the flow behavior after it separates from the leading edge of the airfoil. Complete stall emerges after this vortex detaches from the airfoil and triggers the shedding of a counter-rotating vortex near the trailing edge. A parallel computational study using the discrete vortex, random walk approximation has also been conducted. In general, the computational results agree very well with the experiment.

Re-evaluation of an Optimized Second Order Backward Difference (BDF2OPT) Scheme for Unsteady Flow Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vatsa, Veer N.; Carpenter, Mark H.; Lockard, David P.

2009-01-01

Recent experience in the application of an optimized, second-order, backward-difference (BDF2OPT) temporal scheme is reported. The primary focus of the work is on obtaining accurate solutions of the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations over long periods of time for aerodynamic problems of interest. The baseline flow solver under consideration uses a particular BDF2OPT temporal scheme with a dual-time-stepping algorithm for advancing the flow solutions in time. Numerical difficulties are encountered with this scheme when the flow code is run for a large number of time steps, a behavior not seen with the standard second-order, backward-difference, temporal scheme. Based on a stability analysis, slight modifications to the BDF2OPT scheme are suggested. The performance and accuracy of this modified scheme is assessed by comparing the computational results with other numerical schemes and experimental data.

The Superorbital Expansion Tube concept, experiment and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neely, A. J.; Morgan, R. G.

1995-01-01

In response to the need for ground testing facilities for super orbital re-entry research, a small scale facility has been set up at the University of Queensland to demonstrate the superorbital expansion tube concept. This unique device is a free piston driven, triple diaphragm, impulse shock facility which uses the enthalpy multiplication mechanism of the unsteady expansion process and the addition of a secondary shock driver to further heat the driver gas. The pilot facility has been operated to produce quasi-steady test flows in air with shock velocities in excess of 13 km/s and with a usable test flow duration of the order of 15 micro sec. an experimental condition produced in the facility with total enthalpy of 108 MJ/kg and a total pressure of 335 MPa is reported. A simple analytical flow model which accounts for non-ideal rupture of the light tertiary diaphragm and the resulting entropy increase in the test gas is discussed. It is shown that equilibrium calculations more accurately model the unsteady expansion process than calculations assuming frozen chemistry. This is because the high enthalpy flows produced in the facility can only be achieved if the chemical energy stored in the test flow during shock heating of the test gas is partially returned to the flow during the process of unsteady expansion. Measurements of heat transfer rates to a flat plate demonstrate the usability of test flow for aerothermodynamic testing and comparison of these rates with empirical calculations confirms the usable accuracy of the flow model.

Comprehensive Validation of an Intermittency Transport Model for Transitional Low-Pressure Turbine Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suzen, Y. B.; Huang, P. G.

2005-01-01

A transport equation for the intermittency factor is employed to predict transitional flows under the effects of pressure gradients, freestream turbulence intensities, Reynolds number variations, flow separation and reattachment. and unsteady wake-blade interactions representing diverse operating conditions encountered in low-pressure turbines. The intermittent behaviour of the transitional flows is taken into account and incorporated into computations by modifying the eddy viscosity, Mu(sub t), with the intermittency factor, gamma. Turbulent quantities are predicted by using Menter's two-equation turbulence model (SST). The onset location of transition is obtained from correlations based on boundary-layer momentum thickness, acceleration parameter, and turbulence intensity. The intermittency factor is obtained from a transport model which can produce both the experimentally observed streamwise variation of intermittency and a realistic profile in the cross stream direction. The intermittency transport model is tested and validated against several well documented low pressure turbine experiments ranging from flat plate cases to unsteady wake-blade interaction experiments. Overall, good agreement between the experimental data and computational results is obtained illustrating the predicting capabilities of the model and the current intermittency transport modelling approach for transitional flow simulations.

Impact of Periodic Unsteadiness on Performance and Heat Load in Axial Flow Turbomachines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharma, Om P.; Stetson, Gary M.; Daniels, William A,; Greitzer, Edward M.; Blair, Michael F.; Dring, Robert P.

1997-01-01

Results of an analytical and experimental investigation, directed at the understanding of the impact of periodic unsteadiness on the time-averaged flows in axial flow turbomachines, are presented. Analysis of available experimental data, from a large-scale rotating rig (LSRR) (low speed rig), shows that in the time-averaged axisymmetric equations the magnitude of the terms representing the effect of periodic unsteadiness (deterministic stresses) are as large or larger than those due to random unsteadiness (turbulence). Numerical experiments, conducted to highlight physical mechanisms associated with the migration of combustor generated hot-streaks in turbine rotors, indicated that the effect can be simulated by accounting for deterministic stress like terms in the time-averaged mass and energy conservation equations. The experimental portion of this program shows that the aerodynamic loss for the second stator in a 1-1/2 stage turbine are influenced by the axial spacing between the second stator leading edge and the rotor trailing edge. However, the axial spacing has little impact on the heat transfer coefficient. These performance changes are believed to be associated with the change in deterministic stress at the inlet to the second stator. Data were also acquired to quantify the impact of indexing the first stator relative to the second stator. For the range of parameters examined, this effect was found to be of the same order as the effect of axial spacing.

Unsteady, one-dimensional gas dynamics computations using a TVD type sequential solver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakur, Siddharth; Shyy, Wei

1992-01-01

The efficacy of high resolution convection schemes to resolve sharp gradient in unsteady, 1D flows is examined using the TVD concept based on a sequential solution algorithm. Two unsteady flow problems are considered which include the problem involving the interaction of the various waves in a shock tube with closed reflecting ends and the problem involving the unsteady gas dynamics in a tube with closed ends subject to an initial pressure perturbation. It is concluded that high accuracy convection schemes in a sequential solution framework are capable of resolving discontinuities in unsteady flows involving complex gas dynamics. However, a sufficient amount of dissipation is required to suppress oscillations near discontinuities in the sequential approach, which leads to smearing of the solution profiles.

Unsteady Shear Disturbances Within a Two Dimensional Stratified Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yokota, Jeffrey W.

1992-01-01

The origin and evolution of shear disturbances within a stratified, inviscid, incompressible flow are investigated numerically by a Clebsch/Weber decomposition based scheme. In contrast to homogeneous flows, within which vorticity can be redistributed but not generated, the presence of a density stratification can render an otherwise irrotational flow vortical. In this work, a kinematic decomposition of the unsteady Euler equations separates the unsteady velocity field into rotational and irrotational components. The subsequent evolution of these components is used to study the influence various velocity disturbances have on both stratified and homogeneous flows. In particular, the flow within a two-dimensional channel is used to investigate the evolution of rotational disturbances, generated or convected, downstream from an unsteady inflow condition. Contrasting simulations of both stratified and homogeneous flows are used to distinguish between redistributed inflow vorticity and that which is generated by a density stratification.

Unsteady flow challenges tracking performance at vortex shedding frequencies without disrupting lift mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, Megan; Sponberg, Simon

2017-11-01

Birds, insects, and many animals use unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms to achieve stable hovering flight. Natural environments are often characterized by unsteady flows causing animals to dynamically respond to perturbations while performing complex tasks, such as foraging. Little is known about how unsteady flow around an animal interacts with already unsteady flow in the environment or how this impacts performance. We study how the environment impacts maneuverability to reveal any coupling between body dynamics and aerodynamics for hawkmoths, Manduca sexta,tracking a 3D-printed robotic flower in a wind tunnel. We also observe the leading-edge vortex (LEV), a known lift-generating mechanism for insect flight with smoke visualization. Moths in still and unsteady air exhibit near perfect tracking at low frequencies, but tracking in the flower wake results in larger overshoot at mid-range. Smoke visualization of the flower wake shows that the dominant vortex shedding corresponds to the same frequency band as the increased overshoot. Despite the large effect on flight dynamics, the LEV remains bound to the wing and thorax throughout the wingstroke. In general, unsteady wind seems to decrease maneuverability, but LEV stability seems decoupled from changes in flight dynamics.

Numerical simulation of unsteady free surface flow and dynamic performance for a Pelton turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Y. X.; Cui, T.; Wang, Z. W.; Yan, Z. G.

2012-11-01

Different from the reaction turbines, the hydraulic performance of the Pelton turbine is dynamic due to the unsteady free surface flow in the rotating buckets in time and space. This paper aims to present the results of investigations conducted on the free surface flow in a Pelton turbine rotating buckets. The unsteady numerical simulations were performed with the CFX code by using the Realizable k-ε turbulence model coupling the two-phase flow volume of fluid method. The unsteady free surface flow patterns and torque varying with the bucket rotating were analysed. The predicted relative performance at five operating conditions was compared with the field test results. The study was also conducted the interactions between the bucket rear and the water jet.

Experimental validation of an ultrasonic flowmeter for unsteady flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leontidis, V.; Cuvier, C.; Caignaert, G.; Dupont, P.; Roussette, O.; Fammery, S.; Nivet, P.; Dazin, A.

2018-04-01

An ultrasonic flowmeter was developed for further applications in cryogenic conditions and for measuring flow rate fluctuations in the range of 0 to 70 Hz. The prototype was installed in a flow test rig, and was validated experimentally both in steady and unsteady water flow conditions. A Coriolis flowmeter was used for the calibration under steady state conditions, whereas in the unsteady case the validation was done simultaneously against two methods: particle image velocimetry (PIV), and with pressure transducers installed flush on the wall of the pipe. The results show that the developed flowmeter and the proposed methodology can accurately measure the frequency and amplitude of unsteady fluctuations in the experimental range of 0-9 l s-1 of the mean main flow rate and 0-70 Hz of the imposed disturbances.

Calculated hydrographs for unsteady research flows at selected sites along the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, 1990 and 1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griffin, Eleanor R.; Wiele, Stephen M.

1996-01-01

A one-dimensional model of unsteady discharge waves was applied to research flowr that were released from Glen Canyon Dam in support of the Glen Canyon Environmental Studies. These research flows extended over periods of 11 days during which the discharge followed specific, regular patterns repeated on a daily cycle that were similar to the daily releases for power generation. The model was used to produce discharge hydrographs at 38 selected sites in Marble and Grand Canyons for each of nine unsteady flows released from the dam in 1990 and 1991. In each case, the discharge computed from stage measurements and the associated stage-discharge relation at the streamflow-gaging station just below the dam (09379910 Colorado River Hlow Glen Canyon Dam) was routed to Diamond Creek, which is 386 kilometers downstream. Steady and unsteady tributary inflows downstream from the dam were included in the model calculations. Steady inflow to the river from tributaries downstream from the dam was determined for each case by comparing the steady base flow preceding and following the unsteady flow measured at six streamflow-gaging stations between Glen Canyon Dam and Diamond Creek. During three flow periods, significant unsteady inflow was received from the Paria River, or the Little Colorado River, or both. The amount and timing of unsteady inflow was determined using the discharge computed from records of streamflow-gaging stations on the tributaries. Unsteady flow then was added to the flow calculated by the model at the appropriate location. Hydrographs were calculated using the model at 5 streamflow-gaging stations downstream from the dam and at 33 beach study sites. Accuracy of model results was evaluated by comparing the results to discharge hydrographs computed from the records of the five streamflow-gaging stations between Lees Ferry and Lake Mead. Results show that model predictions of wave speed and shape agree well with data from the five streamflow-gaging stations.

Friction in debris flows: inferences from large-scale flume experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iverson, Richard M.; LaHusen, Richard G.; ,

1993-01-01

A recently constructed flume, 95 m long and 2 m wide, permits systematic experimentation with unsteady, nonuniform flows of poorly sorted geological debris. Preliminary experiments with water-saturated mixtures of sand and gravel show that they flow in a manner consistent with Coulomb frictional behavior. The Coulomb flow model of Savage and Hutter (1989, 1991), modified to include quasi-static pore-pressure effects, predicts flow-front velocities and flow depths reasonably well. Moreover, simple scaling analyses show that grain friction, rather than liquid viscosity or grain collisions, probably dominates shear resistance and momentum transport in the experimental flows. The same scaling indicates that grain friction is also important in many natural debris flows.

Active Control of Flow Separation Over an Airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravindran, S. S.

1999-01-01

Designing an aircraft without conventional control surfaces is of interest to aerospace community. In this direction, smart actuator devices such as synthetic jets have been proposed to provide aircraft maneuverability instead of control surfaces. In this article, a numerical study is performed to investigate the effects of unsteady suction and blowing on airfoils. The unsteady suction and blowing is introduced at the leading edge of the airfoil in the form of tangential jet. Numerical solutions are obtained using Reynolds-Averaged viscous compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Unsteady suction and blowing is investigated as a means of separation control to obtain lift on airfoils. The effect of blowing coefficients on lift and drag is investigated. The numerical simulations are compared with experiments from the Tel-Aviv University (TAU). These results indicate that unsteady suction and blowing can be used as a means of separation control to generate lift on airfoils.

Theoretical and Numerical Studies of a Vortex - Interaction Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, To-Ming

The problem of vortex-airfoil interaction has received considerable interest in the helicopter industry. This phenomenon has been shown to be a major source of noise, vibration, and structural fatigue in helicopter flight. Since unsteady flow is always associated with vortex shedding and movement of free vortices, the problem of vortex-airfoil interaction also serves as a basic building block in unsteady aerodynamics. A careful study of the vortex-airfoil interaction reveals the major effects of the vortices on the generation of unsteady aerodynamic forces, especially the lift. The present work establishes three different flow models to study the vortex-airfoil interaction problem: a theoretical model, an inviscid flow model, and a viscous flow model. In the first two models, a newly developed aerodynamic force theorem has been successfully applied to identify the contributions to unsteady forces from various vortical systems in the flow field. Through viscous flow analysis, different features of laminar interaction, turbulent attached interaction, and turbulent separated interaction are examined. Along with the study of the vortex-airfoil interaction problem, several new schemes are developed for inviscid and viscous flow solutions. New formulas are derived to determine the trailing edge flow conditions, such as flow velocity and direction, in unsteady inviscid flow. A new iteration scheme that is faster for higher Reynolds number is developed for solving the viscous flow problem.

Flow behavior in the Wright Brothers Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Genn, S.

1984-01-01

It has become increasingly apparent that a reexamination of the flow characteristics in the low speed Wright Brothers Facility (WBF) is of some importance in view of recent improvements in the precision of the data acquisition system. In particular, the existence of local regions of separation, if any, in back portions of the circuit, and possible related unsteadiness, are of interest. Observations from that initial experiment did indicate some unsteady air flow problems in the cross leg, and thereafter the test region (Section A) was calibrated quantitatively. The intent was to learn something about the effect of upstream intermittent behavior flow on the test section flow, as well as to provide an extensive calibration as a standard for the effects induced by future alteration of the tunnel. Distributions of total pressure coefficients were measured first at one cross-section plane of the test section, namely the model station. Data were obtained for several tunnel speeds. The reduced data yielded an unexpected distribution involving larger pressures along the inside wall.

Program to develop a performance and heat load prediction system for multistage turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharma, OM

1994-01-01

Flows in low-aspect ratio turbines, such as the SSME fuel turbine, are three dimensional and highly unsteady due to the relative motion of adjacent airfoil rows and the circumferential and spanwise gradients in total pressure and temperature, The systems used to design these machines, however, are based on the assumption that the flow is steady. The codes utilized in these design systems are calibrated against turbine rig and engine data through the use of empirical correlations and experience factors. For high aspect ratio turbines, these codes yield reasonably accurate estimates of flow and temperature distributions. However, future design trends will see lower aspect ratio (reduced number of parts) and higher inlet temperature which will result in increased three dimensionality and flow unsteadiness in turbines. Analysis of recently acquired data indicate that temperature streaks and secondary flows generated in combustors and up-stream airfoils can have a large impact on the time-averaged temperature and angle distributions in downstream airfoil rows.

Unsteady Flow Interactions Between Pitching Wings In Schooling Arrangements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurt, Melike; Moored, Keith

2017-11-01

In nature, many fish aggregate into large groups or schools for protection against predators, for social interactions and to save energy during migrations. Regardless of their prime motivation, fish experience three-dimensional flow interactions amongst themselves that can improve or hamper swimming performance and give rise to fluid-mediated forces between individuals. To date, the unsteady, three-dimensional flow interactions among schooling fish remains relatively unexplored. In order to study these interactions, the caudal fins of two interacting fish are idealized as two finite span pitching wings arranged in mixtures of canonical in-line and side-by-side arrangements. The forces and moments acting on the wings in the streamwise and cross-stream directions are quantified as the arrangement and the phase delay between the wings is altered. Particle image velocimetry is employed to characterize the flow physics during high efficiency locomotion. Finally, the forces and flowfields of two-dimensional pitching wings are compared with three-dimensional wings to distinguish how three-dimensionality alters the flow interactions in schools of fish.

Transient simulation of hydropower station with consideration of three-dimensional unsteady flow in turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, W. D.; Fan, H. G.; Chen, N. X.

2012-11-01

To study the interaction between the transient flow in pipe and the unsteady turbulent flow in turbine, a coupled model of the transient flow in the pipe and three-dimensional unsteady flow in the turbine is developed based on the method of characteristics and the fluid governing equation in the accelerated rotational relative coordinate. The load-rejection process under the closing of guide vanes of the hydraulic power plant is simulated by the coupled method, the traditional transient simulation method and traditional three-dimensional unsteady flow calculation method respectively and the results are compared. The pressure, unit flux and rotation speed calculated by three methods show a similar change trend. However, because the elastic water hammer in the pipe and the pressure fluctuation in the turbine have been considered in the coupled method, the increase of pressure at spiral inlet is higher and the pressure fluctuation in turbine is stronger.

A Physics-Based Means of Computing the Flow Around a Maneuvering Underwater Vehicle

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-01-01

complex unsteady flows . However, as noted previously, no experimental data is available for a propelled SUBOFF configuration. Therefore, the team...7.8 Prolate Spheroid ( Unsteady ) 47 7.9 SUBOFF with a Body- Force Propeller Model 49 7.10 Freestream Propeller 50 7.11 SUBOFF with a...agreement for all of the steady and unsteady flow computations with experimental data and analytical solutions has been considered reasonable to excellent

Experimental Investigation of the Unsteady Flow Structures of Two Interacting Pitching Wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurt, Melike; Moored, Keith

2015-11-01

Birds, insects and fish propel themselves with unsteady motions of their wings and fins. Many of these animals are also found to fly or swim in three-dimensional flocks and schools. Numerous studies have explored the three-dimensional steady flow interactions and the two-dimensional unsteady flow interactions in collectives. Yet, the characterization of the three-dimensional unsteady interactions remains relatively unexplored. This study aims to characterize the flow structures and interactions between two sinusoidally pitching finite-span wings. The arrangement of the wings varies from a tandem to a bi-plane configuration. The vortex structures for these various arrangements are quantified by using particle image velocimetry. The vortex-wing interactions are also characterized as the synchrony between the wings is modified.

Unsteady Flow in a Supersonic Turbine with Variable Specific Heats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorney, Daniel J.; Griffin, Lisa W.; Huber, Frank; Sondak, Douglas L.; Turner, James (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Modern high-work turbines can be compact, transonic, supersonic, counter-rotating, or use a dense drive gas. The vast majority of modern rocket turbine designs fall into these Categories. These turbines usually have large temperature variations across a given stage, and are characterized by large amounts of flow unsteadiness. The flow unsteadiness can have a major impact on the turbine performance and durability. For example, the Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) fuel turbine, a high work, transonic design, was found to have an unsteady inter-row shock which reduced efficiency by 2 points and increased dynamic loading by 24 percent. The Revolutionary Reusable Technology Turbopump (RRTT), which uses full flow oxygen for its drive gas, was found to shed vortices with such energy as to raise serious blade durability concerns. In both cases, the sources of the problems were uncovered (before turbopump testing) with the application of validated, unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to the designs. In the case of the RRTT and the Alternate Turbopump Development (ATD) turbines, the unsteady CFD codes have been used not just to identify problems, but to guide designs which mitigate problems due to unsteadiness. Using unsteady flow analyses as a part of the design process has led to turbine designs with higher performance (which affects temperature and mass flow rate) and fewer dynamics problems. One of the many assumptions made during the design and analysis of supersonic turbine stages is that the values of the specific heats are constant. In some analyses the value is based on an average of the expected upstream and downstream temperatures. In stages where the temperature can vary by 300 to 500 K, however, the assumption of constant fluid properties may lead to erroneous performance and durability predictions. In this study the suitability of assuming constant specific heats has been investigated by performing three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes simulations for a supersonic turbine stage.

Prospects for Nonlinear Laser Diagnostics in the Jet Noise Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herring, Gregory C.; Hart, Roger C.; Fletcher, mark T.; Balla, R. Jeffrey; Henderson, Brenda S.

2007-01-01

Two experiments were conducted to test whether optical methods, which rely on laser beam coherence, would be viable for off-body flow measurement in high-density, compressible-flow wind tunnels. These tests measured the effects of large, unsteady density gradients on laser diagnostics like laser-induced thermal acoustics (LITA). The first test was performed in the Low Speed Aeroacoustics Wind Tunnel (LSAWT) of NASA Langley Research Center's Jet Noise Laboratory (JNL). This flow facility consists of a dual-stream jet engine simulator (with electric heat and propane burners) exhausting into a simulated flight stream, reaching Mach numbers up to 0.32. A laser beam transited the LSAWT flow field and was imaged with a high-speed gated camera to measure beam steering and transverse mode distortion. A second, independent test was performed on a smaller laboratory jet (Mach number < 1.2 and mass flow rate < 0.1 kg/sec). In this test, time-averaged LITA velocimetry and thermometry were performed at the jet exit plane, where the effect of unsteady density gradients is observed on the LITA signal. Both experiments show that LITA (and other diagnostics relying on beam overlap or coherence) faces significant hurdles in the high-density, compressible, and turbulent flow environments similar to those of the JNL.

Unsteady transonic potential flow over a flexible fuselage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibbons, Michael D.

1993-01-01

A flexible fuselage capability has been developed and implemented within version 1.2 of the CAP-TSD code. The capability required adding time dependent terms to the fuselage surface boundary conditions and the fuselage surface pressure coefficient. The new capability will allow modeling the effect of a flexible fuselage on the aeroelastic stability of complex configurations. To assess the flexible fuselage capability several steady and unsteady calculations have been performed for slender fuselages with circular cross-sections. Steady surface pressures are compared with experiment at transonic flight conditions. Unsteady cross-sectional lift is compared with other analytical results at a low subsonic speed and a transonic case has been computed. The comparisons demonstrate the accuracy of the flexible fuselage modifications.

Simulations of Bluff Body Flow Interaction for Noise Source Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khorrami, Medi R.; Lockard David P.; Choudhari, Meelan M.; Jenkins, Luther N.; Neuhart, Dan H.; McGinley, Catherine B.

2006-01-01

The current study is a continuation of our effort to characterize the details of flow interaction between two cylinders in a tandem configuration. This configuration is viewed to possess many of the pertinent flow features of the highly interactive unsteady flow field associated with the main landing gear of large civil transports. The present effort extends our previous two-dimensional, unsteady, Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes computations to three dimensions using a quasilaminar, zonal approach, in conjunction with a two-equation turbulence model. Two distinct separation length-to-diameter ratios of L/D = 3.7 and 1.435, representing intermediate and short separation distances between the two cylinders, are simulated. The Mach 0.166 simulations are performed at a Reynolds number of Re = 1.66 105 to match the companion experiments at NASA Langley Research Center. Extensive comparisons with the measured steady and unsteady surface pressure and off-surface particle image velocimetry data show encouraging agreement. Both prominent and some of the more subtle trends in the mean and fluctuating flow fields are correctly predicted. Both computations and the measured data reveal a more robust and energetic shedding process at L/D = 3.7 in comparison with the weaker shedding in the shorter separation case of L/D = 1.435. The vortex shedding frequency based on the computed surface pressure spectra is in reasonable agreement with the measured Strouhal frequency.

Algorithm and code development for unsteady three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Obayashi, Shigeru

1994-01-01

Aeroelastic tests require extensive cost and risk. An aeroelastic wind-tunnel experiment is an order of magnitude more expensive than a parallel experiment involving only aerodynamics. By complementing the wind-tunnel experiments with numerical simulations, the overall cost of the development of aircraft can be considerably reduced. In order to accurately compute aeroelastic phenomenon it is necessary to solve the unsteady Euler/Navier-Stokes equations simultaneously with the structural equations of motion. These equations accurately describe the flow phenomena for aeroelastic applications. At ARC a code, ENSAERO, is being developed for computing the unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelasticity of aircraft, and it solves the Euler/Navier-Stokes equations. The purpose of this cooperative agreement was to enhance ENSAERO in both algorithm and geometric capabilities. During the last five years, the algorithms of the code have been enhanced extensively by using high-resolution upwind algorithms and efficient implicit solvers. The zonal capability of the code has been extended from a one-to-one grid interface to a mismatching unsteady zonal interface. The geometric capability of the code has been extended from a single oscillating wing case to a full-span wing-body configuration with oscillating control surfaces. Each time a new capability was added, a proper validation case was simulated, and the capability of the code was demonstrated.

Prediction of unsteady airfoil flows at large angles of incidence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cebeci, Tuncer; Jang, H. M.; Chen, H. H.

1992-01-01

The effect of the unsteady motion of an airfoil on its stall behavior is of considerable interest to many practical applications including the blades of helicopter rotors and of axial compressors and turbines. Experiments with oscillating airfoils, for example, have shown that the flow can remain attached for angles of attack greater than those which would cause stall to occur in a stationary system. This result appears to stem from the formation of a vortex close to the surface of the airfoil which continues to provide lift. It is also evident that the onset of dynamic stall depends strongly on the airfoil section, and as a result, great care is required in the development of a calculation method which will accurately predict this behavior.

A computational study on oblique shock wave-turbulent boundary layer interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joy, Md. Saddam Hossain; Rahman, Saeedur; Hasan, A. B. M. Toufique; Ali, M.; Mitsutake, Y.; Matsuo, S.; Setoguchi, T.

2016-07-01

A numerical computation of an oblique shock wave incident on a turbulent boundary layer was performed for free stream flow of air at M∞ = 2.0 and Re1 = 10.5×106 m-1. The oblique shock wave was generated from a 8° wedge. Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulation with k-ω SST turbulence model was first utilized for two dimensional (2D) steady case. The results were compared with the experiment at the same flow conditions. Further, to capture the unsteadiness, a 2D Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with sub-grid scale model WMLES was performed which showed the unsteady effects. The frequency of the shock oscillation was computed and was found to be comparable with that of experimental measurement.

A numerical study of the 2- and 3-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes equations in velocity-vorticity variables using compact difference schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatski, T. B.; Grosch, C. E.

1984-01-01

A compact finite-difference approximation to the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations in velocity-vorticity variables is used to numerically simulate a number of flows. These include two-dimensional laminar flow of a vortex evolving over a flat plate with an embedded cavity, the unsteady flow over an elliptic cylinder, and aspects of the transient dynamics of the flow over a rearward facing step. The methodology required to extend the two-dimensional formulation to three-dimensions is presented.

Development of a linearized unsteady aerodynamic analysis for cascade gust response predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verdon, Joseph M.; Hall, Kenneth C.

1990-01-01

A method for predicting the unsteady aerodynamic response of a cascade of airfoils to entropic, vortical, and acoustic gust excitations is being developed. Here, the unsteady flow is regarded as a small perturbation of a nonuniform isentropic and irrotational steady background flow. A splitting technique is used to decompose the linearized unsteady velocity into rotational and irrotational parts leading to equations for the complex amplitudes of the linearized unsteady entropy, rotational velocity, and velocity potential that are coupled only sequentially. The entropic and rotational velocity fluctuations are described by transport equations for which closed-form solutions in terms of the mean-flow drift and stream functions can be determined. The potential fluctuation is described by an inhomogeneous convected wave equation in which the source term depends on the rotational velocity field, and is determined using finite-difference procedures. The analytical and numerical techniques used to determine the linearized unsteady flow are outlined. Results are presented to indicate the status of the solution procedure and to demonstrate the impact of blade geometry and mean blade loading on the aerodynamic response of cascades to vortical gust excitations. The analysis described herein leads to very efficient predictions of cascade unsteady aerodynamic response phenomena making it useful for turbomachinery aeroelastic and aeroacoustic design applications.

Solution of steady and unsteady transonic-vortex flows using Euler and full-potential equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kandil, Osama A.; Chuang, Andrew H.; Hu, Hong

1989-01-01

Two methods are presented for inviscid transonic flows: unsteady Euler equations in a rotating frame of reference for transonic-vortex flows and integral solution of full-potential equation with and without embedded Euler domains for transonic airfoil flows. The computational results covered: steady and unsteady conical vortex flows; 3-D steady transonic vortex flow; and transonic airfoil flows. The results are in good agreement with other computational results and experimental data. The rotating frame of reference solution is potentially efficient as compared with the space fixed reference formulation with dynamic gridding. The integral equation solution with embedded Euler domain is computationally efficient and as accurate as the Euler equations.

High-Energy, High-Pulse-Rate Light Sources for Enhanced Time-Resolved Tomographic PIV of Unsteady and Turbulent Flows

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-31

Report: High-Energy, High-Pulse-Rate Light Sources for Enhanced Time -Resolved Tomographic PIV of Unsteady & Turbulent Flows The views, opinions and/or...reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching...High-Energy, High-Pulse-Rate Light Sources for Enhanced Time -Resolved Tomographic PIV of Unsteady & Turbulent Flows Report Term: 0-Other Email

Linearized unsteady jet analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Viets, H.; Piatt, M.

1979-01-01

The introduction of a time dependency into a jet flow to change the rate at which it mixes with a coflowing stream or ambient condition is investigated. The advantages and disadvantages of the unsteady flow are discussed in terms of steady state mass and momentum transfer. A linear system which is not limited by frequency constraints and evolves through a simplification of the equations of motion is presented for the analysis of the unsteady flow field generated by the time dependent jet.

Nearfield Unsteady Pressures at Cruise Mach Numbers for a Model Scale Counter-Rotation Open Rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, David B.

2012-01-01

An open rotor experiment was conducted at cruise Mach numbers and the unsteady pressure in the nearfield was measured. The system included extensive performance measurements, which can help provide insight into the noise generating mechanisms in the absence of flow measurements. A set of data acquired at a constant blade pitch angle but various rotor speeds was examined. The tone levels generated by the front and rear rotor were found to be nearly equal when the thrust was evenly balanced between rotors.

Unsteady transonic flow calculations for two-dimensional canard-wing configurations with aeroelastic applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batina, J. T.

1985-01-01

Unsteady transonic flow calculations for aerodynamically interfering airfoil configurations are performed as a first step toward solving the three dimensional canard wing interaction problem. These calculations are performed by extending the XTRAN2L two dimensional unsteady transonic small disturbance code to include an additional airfoil. Unsteady transonic forces due to plunge and pitch motions of a two dimensional canard and wing are presented. Results for a variety of canard wing separation distances reveal the effects of aerodynamic interference on unsteady transonic airloads. Aeroelastic analyses employing these unsteady airloads demonstrate the effects of aerodynamic interference on aeroelastic stability and flutter. For the configurations studied, increases in wing flutter speed result with the inclusion of the aerodynamically interfering canard.

A Numerical Analysis on the Effects of Self-Excited Tip Flow Unsteadiness and Upstream Blade Row Interactions on the Performance Predictions of a Transonic Compressor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heberling, Brian

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations can offer a detailed view of the complex flow fields within an axial compressor and greatly aid the design process. However, the desire for quick turnaround times raises the question of how exact the model must be. At design conditions, steady CFD simulating an isolated blade row can accurately predict the performance of a rotor. However, as a compressor is throttled and mass flow rate decreased, axial flow becomes weaker making the capturing of unsteadiness, wakes, or other flow features more important. The unsteadiness of the tip clearance flow and upstream blade wake can have a significant impact on a rotor. At off-design conditions, time-accurate simulations or modeling multiple blade rows can become necessary in order to receive accurate performance predictions. Unsteady and multi- bladerow simulations are computationally expensive, especially when used in conjunction. It is important to understand which features are important to model in order to accurately capture a compressor's performance. CFD simulations of a transonic axial compressor throttling from the design point to stall are presented. The importance of capturing the unsteadiness of the rotor tip clearance flow versus capturing upstream blade-row interactions is examined through steady and unsteady, single- and multi-bladerow computations. It is shown that there are significant differences at near stall conditions between the different types of simulations.

Minnowbrook V: 2006 Workshop on Unsteady Flows in Turbomachinery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LaGraff, John E.; Ashpis, David E.; Oldfield, Martin L. G.; Gostelow, J. Paul

2006-01-01

This CD-ROM contain materials presented at the Minnowbrook V 2006 Workshop on Unsteady Flows in Turbomachinery, held at the Syracuse University Minnowbrook Conference Center, New York, on August 20-23, 2006. The workshop organizers were John E. LaGraff (Syracuse University), Martin L.G. Oldfield (Oxford University), and J. Paul Gostelow (University of Leicester). The workshop followed the theme, venue, and informal format of four earlier workshops: Minnowbrook I (1993), Minnowbrook II (1997), Minnowbrook III (2000), and Minnowbrook IV (2003). The workshop was focused on physical understanding of unsteady flows in turbomachinery, with the specific goal of contributing to engineering application of improving design codes for turbomachinery. The workshop participants included academic researchers from the United States and abroad and representatives from the gas-turbine industry and U.S. Government laboratories. The physical mechanisms discussed were related to unsteady wakes, active flow control, turbulence, bypass and natural transition, separation bubbles and turbulent spots, modeling of turbulence and transition, heat transfer and cooling, surface roughness, unsteady CFD, and DNS. This CD-ROM contains copies of the viewgraphs presented, organized according to the workshop sessions. Full-color viewgraphs and animations are included. The workshop summary and the plenary discussion transcripts clearly highlight the need for continued vigorous research in the technologically important area of unsteady flows in turbomachines.

Effects of Unsteadiness Due to Wake Passing on Rotor Blade Heat Transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ameri, Ali A.; Rigby, David L.; Heidmann, James; Steinthorsson, Erlendur; Fabian, John C.

2007-01-01

14. ABSTRACT In a gas turbine engine, the turbine rotor blades are buffeted by the wakes of the vanes located upstream. There is a transient effect from the passing of wakes on the blade heat transfer. This transient effect has been computed for a representative rotor by introducing a wake upstream via an unsteady inlet flow boundary condition, or "gust" condition. Two cases of turbulent flow and laminar flow with Reynolds numbers of 385,000 and 385 respectively were considered. For the turbulent flow case a quasi-steady calculation was also performed. The variation in the unsteady heat transfer coefficient was found to be as high as 120 percent of the mean. For the turbulent flow case a quasisteady calculation was also performed. The time mean of the unsteady heat transfer, the mean of the quasi-steady variations and the steady results agree reasonably well on all blade locations except for the turbulent results which differ near the leading edge. The quasi-steady heat transfer results do not agree with the instantaneous unsteady results, although the time-mean values are similar.

Experimental study of vortex breakdown in a cylindrical, swirling flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, J. L.; Celik, Z. Z.; Cantwell, B. J.; Lopez, J. M.

1996-01-01

The stability of a steady, vortical flow in a cylindrical container with one rotating endwall has been experimentally examined to gain insight into the process of vortex breakdowwn. The dynamics of the flow are governed by the Reynolds number (Re) and the aspect ratio of the cylinder. Re is given by Omega R(sup 2)/nu, where Omega is the speed of rotation of the endwall, R is the cylinder radius, and nu is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid filling the cylinder. The aspect ratio is H/R, where H is the height of the cylinder. Numerical simulation studies disagree whether or not the steady breakdown is stable beyond a critical Reynolds number, Re(sub c). Previous experimental researches have considered the steady and unsteady flows near Re(sub c), but have not explored the stability of the steady breakdown structures beyond this value. In this investigation, laser induced fluorescence was utilized to observe both steady and unsteady vortex breakdown at a fixed H/R of 2.5 with Re varying around Re(sub c). When the Re of a steady flow was slowly increased beyond Re(sub c), the breakdown structure remained steady even though unsteadiness was possible. In addition, a number of hysteresis events involving the oscillation periods of the unsteady flow were noted. The results show that both steady and unsteady vortex breakdown occur for a limited range of Re above Re(sub c). Also, with increasing Re, complex flow transformations take place that alter the period at which the unsteady flow oscillates.

Numerical study of unsteady Williamson fluid flow and heat transfer in the presence of MHD through a permeable stretching surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bibi, Madiha; Khalil-Ur-Rehman; Malik, M. Y.; Tahir, M.

2018-04-01

In the present article, unsteady flow field characteristics of the Williamson fluid model are explored. The nanosized particles are suspended in the flow regime having the interaction of a magnetic field. The fluid flow is induced due to a stretching permeable surface. The flow model is controlled through coupled partial differential equations to the used shooting method for a numerical solution. The obtained partial differential equations are converted into ordinary differential equations as an initial value problem. The shooting method is used to find a numerical solution. The mathematical modeling yields physical parameters, namely the Weissenberg number, the Prandtl number, the unsteadiness parameter, the magnetic parameter, the mass transfer parameter, the Lewis number, the thermophoresis parameter and Brownian parameters. It is found that the Williamson fluid velocity, temperature and nanoparticles concentration are a decreasing function of the unsteadiness parameter.

Research on unsteady transonic flow theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Revell, J. D.

1973-01-01

A two-dimensional theory is considered for the unsteady flow disturbances caused by aeroelastic deformations of a thick wing at high subsonic freestream Mach numbers, having a single, internally embedded supercritical (locally supersonic) steady flow region adjacent to the low pressure side of the wing. The theory develops a matrix of unsteady aerodynamic influence coefficients (AICs) suitable as a strip theory for aeroelastic analysis of large aspect ratio thick wings of moderate sweep, typical of a wide class of current and future aircraft. The theory derives the linearized unsteady flow solutions separately for both the subcritical and supercritical regions. These solutions are coupled together to give the requisite (wing pressure-downwash) AICs by the intermediate step of defining flow disturbances on the sonic line, and at the shock wave; these intermediate quantities are then algebraically eliminated by expressing them in terms of the wing surface downwash.

Suppressing unsteady flow in arterio-venous fistulae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grechy, L.; Iori, F.; Corbett, R. W.; Shurey, S.; Gedroyc, W.; Duncan, N.; Caro, C. G.; Vincent, P. E.

2017-10-01

Arterio-Venous Fistulae (AVF) are regarded as the "gold standard" method of vascular access for patients with end-stage renal disease who require haemodialysis. However, a large proportion of AVF do not mature, and hence fail, as a result of various pathologies such as Intimal Hyperplasia (IH). Unphysiological flow patterns, including high-frequency flow unsteadiness, associated with the unnatural and often complex geometries of AVF are believed to be implicated in the development of IH. In the present study, we employ a Mesh Adaptive Direct Search optimisation framework, computational fluid dynamics simulations, and a new cost function to design a novel non-planar AVF configuration that can suppress high-frequency unsteady flow. A prototype device for holding an AVF in the optimal configuration is then fabricated, and proof-of-concept is demonstrated in a porcine model. Results constitute the first use of numerical optimisation to design a device for suppressing potentially pathological high-frequency flow unsteadiness in AVF.

Unsteady Computational Tests of a Non-Equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jirasek, Adam; Hamlington, Peter; Lofthouse, Andrew; Usafa Collaboration; Cu Boulder Collaboration

2017-11-01

A non-equilibrium turbulence model is assessed on simulations of three practically-relevant unsteady test cases; oscillating channel flow, transonic flow around an oscillating airfoil, and transonic flow around the Benchmark Super-Critical Wing. The first case is related to piston-driven flows while the remaining cases are relevant to unsteady aerodynamics at high angles of attack and transonic speeds. Non-equilibrium turbulence effects arise in each of these cases in the form of a lag between the mean strain rate and Reynolds stresses, resulting in reduced kinetic energy production compared to classical equilibrium turbulence models that are based on the gradient transport (or Boussinesq) hypothesis. As a result of the improved representation of unsteady flow effects, the non-equilibrium model provides substantially better agreement with available experimental data than do classical equilibrium turbulence models. This suggests that the non-equilibrium model may be ideally suited for simulations of modern high-speed, high angle of attack aerodynamics problems.

Wind Tunnel Test of a Risk-Reduction Wing/Fuselage Model to Examine Juncture-Flow Phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kegerise, Michael A.; Neuhart, Dan H.

2016-01-01

A wing/fuselage wind-tunnel model was tested in the Langley 14- by 22-foot Subsonic Wind Tunnel in preparation for a highly-instrumented Juncture Flow Experiment to be conducted in the same facility. This test, which was sponsored by the NASA Transformational Tool and Technologies Project, is part of a comprehensive set of experimental and computational research activities to develop revolutionary, physics-based aeronautics analysis and design capability. The objectives of this particular test were to examine the surface and off-body flow on a generic wing/body combination to: 1) choose a final wing for a future, highly instrumented model, 2) use the results to facilitate unsteady pressure sensor placement on the model, 3) determine the area to be surveyed with an embedded laser-doppler velocimetry (LDV) system, 4) investigate the primary juncture corner- flow separation region using particle image velocimetry (PIV) to see if the particle seeding is adequately entrained and to examine the structure in the separated region, and 5) to determine the similarity of observed flow features with those predicted by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This report documents the results of the above experiment that specifically address the first three goals. Multiple wing configurations were tested at a chord Reynolds number of 2.4 million. Flow patterns on the surface of the wings and in the region of the wing/fuselage juncture were examined using oil- flow visualization and infrared thermography. A limited number of unsteady pressure sensors on the fuselage around the wing leading and trailing edges were used to identify any dynamic effects of the horseshoe vortex on the flow field. The area of separated flow in the wing/fuselage juncture near the wing trailing edge was observed for all wing configurations at various angles of attack. All of the test objectives were met. The staff of the 14- by 22-foot Subsonic Wind Tunnel provided outstanding support and delivered exceptional value to the experiment, which exceeded expectations. The results of this test will directly inform the planning for the first of a series of instrumented-model tests at the same Reynolds number. These tests will be performed on a slightly larger-scale model with the selected wing, and will include off-body measurements with LDV and PIV, steady and unsteady pressure measurements, and the flow-visualization techniques that are discussed in this report.

Numerical study of the effects of icing on viscous flow over wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sankar, L. N.

1994-01-01

An improved hybrid method for computing unsteady compressible viscous flows is presented. This method divides the computational domain into two zones. In the outer zone, the unsteady full-potential equation (FPE) is solved. In the inner zone, the Navier-Stokes equations are solved using a diagonal form of an alternating-direction implicit (ADI) approximate factorization procedure. The two zones are tightly coupled so that steady and unsteady flows may be efficiently solved. Characteristic-based viscous/inviscid interface boundary conditions are employed to avoid spurious reflections at that interface. The resulting CPU times are less than 60 percent of that required for a full-blown Navier-Stokes analysis for steady flow applications and about 60 percent of the Navier-Stokes CPU times for unsteady flows in non-vector processing machines. Applications of the method are presented for a rectangular NACA 0012 wing in low subsonic steady flow at moderate and high angles of attack, and for an F-5 wing in steady and unsteady subsonic and transonic flows. Steady surface pressures are in very good agreement with experimental data and are essentially identical to Navier-Stokes predictions. Density contours show that shocks cross the viscous/inviscid interface smoothly, so that the accuracy of full Navier-Stokes equations can be retained with a significant savings in computational time.

Unsteady aerodynamic interaction effects on turbomachinery blade life and performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adamczyk, John J.

1992-01-01

This paper is an attempt to address the impact of a class of unsteady flows on the life and performance of turbomachinery blading. These class of flows to be investigated are those whose characteristic frequency is an integral multiple of rotor shaft speed. Analysis of data recorded downstream of a compressor and turbine rotor will reveal that this class of flows can be highly three-dimensional and may lead to the generation of secondary flows within downstream blading. By explicitly accounting for these unsteady flows in the design of turbomachinery blading for multistage applications, it may be possible to bring about gains in performance and blade life.

Conference on Low Reynolds Number Airfoil Aerodynamics, Notre Dame, IN, June 16-18, 1985, Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, T. J. (Editor)

1985-01-01

Topics of interest in the design, flow modeling and visualization, and turbulence and flow separation effects for low Reynolds number (Re) airfoils are discussed. Design methods are presented for Re from 50,000-500,000, including a viscous-inviscid coupling method and by using a constrained pitching moment. The effects of pressure gradients, unsteady viscous aerodynamics and separation bubbles are investigated, with particular note made of factors which most influence the size and location of separation bubbles and control their effects. Attention is also given to experimentation with low Re airfoils and to numerical models of symmetry breaking and lift hysteresis from separation. Both steady and unsteady flow experiments are reviewed, with the trials having been held in wind tunnels and the free atmosphere. The topics discussed are of interest to designers of RPVs, high altitude aircraft, sailplanes, ultralights and wind turbines.

A Computational Study of an Oscillating VR-12 Airfoil with a Gurney Flap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhee, Myung

2004-01-01

Computations of the flow over an oscillating airfoil with a Gurney-flap are performed using a Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes code and compared with recent experimental data. The experimental results have been generated for different sizes of the Gurney flaps. The computations are focused mainly on a configuration. The baseline airfoil without a Gurney flap is computed and compared with the experiments in both steady and unsteady cases for the purpose of initial testing of the code performance. The are carried out with different turbulence models. Effects of the grid refinement are also examined and unsteady cases, in addition to the assessment of solver effects. The results of the comparisons of steady lift and drag computations indicate that the code is reasonably accurate in the attached flow of the steady condition but largely overpredicts the lift and underpredicts the drag in the higher angle steady flow.

Large Eddy Simulation of Ducted Propulsors in Crashback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Hyunchul; Mahesh, Krishnan

2009-11-01

Flow around a ducted marine propulsor is computed using the large eddy simulation methodology under crashback conditions. Crashback is an operating condition where a propulsor rotates in the reverse direction while the vessel moves in the forward direction. It is characterized by massive flow separation and highly unsteady propeller loads, which affect both blade life and maneuverability. The simulations are performed on unstructured grids using the discrete kinetic energy conserving algorithm developed by Mahesh at al. (2004, J. Comput. Phys 197). Numerical challenges posed by sharp blade edges and small blade tip clearances are discussed. The flow is computed at the advance ratio J=-0.7 and Reynolds number Re=480,000 based on the propeller diameter. Average and RMS values of the unsteady loads such as thrust, torque, and side force on the blades and duct are compared to experiment, and the effect of the duct on crashback is discussed.

Slat Cove Noise Modeling: A Posteriori Analysis of Unsteady RANS Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choudhari, Meelan; Khorrami, Mehdi R.; Lockard, David P.; Atkins, Harold L.; Lilley, Geoffrey M.

2002-01-01

A companion paper by Khorrami et al demonstrates the feasibility of simulating the (nominally) self-sustained, large-scale unsteadiness within the leading-edge slat-cove region of multi-element airfoils using unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations, provided that the turbulence production term in the underlying two-equation turbulence model is switched off within the cove region. In conjunction with a FfowesWilliams-Hawkings solver, the URANS computations were shown to capture the dominant portion of the acoustic spectrum attributed to slat noise, as well as reproducing the increased intensity of slat cove motions (and, correspondingly, far-field noise as well) at the lower angles of attack. This paper examines that simulation database, augmented by additional simulations, with the objective of transitioning this apparent success to aeroacoustic predictions in an engineering context. As a first step towards this goal, the simulated flow and acoustic fields are compared with experiment and simplified analytical model. Rather intense near-field fluctuations in the simulated flow are found to be associated with unsteady separation along the slat bottom surface, relatively close to the slat cusp. Accuracy of the laminar-cove simulations in this near-wall region is raised to be an open issue. The adjoint Green's function approach is also explored in an attempt to identify the most efficient noise source locations.

A comparison between implicit and hybrid methods for the calculation of steady and unsteady inlet flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coakley, T. J.; Hsieh, T.

1985-01-01

Numerical simulation of steady and unsteady transonic diffuser flows using two different computer codes are discussed and compared with experimental data. The codes solve the Reynolds-averaged, compressible, Navier-Stokes equations using various turbulence models. One of the codes has been applied extensively to diffuser flows and uses the hybrid method of MacCormack. This code is relatively inefficient numerically. The second code, which was developed more recently, is fully implicit and is relatively efficient numerically. Simulations of steady flows using the implicit code are shown to be in good agreement with simulations using the hybrid code. Both simulations are in good agreement with experimental results. Simulations of unsteady flows using the two codes are in good qualitative agreement with each other, although the quantitative agreement is not as good as in the steady flow cases. The implicit code is shown to be eight times faster than the hybrid code for unsteady flow calculations and up to 32 times faster for steady flow calculations. Results of calculations using alternative turbulence models are also discussed.

Flutter and Forced Response Analyses of Cascades using a Two-Dimensional Linearized Euler Solver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reddy, T. S. R.; Srivastava, R.; Mehmed, O.

1999-01-01

Flutter and forced response analyses for a cascade of blades in subsonic and transonic flow is presented. The structural model for each blade is a typical section with bending and torsion degrees of freedom. The unsteady aerodynamic forces due to bending and torsion motions. and due to a vortical gust disturbance are obtained by solving unsteady linearized Euler equations. The unsteady linearized equations are obtained by linearizing the unsteady nonlinear equations about the steady flow. The predicted unsteady aerodynamic forces include the effect of steady aerodynamic loading due to airfoil shape, thickness and angle of attack. The aeroelastic equations are solved in the frequency domain by coupling the un- steady aerodynamic forces to the aeroelastic solver MISER. The present unsteady aerodynamic solver showed good correlation with published results for both flutter and forced response predictions. Further improvements are required to use the unsteady aerodynamic solver in a design cycle.

Computational methods for unsteady transonic flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, John W.; Thomas, J. L.

1987-01-01

Computational methods for unsteady transonic flows are surveyed with emphasis on prediction. Computational difficulty is discussed with respect to type of unsteady flow; attached, mixed (attached/separated) and separated. Significant early computations of shock motions, aileron buzz and periodic oscillations are discussed. The maturation of computational methods towards the capability of treating complete vehicles with reasonable computational resources is noted and a survey of recent comparisons with experimental results is compiled. The importance of mixed attached and separated flow modeling for aeroelastic analysis is discussed, and recent calculations of periodic aerodynamic oscillations for an 18 percent thick circular arc airfoil are given.

Controls on Lava Flow Morphology and Propagation: Using Laboratory Analogue Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, S.; Clarke, A. B.

2017-12-01

The morphology of lava flows is controlled by eruption rate, composition, cooling rate, and topography [Fink and Griffiths, 1990; Gregg and Fink, 2000, 2006]. Lava flows are used to understand how volcanoes, volcanic fields, and igneous provinces formed and evolved [Gregg and Fink., 1996; Sheth, 2006]. This is particularly important for other planets where compositional data is limited and historical context is nonexistent. Numerical modeling of lava flows remains challenging, but has been aided by laboratory analog experiments [Gregg and Keszrthelyi, 2004; Soule and Cashman, 2004]. Experiments using polyethylene glycol (PEG) 600 wax have been performed to understand lava flow emplacement [Fink and Griffiths, 1990, 1992; Gregg and Fink, 2000]. These experiments established psi (hereafter denoted by Ψ), a dimensionless parameter that relates crust formation and advection timescales of a viscous gravity current. Four primary flow morphologies corresponding to discreet Ψ ranges were observed. Gregg and Fink [2000] also investigated flows on slopes and found that steeper slopes increase the effective effusion rate producing predicted morphologies at lower Ψ values. Additional work is needed to constrain the Ψ parameter space, evaluate the predictive capability of Ψ, and determine if the preserved flow morphology can be used to indicate the initial flow conditions. We performed 514 experiments to address the following controls on lava flow morphology: slope (n = 282), unsteadiness/pulsations (n = 58), slope & unsteadiness/pulsations (n = 174), distal processes, and emplacement vs. post-emplacement morphologies. Our slope experiments reveal a similar trend to Gregg and Fink [2000] with the caveat that very high and very low local & source eruption rates can reduce the apparent predictive capability of Ψ. Predicted Ψ morphologies were often produced halfway through the eruption. Our pulse experiments are expected to produce morphologies unique to each eruption rate and promote tube formation and compound flows. Post-emplacement morphologies are modified by a variety of factors (e.g. solidification, deflation), which may not preserve the initial morphology produced during an eruption. Relating this morphology to the eruption conditions is pertinent to understanding the evolution of planetary surfaces.

Investigation of the unsteady pressure distribution on the blades of an axial flow fan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henderson, R. E.; Franke, G. F.

1978-01-01

The unsteady response of a stator blade caused by the interaction of the stator with the wakes of an upstream rotor was investigated. Unsteady pressure distributions were measured using a blade instrumented with a series miniature pressure transducers. The influence of several geometrical and flow parameters - rotor/stator spacing, stator solidity and stator incidence angle - were studied to determine the unsteady response of the stator to these parameters. A major influence on the stator unsteady response is due to the stator solidity. At high solidities the blade-to-blade interference has a larger contribution. While the range of rotor/stator spacings investigated had a minor influence, the effect of stator incidence angle is significant. The data indicate the existence of an optimum positive incidence which minimizes the unsteady response.

Compressible flows with periodic vortical disturbances around lifting airfoils. Ph.D. Thesis - Notre Dame Univ.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, James R.

1991-01-01

A numerical method is developed for solving periodic, three-dimensional, vortical flows around lifting airfoils in subsonic flow. The first-order method that is presented fully accounts for the distortion effects of the nonuniform mean flow on the convected upstream vortical disturbances. The unsteady velocity is split into a vortical component which is a known function of the upstream flow conditions and the Lagrangian coordinates of the mean flow, and an irrotational field whose potential satisfies a nonconstant-coefficient, inhomogeneous, convective wave equation. Using an elliptic coordinate transformation, the unsteady boundary value problem is solved in the frequency domain on grids which are determined as a function of the Mach number and reduced frequency. The numerical scheme is validated through extensive comparisons with known solutions to unsteady vortical flow problems. In general, it is seen that the agreement between the numerical and analytical results is very good for reduced frequencies ranging from 0 to 4, and for Mach numbers ranging from .1 to .8. Numerical results are also presented for a wide variety of flow configurations for the purpose of determining the effects of airfoil thickness, angle of attack, camber, and Mach number on the unsteady lift and moment of airfoils subjected to periodic vortical gusts. It is seen that each of these parameters can have a significant effect on the unsteady airfoil response to the incident disturbances, and that the effect depends strongly upon the reduced frequency and the dimensionality of the gust. For a one-dimensional (transverse) or two-dimensional (transverse and longitudinal) gust, the results indicate that airfoil thickness increases the unsteady lift and moment at the low reduced frequencies but decreases it at the high reduced frequencies. The results show that an increase in airfoil Mach number leads to a significant increase in the unsteady lift and moment for the low reduced frequencies, but a significant decrease for the high reduced frequencies.

Parametric Study of Flow Control Over a Hump Model Using an Unsteady Reynolds- Averaged Navier-Stokes Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, Christopher L.; Greenblatt, David

2007-01-01

This is an expanded version of a limited-length paper that appeared at the 5th International Symposium on Turbulence and Shear Flow Phenomena by the same authors. A computational study was performed for steady and oscillatory flow control over a hump model with flow separation to assess how well the steady and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations predict trends due to Reynolds number, control magnitude, and control frequency. As demonstrated in earlier studies, the hump model case is useful because it clearly demonstrates a failing in all known turbulence models: they under-predict the turbulent shear stress in the separated region and consequently reattachment occurs too far downstream. In spite of this known failing, three different turbulence models were employed to determine if trends can be captured even though absolute levels are not. Overall the three turbulence models showed very similar trends as experiment for steady suction, but only agreed qualitatively with some of the trends for oscillatory control.

A pressure-gradient mechanism for vortex shedding in constricted channels

PubMed Central

Boghosian, M. E.; Cassel, K. W.

2013-01-01

Numerical simulations of the unsteady, two-dimensional, incompressible Navier–Stokes equations are performed for a Newtonian fluid in a channel having a symmetric constriction modeled by a two-parameter Gaussian distribution on both channel walls. The Reynolds number based on inlet half-channel height and mean inlet velocity ranges from 1 to 3000. Constriction ratios based on the half-channel height of 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 are considered. The results show that both the Reynolds number and constriction geometry have a significant effect on the behavior of the post-constriction flow field. The Navier–Stokes solutions are observed to experience a number of bifurcations: steady attached flow, steady separated flow (symmetric and asymmetric), and unsteady vortex shedding downstream of the constriction depending on the Reynolds number and constriction ratio. A sequence of events is described showing how a sustained spatially growing flow instability, reminiscent of a convective instability, leads to the vortex shedding phenomenon via a proposed streamwise pressure-gradient mechanism. PMID:24399860

Airfoil wake and linear theory gust response including sub and superresonant flow conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henderson, Gregory H.; Fleeter, Sanford

1992-01-01

The unsteady aerodynamic gust response of a high solidity stator vane row is examined in terms of the fundamental gust modeling assumptions with particular attention given to the effects near an acoustic resonance. A series of experiments was performed with gusts generated by rotors comprised of perforated plates and airfoils. It is concluded that, for both the perforated plate and airfoil wake generated gusts, the unsteady pressure responses do not agree with the linear-theory gust predictions near an acoustic resonance. The effects of the acoustic resonance phenomena are clearly evident on the airfoil surface unsteady pressure responses. The transition of the measured lift coefficients across the acoustic resonance from the subresonant regime to the superresonant regime occurs in a simple linear fashion.

Unsteady Flow Interactions Between the LH2 Feed Line and SSME LPFP Inducer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorney, Dan; Griffin, Lisa; Marcu, Bogdan; Williams, Morgan

2006-01-01

An extensive computational effort has been performed in order to investigate the nature of unsteady flow in the fuel line supplying the three Space Shuttle Main Engines during flight. Evidence of high cycle fatigue (HCF) in the flow liner one diameter upstream of the Low Pressure Fuel Pump inducer has been observed in several locations. The analysis presented in this report has the objective of determining the driving mechanisms inducing HCF and the associated fluid flow phenomena. The simulations have been performed using two different computational codes, the NASA MSFC PHANTOM code and the Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne ENIGMA code. The fuel flow through the flow liner and the pump inducer have been modeled in full three-dimensional geometry, and the results of the computations compared with test data taken during hot fire tests at NASA Stennis Space Center, and cold-flow water flow test data obtained at NASA MSFC. The numerical results indicate that unsteady pressure fluctuations at specific frequencies develop in the duct at the flow-liner location. Detailed frequency analysis of the flow disturbances is presented. The unsteadiness is believed to be an important source for fluctuating pressures generating high cycle fatigue.

On the fundamental unsteady fluid dynamics of shock-induced flows through ducts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, Nicole Renee

Unsteady shock wave propagation through ducts has many applications, ranging from blast wave shelter design to advanced high-speed propulsion systems. The research objective of this study was improved fundamental understanding of the transient flow structures during unsteady shock wave propagation through rectangular ducts with varying cross-sectional area. This research focused on the fluid dynamics of the unsteady shock-induced flow fields, with an emphasis placed on understanding and characterizing the mechanisms behind flow compression (wave structures), flow induction (via shock waves), and enhanced mixing (via shock-induced viscous shear layers). A theoretical and numerical (CFD) parametric study was performed, in which the effects of these parameters on the unsteady flow fields were examined: incident shock strength, area ratio, and viscous mode (inviscid, laminar, and turbulent). Two geometries were considered: the backward-facing step (BFS) geometry, which provided a benchmark and conceptual framework, and the splitter plate (SP) geometry, which was a canonical representation of the engine flow path. The theoretical analysis was inviscid, quasi-1 D and quasi-steady; and the computational analysis was fully 2D, time-accurate, and VISCOUS. The theory provided the wave patterns and primary wave strengths for the BFS geometry, and the simulations verified the wave pattems and quantified the effects of geometry and viscosity. It was shown that the theoretical wave patterns on the BFS geometry can be used to systematically analyze the transient, 20, viscous flows on the SP geometry. This work also highlighted the importance and the role of oscillating shock and expansion waves in the development of these unsteady flows. The potential for both upstream and downstream flow induction was addressed. Positive upstream flow induction was not found in this study due to the persistent formation of an upstream-moving shock wave. Enhanced mixing was addressed by examining the evolution of the unsteady shear layer, its instability, and their effects on the flow field. The instability always appeared after the reflected shock interaction, and was exacerbated in the laminar cases and damped out in the turbulent cases. This research provided new understanding of the long-term evolution of these confined flows. Lastly, the turbulent work is one of the few turbulent studies on these flows.

Investigation of Unsteady Flow Field in a Low-Speed One and a Half Stage Axial Compressor. Part 2; Effects of Tip Gap Size On the Tip Clearance Flow Structure at Near Stall Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hah, Chunill; Hathaway, Michael; Katz, Joseph

2014-01-01

The primary focus of this paper is to investigate the effect of rotor tip gap size on how the rotor unsteady tip clearance flow structure changes in a low speed one and half stage axial compressor at near stall operation (for example, where maximum pressure rise is obtained). A Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is applied to calculate the unsteady flow field at this flow condition with both a small and a large tip gaps. The numerically obtained flow fields at the small clearance matches fairly well with the available initial measurements obtained at the Johns Hopkins University with 3-D unsteady PIV in an index-matched test facility which renders the compressor blades and casing optically transparent. With this setup, the unsteady velocity field in the entire flow domain, including the flow inside the tip gap, can be measured. The numerical results are also compared with previously published measurements in a low speed single stage compressor (Maerz et al. [2002]). The current study shows that, with the smaller rotor tip gap, the tip clearance vortex moves to the leading edge plane at near stall operating condition, creating a nearly circumferentially aligned vortex that persists around the entire rotor. On the other hand, with a large tip gap, the clearance vortex stays inside the blade passage at near stall operation. With the large tip gap, flow instability and related large pressure fluctuation at the leading edge are observed in this one and a half stage compressor. Detailed examination of the unsteady flow structure in this compressor stage reveals that the flow instability is due to shed vortices near the leading edge, and not due to a three-dimensional separation vortex originating from the suction side of the blade, which is commonly referred to during a spike-type stall inception. The entire tip clearance flow is highly unsteady. Many vortex structures in the tip clearance flow, including the sheet vortex system near the casing, interact with each other. The core tip clearance vortex, which is formed with the rotor tip gap flows near the leading edge, is also highly unsteady or intermittent due to pressure oscillations near the leading edge and varies from passage to passage. For the current compressor stage, the evidence does not seem to support that a classical vortex breakup occurs in any organized way, even with the large tip gap. Although wakes from the IGV influence the tip clearance flow in the rotor, the major characteristics of rotor tip clearance flows in isolated or single stage rotors are observed in this one and a half stage axial compressor.

Improved Flux Formulations for Unsteady Low Mach Number Flows

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

it requires the resolution of disparate time scales. Unsteady effects may arise from a combination of hydrodynamic effects in which pressure...including rotorcraft flows, jets and shear layers include a combination of both acoustic and hydrodynamic effects. Furthermore these effects may be...preconditioning parameter used for time scaling also affects the dissipation for the spatial flux, hydrodynamic unsteady effects (such as vortex propagation

Propagation and scattering of acoustic-vorticity waves in annular swirling flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golubev, Vladimir Viktorovich

1997-08-01

The dissertation presents a fundamental extension of unsteady aerodynamic theory developed to predict fluctuating forces on aircraft structural components. These excitations may result from a variety of upstream flow non-uniformities such as atmospheric turbulence, airframe tip vortices and wakes, engine inlet distortions and secondary flows. In the frame of reference of a downstream aircraft component, an upstream flow non- uniformity appears as a propagating vorticity wave (a gust). Classical treatment of gust interaction problems developed for uniform, potential upstream mean flows is based on the fact that it is possible to consider separately incident or scattered acoustic, entropic and vortical modes of unsteady flow motion. A purely vortical gust remains 'frozen' as it convects with the flow. The coupling between different unsteady components may occur only at the surface of a solid structure, or in the close vicinity of a lifting body. The classical approach, however, is not justified for an aircraft engine system where the internal turbomachinery flow is non-uniform and non-potential as it exhibits a strong swirling motion. In such a flow, acting centrifugal and Coriolis forces couple the various unsteady modes which thus can no longer be determined independently of each other. The new developed theory follows the decomposition of unsteady velocity field into vortical and potential components. In spite of the modal coupling, this decomposition elucidates the physical phenomena associated with unsteady swirling motion by indicating the degree of interaction between the various modes. It paves the way for generalizing the classical definition of a gust for vortical swirling flows. The concept of a generalized gust is developed based on the eigenmode pseudospectral analysis of the coupled equations of unsteady swirling motion. This analysis reveals two distinct regions of eigenvalues corresponding to pressure-dominated nearly-sonic and vorticity- dominated nearly-convected eigenmodes. A compact discrete spectrum of nearly-convected eigenvalues clusters with infinitely increasing density approaching an accumulation convected critical layer. The generalized gust is then identified with the nearly-convected eigenspectrum and formulated in terms of a non-amplifying nearly-convected wave and an instability wave growing in the critical layer. Based on the generalized gust model, a boundary-value problem of unsteady three-dimensional acoustic-vorticity waves propagating in a vortical swirling flow and impinging on a turbomachinery blading is formulated and solved numerically. A set of benchmark results reveals a significant effect of swirling flow motion on aerodynamic and acoustic response of the annular cascade.

Minnowbrook V: 2006 Workshop on Unsteady Flows in Turbomachinery. (Conference Abstracts)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LaGraff, John E. (Editor); Ashpis, David E. (Editor); Oldfield, Martin L. G. (Editor); Gostelow, J. Paul (Editor)

2006-01-01

This volume contains materials presented at the Minnowbrook V 2006 Workshop on Unsteady Flows in Turbomachinery, held at the Syracuse University Minnowbrook Conference Center, New York, on August 20-23, 2006. The workshop organizers were John E. LaGraff (Syracuse University), Martin L.G. Oldfield (Oxford University), and J. Paul Gostelow (University of Leicester). The workshop followed the theme, venue, and informal format of four earlier workshops: Minnowbrook I (1993), Minnowbrook II (1997), Minnowbrook III (2000), and Minnowbrook IV (2003). The workshop was focused on physical understanding of unsteady flows in turbomachinery, with the specific goal of contributing to engineering application of improving design codes for turbomachinery. The workshop participants included academic researchers from the United States and abroad and representatives from the gas-turbine industry and U.S. Government laboratories. The physical mechanisms discussed were related to unsteady wakes, active flow control, turbulence, bypass and natural transition, separation bubbles and turbulent spots, modeling of turbulence and transition, heat transfer and cooling, surface roughness, unsteady CFD, and DNS. The workshop summary and the plenary discussion transcripts clearly highlight the need for continued vigorous research in the technologically important area of unsteady flows in turbomachines. This volume contains abstracts and copies of select viewgraphs organized according to the workshop sessions. Full-color viewgraphs and animations are included in the CD-ROM version only (Doc.ID 20070024781).

Heat transfer simulation of unsteady swirling flow in a vortex tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veretennikov, S. V.; Piralishvili, Sh A.; Evdokimov, O. A.; Guryanov, A. I.

2018-03-01

Effectiveness of not-adiabatic vortex tube application in the cooling systems of gas turbine blades depends on characteristics of swirling flows formed in the energy separation chamber. An analysis of the flow structure in the vortex tube channels has shown a presence of a complex three-dimensional spiral vortex, formed under relatively high turbulence intensity and vortex core precession. This indicates the presence of a significant unsteady flow in the energy separation chamber of the vortex tube that has a great influence on convective heat transfer of the swirling flow to the inner surface of tube. The paper contains the results of investigation of gas dynamics and heat transfer in the vortex tube taking into account the flow unsteadiness.

Efficiency and Accuracy of Time-Accurate Turbulent Navier-Stokes Computations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, Christopher L.; Sanetrik, Mark D.; Biedron, Robert T.; Melson, N. Duane; Parlette, Edward B.

1995-01-01

The accuracy and efficiency of two types of subiterations in both explicit and implicit Navier-Stokes codes are explored for unsteady laminar circular-cylinder flow and unsteady turbulent flow over an 18-percent-thick circular-arc (biconvex) airfoil. Grid and time-step studies are used to assess the numerical accuracy of the methods. Nonsubiterative time-stepping schemes and schemes with physical time subiterations are subject to time-step limitations in practice that are removed by pseudo time sub-iterations. Computations for the circular-arc airfoil indicate that a one-equation turbulence model predicts the unsteady separated flow better than an algebraic turbulence model; also, the hysteresis with Mach number of the self-excited unsteadiness due to shock and boundary-layer separation is well predicted.

Numerical Study on Wake Flow Field Characteristic of the Base-Bleed Unit under Fast Depressurization Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Xiaochun; Yu, Yonggang

2017-04-01

Numerical analyses have been performed to study the influence of fast depressurization on the wake flow field of the base-bleed unit (BBU) with a secondary combustion when the base-bleed projectile is propelled out of the muzzle. Two-dimensional axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations for a multi-component chemically reactive system is solved by Fortran program to calculate the couplings of the internal flow field and wake flow field with consideration of the combustion of the base-bleed propellant and secondary combustion effect. Based on the comparison with the experiments, the unsteady variation mechanism and secondary combustion characteristic of wake flow field under fast depressurization process is obtained numerically. The results show that in the fast depressurization process, the variation extent of the base pressure of the BBU is larger in first 0.9 ms and then decreases gradually and after 1.5 ms, it remains basically stable. The pressure and temperature of the base-bleed combustion chamber experience the decrease and pickup process. Moreover, after the pressure and temperature decrease to the lowest point, the phenomenon that the external gases are flowing back into the base-bleed combustion chamber appears. Also, with the decrease of the initial pressure, the unsteady process becomes shorter and the temperature gradient in the base-bleed combustion chamber declines under the fast depressurization process, which benefits the combustion of the base-bleed propellant.

Computation of Vortex Shedding and Radiated Sound for a Circular Cylinder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, Jared S.; Brentner, Kenneth S.; Rumsey, Christopher L.; Younis, Bassam A.

1997-01-01

The Lighthill acoustic analogy approach combined with Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes is used to predict the sound generated by unsteady viscous flow past a circular cylinder assuming a correlation length of ten cylinder diameters. The two- dimensional unsteady ow field is computed using two Navier-Stokes codes at a low Mach number over a range of Reynolds numbers from 100 to 5 million. Both laminar ow as well as turbulent ow with a variety of eddy viscosity turbulence models are employed. Mean drag and Strouhal number are examined, and trends similar to experiments are observed. Computing the noise within the Reynolds number regime where transition to turbulence occurs near the separation point is problematic: laminar flow exhibits chaotic behavior and turbulent ow exhibits strong dependence on the turbulence model employed. Comparisons of far-field noise with experiment at a Reynolds number of 90,000, therefore, vary significantly, depending on the turbulence model. At a high Reynolds number outside this regime, three different turbulence models yield self-consistent results.

Calculation of unsteady transonic flows with mild separation by viscous-inviscid interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howlett, James T.

1992-01-01

This paper presents a method for calculating viscous effects in two- and three-dimensional unsteady transonic flow fields. An integral boundary-layer method for turbulent viscous flow is coupled with the transonic small-disturbance potential equation in a quasi-steady manner. The viscous effects are modeled with Green's lag-entrainment equations for attached flow and an inverse boundary-layer method for flows that involve mild separation. The boundary-layer method is used stripwise to approximate three-dimensional effects. Applications are given for two-dimensional airfoils, aileron buzz, and a wing planform. Comparisons with inviscid calculations, other viscous calculation methods, and experimental data are presented. The results demonstrate that the present technique can economically and accurately calculate unsteady transonic flow fields that have viscous-inviscid interactions with mild flow separation.

The quest for stall-free dynamic lift

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tung, C.; Mcalister, K. W.; Carr, Lawrence W.; Duque, E.; Zinner, R.

1992-01-01

During the past decade, numerous major effects have addressed the question of how to control or alleviate dynamic stall effects on helicopter rotors, but little concrete evidence of any significant reduction of the adverse characteristics of the dynamic stall phenomenon has been demonstrated. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that the control of dynamic stall is an achievable goal. Experiments performed at the US Army Aeroflight-dynamics Directorate more than a decade ago demonstrated that dynamic stall is not an unavoidable penalty of high amplitude motion, and that airfoils can indeed operate dynamically at angles far above the static-stall angle without necessarily forming a stall vortex. These experiments, one of them featuring a slat that was designed from static airfoil considerations, showed that unsteadiness can be a very beneficial factor in the development of high-lift devices for helicopter rotors. The experience drawn from these early experiments is now being focused on a program for the alleviation of dynamic-stall effects on helicopter rotors. The purpose of this effort is to demonstrate that rotor stall can be controlled through an improved understanding of the unsteady effects on airfoil stall and to document the role of specific means that lead to stall alleviation in the three dimensional unsteady environment of helicopter rotors in forward flight. The first concept to be addressed in this program will be a slatted airfoil. A two dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes code has been modified to compute the flow around a two-element airfoil.

Simultaneous visualization of transonic buffet on a rocket faring model using unsteady PSP measurement and Schlieren method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakakita, K.

2017-02-01

Simultaneous visualization technique of the combination of the unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint and the Schlieren measurement was introduced. It was applied to a wind tunnel test of a rocket faring model at the JAXA 2mx2m transonic wind tunnel. Quantitative unsteady pressure field was acquired by the unsteady PSP measurement, which consisted of a high-speed camera, high-power laser diode, and so on. Qualitative flow structure was acquired by the Schlieren measurement using a high-speed camera and Xenon lamp with a blue optical filter. Simultaneous visualization was achieved 1.6 kfps frame rate and it gave the detailed structure of unsteady flow fields caused by the unsteady shock wave oscillation due to shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction around the juncture between cone and cylinder on the model. Simultaneous measurement results were merged into a movie including surface pressure distribution on the rocket faring and spatial structure of shock wave system concerning to transonic buffet. Constructed movie gave a timeseries and global information of transonic buffet flow field on the rocket faring model visually.

Airfoil optimization for unsteady flows with application to high-lift noise reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumpfkeil, Markus Peer

The use of steady-state aerodynamic optimization methods in the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) community is fairly well established. In particular, the use of adjoint methods has proven to be very beneficial because their cost is independent of the number of design variables. The application of numerical optimization to airframe-generated noise, however, has not received as much attention, but with the significant quieting of modern engines, airframe noise now competes with engine noise. Optimal control techniques for unsteady flows are needed in order to be able to reduce airframe-generated noise. In this thesis, a general framework is formulated to calculate the gradient of a cost function in a nonlinear unsteady flow environment via the discrete adjoint method. The unsteady optimization algorithm developed in this work utilizes a Newton-Krylov approach since the gradient-based optimizer uses the quasi-Newton method BFGS, Newton's method is applied to the nonlinear flow problem, GMRES is used to solve the resulting linear problem inexactly, and last but not least the linear adjoint problem is solved using Bi-CGSTAB. The flow is governed by the unsteady two-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations in conjunction with a one-equation turbulence model, which are discretized using structured grids and a finite difference approach. The effectiveness of the unsteady optimization algorithm is demonstrated by applying it to several problems of interest including shocktubes, pulses in converging-diverging nozzles, rotating cylinders, transonic buffeting, and an unsteady trailing-edge flow. In order to address radiated far-field noise, an acoustic wave propagation program based on the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) formulation is implemented and validated. The general framework is then used to derive the adjoint equations for a novel hybrid URANS/FW-H optimization algorithm in order to be able to optimize the shape of airfoils based on their calculated far-field pressure fluctuations. Validation and application results for this novel hybrid URANS/FW-H optimization algorithm show that it is possible to optimize the shape of an airfoil in an unsteady flow environment to minimize its radiated far-field noise while maintaining good aerodynamic performance.

Unsteady force estimation using a Lagrangian drift-volume approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McPhaden, Cameron J.; Rival, David E.

2018-04-01

A novel Lagrangian force estimation technique for unsteady fluid flows has been developed, using the concept of a Darwinian drift volume to measure unsteady forces on accelerating bodies. The construct of added mass in viscous flows, calculated from a series of drift volumes, is used to calculate the reaction force on an accelerating circular flat plate, containing highly-separated, vortical flow. The net displacement of fluid contained within the drift volumes is, through Darwin's drift-volume added-mass proposition, equal to the added mass of the plate and provides the reaction force of the fluid on the body. The resultant unsteady force estimates from the proposed technique are shown to align with the measured drag force associated with a rapid acceleration. The critical aspects of understanding unsteady flows, relating to peak and time-resolved forces, often lie within the acceleration phase of the motions, which are well-captured by the drift-volume approach. Therefore, this Lagrangian added-mass estimation technique opens the door to fluid-dynamic analyses in areas that, until now, were inaccessible by conventional means.

Experiment on smooth, circular cylinders in cross-flow in the critical Reynolds number regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miau, J. J.; Tsai, H. W.; Lin, Y. J.; Tu, J. K.; Fang, C. H.; Chen, M. C.

2011-10-01

Experiments were conducted for 2D circular cylinders at Reynolds numbers in the range of 1.73 × 105-5.86 × 105. In the experiment, two circular cylinder models made of acrylic and stainless steel, respectively, were employed, which have similar dimensions but different surface roughness. Particular attention was paid to the unsteady flow behaviors inferred by the signals obtained from the pressure taps on the cylinder models and by a hot-wire probe in the near-wake region. At Reynolds numbers pertaining to the initial transition from the subcritical to the critical regimes, pronounced pressure fluctuations were measured on the surfaces of both cylinder models, which were attributed to the excursion of unsteady flow separation over a large circumferential region. At the Reynolds numbers almost reaching the one-bubble state, it was noted that the development of separation bubble might switch from one side to the other with time. Wavelet analysis of the pressure signals measured simultaneously at θ = ±90° further revealed that when no separation bubble was developed, the instantaneous vortex-shedding frequencies could be clearly resolved, about 0.2, in terms of the Strouhal number. The results of oil-film flow visualization on the stainless steel cylinder of the one-bubble and two-bubble states showed that the flow reattachment region downstream of a separation bubble appeared not uniform along the span of the model. Thus, the three dimensionality was quite evident.

Unsteady flow motions in the supraglottal region during phonation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Haoxiang; Dai, Hu

2008-11-01

The highly unsteady flow motions in the larynx are not only responsible for producing the fundamental frequency tone in phonation, but also have a significant contribution to the broadband noise in the human voice. In this work, the laryngeal flow is modeled either as an incompressible pulsatile jet confined in a two-dimensional channel, or a pressure-driven flow modulated by a pair of viscoelastic vocal folds through the flow--structure interaction. The flow in the supraglottal region is found to be dominated by large-scale vortices whose unsteady motions significantly deflect the glottal jet. In the flow--structure interaction, a hybrid model based on the immersed-boundary method is developed to simulate the flow-induced vocal fold vibration, which involves a three-dimensional vocal fold prototype and a two-dimensional viscous flow. Both the flow behavior and the vibratory characteristics of the vocal folds will be presented.

Optimized open-flow mixing: insights from microbubble streaming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rallabandi, Bhargav; Wang, Cheng; Guo, Lin; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha

2015-11-01

Microbubble streaming has been developed into a robust and powerful flow actuation technique in microfluidics. Here, we study it as a paradigmatic system for microfluidic mixing under a continuous throughput of fluid (open-flow mixing), providing a systematic optimization of the device parameters in this practically important situation. Focusing on two-dimensional advective stirring (neglecting diffusion), we show through numerical simulation and analytical theory that mixing in steady streaming vortices becomes ineffective beyond a characteristic time scale, necessitating the introduction of unsteadiness. By duty cycling the streaming, such unsteadiness is introduced in a controlled fashion, leading to exponential refinement of the advection structures. The rate of refinement is then optimized for particular parameters of the time modulation, i.e. a particular combination of times for which the streaming is turned ``on'' and ``off''. The optimized protocol can be understood theoretically using the properties of the streaming vortices and the throughput Poiseuille flow. We can thus infer simple design principles for practical open flow micromixing applications, consistent with experiments. Current Address: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University.

Unsteady Flow Over Aerofoils with Separation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

7~-Ai22 978 UNSTEADY FLOWd OVER AEROFOILS WI1TH SEPARATION(U) / IMPERIAL COLL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LONDON (ENGLAND) DEPT OF AERONAUTICS J N...NATIOWAL "AUJ OF STAN~DSI- 163 -A (Grant Number AFOSR 81-0050) SUNSTEADY FLOW OVER AEROFOILS WITH SEPARATION J.M.R. Graham Department of Aeronautics ...distribution unlimited. 18. Supplementary Notes To be submitted in similar form to the Aeronautical Quarterly (Journal). 19. Key Words AEROFOIL UNSTEADY

Topology optimization of unsteady flow problems using the lattice Boltzmann method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nørgaard, Sebastian; Sigmund, Ole; Lazarov, Boyan

2016-02-01

This article demonstrates and discusses topology optimization for unsteady incompressible fluid flows. The fluid flows are simulated using the lattice Boltzmann method, and a partial bounceback model is implemented to model the transition between fluid and solid phases in the optimization problems. The optimization problem is solved with a gradient based method, and the design sensitivities are computed by solving the discrete adjoint problem. For moderate Reynolds number flows, it is demonstrated that topology optimization can successfully account for unsteady effects such as vortex shedding and time-varying boundary conditions. Such effects are relevant in several engineering applications, i.e. fluid pumps and control valves.

Numerical solutions of 2-D multi-stage rotor/stator unsteady flow interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, R.-J.; Lin, S.-J.

1991-01-01

The Rai method of single-stage rotor/stator flow interaction is extended to handle multistage configurations. In this study, a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes multi-zone approach was used to investigate unsteady flow interactions within two multistage axial turbines. The governing equations are solved by an iterative, factored, implicit finite-difference, upwind algorithm. Numerical accuracy is checked by investigating the effect of time step size, the effect of subiteration in the Newton-Raphson technique, and the effect of full viscous versus thin-layer approximation. Computer results compared well with experimental data. Unsteady flow interactions, wake cutting, and the associated evolution of vortical entities are discussed.

Forum on unsteady flow - 1985; Proceedings of the Winter Annual Meeting, Miami Beach, FL, November 17-22, 1985

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothe, P. H.

The conference includes such topics as the reduction of fluid transient pressures by minimax optimization, modeling blockage in unsteady slurry flow in conduits, roles of vacuum breaker and air release devices in reducing waterhammer forces, and an analysis of laminar fluid transients in conduits of unconventional shape. Papers are presented on modulation systems for high speed water jets, water hammer analysis needs in nuclear power plant design, tail profile effects on unsteady large scale flow structure in the wing and plate junction, and a numerical study of pressure transients in a borehole due to pipe movement. Consideration is also given to boundary layer growth near a stagnation point, calculation of unsteady mixing in two-dimensional flows, the trailing edge of a pitching airfoil at high reduced frequencies, and a numerical study of instability-wave control through periodic wall suction/blowing.

CFD Based Added Mass Prediction in Cruise Condition of Underwater Vehicle Dynamic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agoes Moelyadi, Mochammad; Bambang Riswandi, Bagus

2018-04-01

One of the unsteady flow behavior on the hydrodynamic characteristics of underwater vehicle is the presence of added mass. In cruising conditions, the underwater vehicle may require the addition of speed or experience the disturbance in the form of unsteady flow so that cause the hydrodynamic interaction between the surface of the vehicle with the surrounding fluid. This leads to the rise of local velocity of flow and the great changes of hydrodynamic forces which are very influential on the stability of the underwater vehicle. One of the result is an additional force called added mass. It is very useful parameter to control underwater vehicle dynamic.This paper reports the research on the added mass coefficient of underwater vehicles obtained through the Computational Fluid Dynmaic (CFD) simulation method using CFX software. Added mass coefficient is calculated by performing an unsteady simulation or known as transient simulation. Computational simulations are based on the Reynold Average Navier- Stokes (RANS) equation solution. The simulated vehicle moves forward and backward according to the sinus function, with a frequency of 0.25 Hz, a 2 m amplitude, a cruising depth of 10 m below sea level, and Vcruise 1.54 m / s (Re = 9.000.000). Simulation result data includes velocity contour, variation of force and acceleration to frequency, and added mass coefficient.

Analysis of Dynamic Data from Supersonic Retropropulsion Experiments in NASA Langley's Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Codoni, Joshua R.; Berry, Scott A.

2012-01-01

Recent experimental supersonic retropropulsion tests were conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel Test Section 2 for a range of Mach numbers from 2.4 to 4.6. A 5-inch 70-degree sphere-cone forebody model with a 10-inch cylindrical aftbody experimental model was used which is capable of multiple retrorocket configurations. These configurations include a single central nozzle on the center point of the forebody, three nozzles at the forebody half-radius, and a combination of the first two configurations with no jets being plugged. A series of measurements were achieved through various instrumentation including forebody and aftbody pressure, internal pressures and temperatures, and high speed Schlieren visualization. Specifically, several high speed pressure transducers on the forebody and in the plenum were implemented to look at unsteady flow effects. The following work focuses on analyzing frequency traits due to the unsteady flow for a range of thrust coefficients for single, tri, and quad-nozzle test cases at freestream Mach 4.6 and angle of attack ranging from -8 degrees to +20 degrees. This analysis uses Matlab s fast Fourier transform, Welch's method (modified average of a periodogram), to create a power spectral density and analyze any high speed pressure transducer frequency traits due to the unsteady flow.

Unsteady density-current equations for highly curved terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sivakumaran, N. S.; Dressler, R. F.

1989-01-01

New nonlinear partial differential equations containing terrain curvature and its rate of change are derived that describe the flow of an atmospheric density current. Unlike the classical hydraulic-type equations for density currents, the new equations are valid for two-dimensional, gradually varied flow over highly curved terrain, hence suitable for computing unsteady (or steady) flows over arbitrary mountain/valley profiles. The model assumes the atmosphere above the density current exerts a known arbitrary variable pressure upon the unknown interface. Later this is specialized to the varying hydrostatic pressure of the atmosphere above. The new equations yield the variable velocity distribution, the interface position, and the pressure distribution that contains a centrifugal component, often significantly larger than its hydrostatic component. These partial differential equations are hyperbolic, and the characteristic equations and characteristic directions are derived. Using these to form a characteristic mesh, a hypothetical unsteady curved-flow problem is calculated, not based upon observed data, merely as an example to illustrate the simplicity of their application to unsteady flows over mountains.

Flow and Performance Calculations of Axial Compressor near Stall Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Yoojun; Kang, Shin-Hyoung

2010-06-01

Three-dimensional flows through a Low Speed Research Axial Compressor were numerically conducted in order to estimate the performance through unsteady and steady-state simulations. The first stage with the inlet guide vane was investigated at the design point to confirm that the rotor blade induced periodicity exists. Special attention was paid to the flow near the stall condition to inspect the flow behavior in the vicinity of the stall margin. The performance predicted under the steady-state assumption is in good agreement with the measured data. However, the steady-state calculations induce more blockage through the blade passage. Flow separations on the blade surface and end-walls are reduced when unsteady simulation is conducted. The negative jet due to the wake of the rotor blade periodically distorts the boundary layer on the surface of the stator blade and improves the performance of the compressor in terms of the pressure rise. The advantage of the unsteadiness increases as the flow rate reduces. In addition, the rotor tip leakage flow is forced downstream by the unsteadiness. Consequently, the behavior contributes to extending the range of operation by preventing the leakage flow from proceeding upstream near the stall margin.

The development of laser speckle velocimetry for the study of vortical flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krothapalli, A.

1991-01-01

A new experimental technique commonly known as PIDV (particle image displacement velocity) was developed to measure an instantaneous two dimensional velocity fluid in a selected plane of the flow field. This technique was successfully applied to the study of several problems: (1) unsteady flows with large scale vortical structures; (2) the instantaneous two dimensional flow in the transition region of a rectangular air jet; and (3) the instantaneous flow over a circular bump in a transonic flow. In several other experiments PIDV is routinely used as a non-intrusive measurement technique to obtain instantaneous two dimensional velocity fields.

Droplet Combustion in a Slow Convective Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nayagam, V.; Hicks, M. C.; Ackerman, M.; Haggard, J. B., Jr.; Williams, F. A.

2003-01-01

The influences of slow convective flow on droplet combustion, particularly in the low Reynolds number regime, have received very little attention in the past. Most studies in the literature are semi-empirical in nature and they were motivated by spray combustion applications in the moderate to high Reynolds number regime. None of the limited number of fundamental theoretical studies applicable to low Reynolds numbers have been verified by rigorous experimental data. Moreover, many unsteady phenomena associated with fluid-dynamic unsteadiness, such as impulsive starting or stopping of a burning droplet, or flow acceleration/deceleration effects, have not been investigated despite their importance in practical applications. In this study we investigate the effects of slow convection on droplet burning dynamics both experimentally and theoretically. The experimental portion of the study involves both ground-based experiments in the drop towers and future flight experiments on board the International Space Station. Heptane and methanol are used as test fuels, and this choice complements the quiescent-environment studies of the Droplet Combustion Experiment (DCE). An analytical model that employs the method of matched asymptotic expansions and uses the ratio of the convective velocity far from the droplet to the Stefan velocity at its surface as the small parameter for expansion has also been developed as a part of this investigation. Results from the ground-based experiments and comparison with the analytical model are presented in this report.

Numerical simulation of steady and unsteady viscous flow in turbomachinery using pressure based algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshminarayana, B.; Ho, Y.; Basson, A.

1993-07-01

The objective of this research is to simulate steady and unsteady viscous flows, including rotor/stator interaction and tip clearance effects in turbomachinery. The numerical formulation for steady flow developed here includes an efficient grid generation scheme, particularly suited to computational grids for the analysis of turbulent turbomachinery flows and tip clearance flows, and a semi-implicit, pressure-based computational fluid dynamics scheme that directly includes artificial dissipation, and is applicable to both viscous and inviscid flows. The values of these artificial dissipation is optimized to achieve accuracy and convergency in the solution. The numerical model is used to investigate the structure of tip clearance flows in a turbine nozzle. The structure of leakage flow is captured accurately, including blade-to-blade variation of all three velocity components, pitch and yaw angles, losses and blade static pressures in the tip clearance region. The simulation also includes evaluation of such quantities of leakage mass flow, vortex strength, losses, dominant leakage flow regions and the spanwise extent affected by the leakage flow. It is demonstrated, through optimization of grid size and artificial dissipation, that the tip clearance flow field can be captured accurately. The above numerical formulation was modified to incorporate time accurate solutions. An inner loop iteration scheme is used at each time step to account for the non-linear effects. The computation of unsteady flow through a flat plate cascade subjected to a transverse gust reveals that the choice of grid spacing and the amount of artificial dissipation is critical for accurate prediction of unsteady phenomena. The rotor-stator interaction problem is simulated by starting the computation upstream of the stator, and the upstream rotor wake is specified from the experimental data. The results show that the stator potential effects have appreciable influence on the upstream rotor wake. The predicted unsteady wake profiles are compared with the available experimental data and the agreement is good. The numerical results are interpreted to draw conclusions on the unsteady wake transport mechanism in the blade passage.

Unsteady Analysis of Turbine Main Flow Coupled with Secondary Air Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hah, Chunill

2006-01-01

Two numerical approaches are used to model the interaction between the turbine main gas flow and the wheelspace cavity seal flow. The 3-D, unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations are solved with a CFD code based on a structured grid to study the interaction between the turbine main gas flow and the wheelspace cavity seal flow. A CFD code based on an unstructured grid is used to solve detailed flow feature in the cavity seal which has a complex geometry. The numerical results confirm various observations from earlier experimental studies under similar flow conditions. When the flow rate through the rim cavity seal is increased, the ingestion of the main turbine flow into the rim seal area decreases drastically. However, a small amount of main gas flow is ingested to the rim seal area even with very high level of seal flow rate. This is due to the complex nature of 3-D, unsteady flow interaction near the hub of the turbine stage.

High-Resolution Digital Two-Color PIV for Turbomachinery Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Copenhaver, W.; Gogineni, S.; Goss, L.

1996-11-01

Turbomachinery flows are inherently unsteady. However, steady design methods are currently used to develop turbomachinery, with the lack of basic understanding of unsteady effects being compensated by use of extensive empirical correlations. Conventional laser anemometry provides quantitative evidence of unsteady effects in turbomachinery but is limited in fully exploring this phenomenon. The PIV technique holds great promise for elucidating unsteady flow mechanisms in turbomachinery if obstacles to its application in a transonic turbomachine can be overcome. Implementation involves critical issues such as tracer seeding and optical access for transmitter and receiver. Initially, an 18-in.-dia. axial fan is used to explore these issues. One optical configuration considered is the fiber-optic fanning light sheet in conjunction with high-power pulsed lasers. Instantaneous velocity measurements are made between blades at different spanwise locations.

Modeling of atomization and distribution of drop-liquid fuel in unsteady swirling flows in a combustion chamber and free space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sviridenkov, A. A.; Toktaliev, P. D.; Tretyakov, V. V.

2018-03-01

Numerical and experimental research of atomization and propagation of drop-liquid phase in swirling flow behind the frontal device of combustion chamber was performed. Numerical procedure was based on steady and unsteady Reynolds equations solution. It's shown that better agreement with experimental data could be obtained with unsteady approach. Fractional time step method was implemented to solve Reynolds equations. Models of primary and secondary breakup of liquid fuel jet in swirling flows are formulated and tested. Typical mean sizes of fuel droplets for base operational regime of swirling device and combustion chamber were calculated. Comparison of main features of internal swirling flow in combustion chamber with unbounded swirling flow was made.

Wind tunnel wall effects in a linear oscillating cascade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buffum, Daniel H.; Fleeter, Sanford

1991-01-01

Experiments in a linear oscillating cascade reveal that the wind tunnel walls enclosing the airfoils have, in some cases, a detrimental effect on the oscillating cascade aerodynamics. In a subsonic flow field, biconvex airfoils are driven simultaneously in harmonic, torsion-mode oscillations for a range of interblade phase angle values. It is found that the cascade dynamic periodicity - the airfoil to airfoil variation in unsteady surface pressure - is good for some values of interblade phase angle but poor for others. Correlation of the unsteady pressure data with oscillating flat plate cascade predictions is generally good for conditions where the periodicity is good and poor where the periodicity is poor. Calculations based upon linearized unsteady aerodynamic theory indicate that pressure waves reflected from the wind tunnel walls are responsible for the cases where there is poor periodicity and poor correlation with the predictions.

Unsteady Specific Work and Isentropic Efficiency of a Radial Turbine Driven by Pulsed Detonations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-14

iv AFIT/DS/ENY/12-25 Abstract There has been longstanding government and industry interest in pressure-gain combustion for use in Brayton cycle...10 III.A. Unsteady Flow in Conventional Brayton Cycle Turbines ........................10 III.B. Unsteady Flow in Pulsed Detonation Driven...Szpynda and Nalim 2007) 114 Figure 69. Heiser and Pratt comparison of ideal PDE, Humphrey, and Brayton cycles on a temperature-entropy diagram (Heiser

A new unified approach to analyze wing-body-tail configurations with control surfaces in steady, oscillatory and fully unsteady, subsonic and supersonic flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tseng, K.; Morino, L.

1975-01-01

A general formulation for the analysis of steady and unsteady, subsonic and supersonic potential aerodynamics for arbitrary complex geometries is presented. The theoretical formulation, the numerical procedure, and numerical results are included. In particular, generalized forces for fully unsteady (complex frequency) aerodynamics for an AGARD coplanar wing-tail interfering configuration in both subsonic and supersonic flows are considered.

Investigations of Flow Over a Hemisphere Using Numerical Simulations (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-22

ranging from missile defense, remote sensing , and imaging . An important aspect of these applications is determining the effective beam-on-target...Stokes (URANS), detached eddy simulation (DES), and hybrid RANS/LES. The numerical results were compared with the experiment conducted at Auburn...turret. Using the DES and hybrid RANS/LES turbulence models, Loci-Chem was able to capture the unsteady flow structures, such as the shear layer

Unsteady aerodynamic analyses for turbomachinery aeroelastic predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verdon, Joseph M.; Barnett, M.; Ayer, T. C.

1994-01-01

Applications for unsteady aerodynamics analysis in this report are: (1) aeroelastic: blade flutter and forced vibration; (2) aeroacoustic: noise generation; (3) vibration and noise control; and (4) effects of unsteadiness on performance. This requires that the numerical simulations and analytical modeling be accurate and efficient and contain realistic operating conditions and arbitrary modes of unsteady excitation. The assumptions of this application contend that: (1) turbulence and transition can be modeled with the Reynolds averaged and using Navier-Stokes equations; (2) 'attached' flow with high Reynolds number will require thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations, or inviscid/viscid interaction analyses; (3) small-amplitude unsteady excitations will need nonlinear steady and linearized unsteady analyses; and (4) Re to infinity will concern inviscid flow. Several computer programs (LINFLO, CLT, UNSVIS, AND SFLOW-IVI) are utilized for these analyses. Results and computerized grid examples are shown. This report was given during NASA LeRC Workshop on Forced Response in Turbomachinery in August of 1993.

Analysing hyporheic exchange processes during unsteady flow in a small gravel bed river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtenbach, Andreas; Schuetz, Tobias; Krein, Andreas; Bierl, Reinhard

2017-04-01

Quantifying hyporheic exchange in gravel dominated rivers still remains a challenging task in stream ecology and hydrology, in particular during unsteady flow. We adopted three strategies to decipher exchange processes with the hyporheic zone during unsteady boundary conditions. First, artificial floods were generated in the mid-mountain gravel bed river system of the Olewiger Bach, Germany (24 km2). The advantage of the artificial flood approach lies in the selective control of governing processes by experimental design. Consequently, hydraulic boundary conditions such as maximum discharge, runoff volume and flood duration are steerable during the field experiments and the composition of the discharged water (e.g. low conductivity values) is known. Second, hyporheic exchange was analysed via heat dynamics using air, water and sediment pore water temperatures. Temperature dynamics in the hyporheic zone were monitored at the head, mid and tail of a riffle using specific lances (length: 67 cm, Ø: 3cm) containing temperature sensors in depths of 2, 5, 10, 15, 25, 45 and 65 cm. Short-term temperature variability during the unsteady artificial flood waves were analysed in high resolution of 10-30 seconds. In order to capture long-term seasonal fluctuations and dynamics during natural floods temperature was continuously measured at 5-min resolution. However, heat transfer in the hyporheic zone is affected by both advective and conductive transport. In a third strategy we therefore measure electrical conductivity and selected solutes in pore water during three artificial floods in 2015. Pore water was sampled from different sediment depths (5, 15, 25 and 45 cm) via stainless steel multilevel probes (length: 58 cm, Ø: 4cm). The investigation of temperature and pore water dynamics reveals that precedent hydrological conditions and ground-water levels are significant determinants for hyporheic exchange during unsteady flow. Stable groundwater stratification in spring for instance impedes hyporheic exchange even during the artificial flood waves with high maximum discharge. Our results show that artificial floods are a promising tool to investigate hyporheic exchange processes independent of external influences from precipitation events and associated natural floods. Implications of these findings on subsurface residence times as well as an outlook on future research regarding high temporal resolution of conductivity and solute monitoring in the hyporheic zone during unsteady flow will be discussed.

Using Nonlinearity and Contact Lines to Control Fluid Flow in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perlin, M.; Schultz, W. W.; Bian, X.; Agarwal, M.

2002-01-01

Slug flows in a tube are affected by surface tension and contact lines, especially under microgravity. Numerical analyses and experiments are conducted of slug flows in small-diameter tubes with horizontal, inclined and vertical orientations. A PID-controlled, meter-long platform capable of following specified motions is used. An improved understanding of the contact line boundary condition for steady and unsteady contact-line motion is expected. Lastly, a direct fluid-handling method using nonlinear oscillatory motion of a tube is presented.

Laser anemometry for hot flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kugler, P.; Langer, G.

1987-07-01

The fundamental principles, instrumentation, and practical operation of LDA and laser-transit-anemometry systems for measuring velocity profiles and the degree of turbulence in high-temperature flows are reviewed and illustrated with diagrams, drawings and graphs of typical data. Consideration is given to counter, tracker, spectrum-analyzer and correlation methods of LDA signal processing; multichannel analyzer and cross correlation methods for LTA data; LTA results for a small liquid fuel rocket motor; and experiments demonstrating the feasibility of an optoacoustic demodulation scheme for LDA signals from unsteady flows.

Some effects of oscillation waveform and amplitude on unsteady turbulent shear flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agarwal, Naval K.; Simpson, Roger L.; Shivaprasad, B. G.

1992-01-01

Some physical features of several unsteady separating turbulent boundary layers are presented for practical Reynolds numbers and reduced frequencies such as for helicopter and turbomachinery flows. The effects of unsteadiness amplitude and waveform are examined for flows along the floor of a converging and diverging wind tunnel test section. At the end of the converging portion, the mean skin friction coefficient normalized on the mean dynamic pressure is independent of the waveform and amplitude within low experimental uncertainties. In the detaching and detached portions of the flow, wall values of the fraction of time that the flow moves downstream of gamma sub pu, which is a separated flow state variable, shows that oscillation waveform and amplitude strongly influence the detached flow behavior. Distributions of gamma sub pu during a cycle indicate hysteresis within the detached flow and the effects of the higher harmonics of pressure gradient and velocity.

Development and application of computational aerothermodynamics flowfield computer codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatapathy, Ethiraj

1994-01-01

Research was performed in the area of computational modeling and application of hypersonic, high-enthalpy, thermo-chemical nonequilibrium flow (Aerothermodynamics) problems. A number of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes were developed and applied to simulate high altitude rocket-plume, the Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE), hypersonic base flow for planetary probes, the single expansion ramp model (SERN) connected with the National Aerospace Plane, hypersonic drag devices, hypersonic ramp flows, ballistic range models, shock tunnel facility nozzles, transient and steady flows in the shock tunnel facility, arc-jet flows, thermochemical nonequilibrium flows around simple and complex bodies, axisymmetric ionized flows of interest to re-entry, unsteady shock induced combustion phenomena, high enthalpy pulsed facility simulations, and unsteady shock boundary layer interactions in shock tunnels. Computational modeling involved developing appropriate numerical schemes for the flows on interest and developing, applying, and validating appropriate thermochemical processes. As part of improving the accuracy of the numerical predictions, adaptive grid algorithms were explored, and a user-friendly, self-adaptive code (SAGE) was developed. Aerothermodynamic flows of interest included energy transfer due to strong radiation, and a significant level of effort was spent in developing computational codes for calculating radiation and radiation modeling. In addition, computational tools were developed and applied to predict the radiative heat flux and spectra that reach the model surface.

Preliminary study of the interactions caused by crossing shock waves and a turbulent boundary layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ketchum, A. C.; Bogdonoff, S. M.; Fernando, E. M.; Batcho, P. F.

1989-01-01

The subject research, the first phase of an extended study of the interaction of crossing shock waves with a turbulent boundary layer, has revealed the complexity of the resulting flow. Detailed surface visualization and mean wall static pressure distributions show little resemblance to the inviscid flow approximation, and the exploratory high frequency measurements show that the flow downstream of the theoretical inviscid shock crossing position has a significant unsteady characteristic. Further developments of the (unsteady) high frequency measurements are required to fully characterize the unsteadiness and the requirements to include this component in flowfield modeling.

Unsteady Newton-Busemann flow theory. I - Airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hui, W. H.; Tobak, M.

1981-01-01

Newtonian flow theory for unsteady flow at very high Mach numbers is completed by the addition of a centrifugal force correction to the impact pressures. The correction term is the unsteady counterpart of Busemann's centrifugal force correction to impact pressures in steady flow. For airfoils of arbitary shape, exact formulas for the unsteady pressure and stiffness and damping-in-pitch derivatives are obtained in closed form, which require only numerical quadratures of terms involving the airfoil shape. They are applicable to airfoils of arbitrary thickness having sharp or blunt leading edges. For wedges and thin airfoils these formulas are greatly simplified, and it is proved that the pitching motions of thin airfoils of convex shape and of wedges of arbitrary thickness are always dynamically stable according to Newton-Busemann theory. Leading-edge bluntness is shown to have a favorable effect on the dynamic stability; on the other hand, airfoils of concave shape tend toward dynamic instability over a range of axis positions if the surface curvature exceeds a certain limit. As a byproduct, it is also shown that a pressure formula recently given by Barron and Mandl for unsteady Newtonian flow over a pitching power-law shaped airfoil is erroneous and that their conclusion regarding the effect of pivot position on the dynamic stability is misleading.

Investigation of the Flow Physics Driving Stall-Side Flutter in Advanced Forward Swept Fan Designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Albert J.; Liu, Jong S.; Panovsky, Josef; Bakhle, Milind A.; Stefko, George; Srivastava, Rakesh

2003-01-01

Flutter-free operation of advanced transonic fan designs continues to be a challenging task for the designers of aircraft engines. In order to meet the demands of increased performance and lighter weight, these modern fan designs usually feature low-aspect ratio shroudless rotor blade designs that make the task of achieving adequate flutter margin even more challenging for the aeroelastician. This is especially true for advanced forward swept designs that encompass an entirely new design space compared to previous experience. Fortunately, advances in unsteady computational fluid dynamic (CFD) techniques over the past decade now provide an analysis capability that can be used to quantitatively assess the aeroelastic characteristics of these next generation fans during the design cycle. For aeroelastic applications, Mississippi State University and NASA Glenn Research Center have developed the CFD code TURBO-AE. This code is a time-accurate three-dimensional Euler/Navier-Stokes unsteady flow solver developed for axial-flow turbomachinery that can model multiple blade rows undergoing harmonic oscillations with arbitrary interblade phase angles, i.e., nodal diameter patterns. Details of the code can be found in Chen et al. (1993, 1994), Bakhle et al. (1997, 1998), and Srivastava et al. (1999). To assess aeroelastic stability, the work-per-cycle from TURBO-AE is converted to the critical damping ratio since this value is more physically meaningful, with both the unsteady normal pressure and viscous shear forces included in the work-per-cycle calculation. If the total damping (aerodynamic plus mechanical) is negative, then the blade is unstable since it extracts energy from the flow field over the vibration cycle. TURBO-AE is an integral part of an aeroelastic design system being developed at Honeywell Engines, Systems & Services for flutter and forced response predictions, with test cases from development rig and engine tests being used to validate its predictive capability. A recent experimental program (Sanders et al., 2002) was aimed at providing the necessary unsteady aerodynamic and vibratory response data needed to validate TURBO-AE for fan flutter predictions. A comparison of numerical TURBO-AE simulations with the benchmark flutter data is given in Sanders et al. (2003), with the data used to guide the validation of the code and define best practices for performing accurate unsteady simulations. The agreement between the analyses and the predictions was quite remarkable, demonstrating the ability of the analysis to accurately model the unsteady flow processes driving stall-side flutter.

Viscous Incompressible Flow Computations for 3-D Steady and Unsteady Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kwak, Dochan

2001-01-01

This viewgraph presentation gives an overview of viscous incompressible flow computations for three-dimensional steady and unsteady flows. Details are given on the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as an engineering tool, solution methods for incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, numerical and physical characteristics of the primitive variable approach, and the role of CFD in the past and in current engineering and research applications.

NASA Perspective on Requirements for Development of Advanced Methods Predicting Unsteady Aerodynamics and Aeroelasticity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuster, David M.

2008-01-01

Over the past three years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has initiated design, development, and testing of a new human-rated space exploration system under the Constellation Program. Initial designs within the Constellation Program are scheduled to replace the present Space Shuttle, which is slated for retirement within the next three years. The development of vehicles for the Constellation system has encountered several unsteady aerodynamics challenges that have bearing on more traditional unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic analysis. This paper focuses on the synergy between the present NASA challenges and the ongoing challenges that have historically been the subject of research and method development. There are specific similarities in the flows required to be analyzed for the space exploration problems and those required for some of the more nonlinear unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic problems encountered on aircraft. The aggressive schedule, significant technical challenge, and high-priority status of the exploration system development is forcing engineers to implement existing tools and techniques in a design and application environment that is significantly stretching the capability of their methods. While these methods afford the users with the ability to rapidly turn around designs and analyses, their aggressive implementation comes at a price. The relative immaturity of the techniques for specific flow problems and the inexperience with their broad application to them, particularly on manned spacecraft flight system, has resulted in the implementation of an extensive wind tunnel and flight test program to reduce uncertainty and improve the experience base in the application of these methods. This provides a unique opportunity for unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelastic method developers to test and evaluate new analysis techniques on problems with high potential for acquisition of test and even flight data against which they can be evaluated. However, researchers may be required to alter the geometries typically used in their analyses, the types of flows analyzed, and even the techniques by which computational tools are verified and validated. This paper discusses these issues and provides some perspective on the potential for new and innovative approaches to the development of methods to attack problems in nonlinear unsteady aerodynamics.

LES of a ducted propeller with rotor and stator in crashback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Hyunchul; Mahesh, Krishnan

2012-11-01

A sliding interface method is developed for large eddy simulation (LES) of flow past ducted propellers with both rotor and stator. The method is developed for arbitrarily shaped unstructured elements on massively parallel computing platforms. Novel algorithms for searching sliding elements, interpolation at the sliding interface, and data structures for message passing are developed. We perform LES of flow past a ducted propeller with stator blades in the crashback mode of operation, where a marine vessel is quickly decelerated by rotating the propeller in reverse. The unsteady loads predicted by LES are in good agreement with experiments. A highly unsteady vortex ring is observed outside the duct. High pressure fluctuations are observed near the blade tips, which significantly contribute to the side-force. This work is supported by the United States Office of Naval Research.

Progress in incompressible Navier-Stokes computations for propulsion flows and its dual-use applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiris, Cetin

1995-01-01

Development of an incompressible Navier-Stokes solution procedure was performed for the analysis of a liquid rocket engine pump components and for the mechanical heart assist devices. The solution procedure for the propulsion systems is applicable to incompressible Navier-Stokes flows in a steadily rotating frame of reference for any general complex configurations. The computer codes were tested on different complex configurations such as liquid rocket engine inducer and impellers. As a spin-off technology from the turbopump component simulations, the flow analysis for an axial heart pump was conducted. The baseline Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) design was improved by adding an inducer geometry by adapting from the liquid rocket engine pump. The time-accurate mode of the incompressible Navier-Stokes code was validated with flapping foil experiment by using different domain decomposition methods. In the flapping foil experiment, two upstream NACA 0025 foils perform high-frequency synchronized motion and generate unsteady flow conditions for a downstream larger stationary foil. Fairly good agreement was obtained between unsteady experimental data and numerical results from two different moving boundary procedures. Incompressible Navier-Stokes code (INS3D) has been extended for heat transfer applications. The temperature equation was written for both forced and natural convection phenomena. Flow in a square duct case was used for the validation of the code in both natural and forced convection.

Transition of a Three-Dimensional Unsteady Viscous Flow Analysis from a Research Environment to the Design Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorney, Suzanne; Dorney, Daniel J.; Huber, Frank; Sheffler, David A.; Turner, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The advent of advanced computer architectures and parallel computing have led to a revolutionary change in the design process for turbomachinery components. Two- and three-dimensional steady-state computational flow procedures are now routinely used in the early stages of design. Unsteady flow analyses, however, are just beginning to be incorporated into design systems. This paper outlines the transition of a three-dimensional unsteady viscous flow analysis from the research environment into the design environment. The test case used to demonstrate the analysis is the full turbine system (high-pressure turbine, inter-turbine duct and low-pressure turbine) from an advanced turboprop engine.

Hot-Film and Hot-Wire Anemometry for a Boundary Layer Active Flow Control Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lenahan, Keven C.; Schatzman, David M.; Wilson, Jacob Samuel

2013-01-01

Unsteady active flow control (AFC) has been used experimentally for many years to minimize bluff-body drag. This technology could significantly improve performance of rotorcraft by cleaning up flow separation. It is important, then, that new actuator technologies be studied for application to future vehicles. A boundary layer wind tunnel was constructed with a 1ft-x-3ft test section and unsteady measurement instrumentation to study how AFC manipulates the boundary layer to overcome adverse pressure gradients and flow separation. This unsteady flow control research requires unsteady measurement methods. In order to measure the boundary layer characteristics, both hot-wire and hot-film Constant Temperature Anemometry is used. A hot-wire probe is mounted in the flow to measure velocity while a hot-film array lays on the test surface to measure skin friction. Hot-film sensors are connected to an anemometer, a Wheatstone bridge circuit with an output that corresponds to the dynamic flow response. From this output, the time varying flow field, turbulence, and flow reversal can be characterized. Tuning the anemometers requires a fan test on the hot-film sensors to adjust each output. This is a delicate process as several variables drastically affect the data, including control resistance, signal input, trim, and gain settings.

The Effect of Impingement on Transitional Behavior in Underexpanded Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Inman, Jennifer A.; Danehy, Paul M.; Nowak, Robert J.; Alderfer, David W.

2009-01-01

An investigation into the development of flow unsteadiness in impinging axisymmetric underexpanded jets has been conducted at NASA Langley Research Center. The study has examined the effect of an impingement target placed at various distances and angles on transitional behavior of such jets. Two nozzles, with exit Mach numbers of 1.0 and 2.6, were used in this investigation. Planar laser-induced fluorescence of nitric oxide (NO PLIF) has been used to identify flow unsteadiness and to image transitional and turbulent flow features. Measurements of the location of the onset of various degrees of unsteady flow behavior have been made using these PLIF images. Both qualitative and quantitative comparisons are presented to demonstrate the observed effects of impingement and flow parameters on the process of the transition to turbulence. The presence of the impingement target was found to significantly shorten the distance to transition to turbulence by up to a factor of approximately three, with closer targets resulting in slightly shorter distance to transition and turbulence. The location at which the flow first exhibits unsteadiness was found to have a strong dependence on the presence and location of key flow structures. This paper presents quantitative results on transition criteria for free and impinging jets.

Unsteady Flow Dynamics and Acoustics of Two-Outlet Centrifugal Fan Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, I. Y. W.; Leung, R. C. K.; Law, A. K. Y.

2011-09-01

In this study, a centrifugal fan design with two flow outlets is investigated. This design aims to provide high mass flow rate but low noise performance. Two dimensional unsteady flow simulation with CFD code (FLUENT 6.3) is carried out to analyze the fan flow dynamics and its acoustics. The calculations were done using the unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes (URANS) approach in which effects of turbulence were accounted for using κ-ɛ model. This work aims to provide an insight how the dominant noise source mechanisms vary with a key fan geometrical paramters, namely, the ratio between cutoff distance and the radius of curvature of the fan housing. Four new fan designs were calculated. Simulation results show that the unsteady flow-induced forces on the fan blades are found to be the main noise sources. The blade force coefficients are then used to build the dipole source terms in Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) Equation for estimating their noise effects. It is found that one design is able to deliver a mass flow 34% more, but with sound pressure level (SPL) 10 dB lower, than the existing design .

Large Eddy Simulation of Crashback in Marine Propulsors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Hyunchul

Crashback is an operating condition to quickly stop a propelled vehicle, where the propeller is rotated in the reverse direction to yield negative thrust. The crashback condition is dominated by the interaction of the free stream flow with the strong reverse flow. This interaction forms a highly unsteady vortex ring, which is a very prominent feature of crashback. Crashback causes highly unsteady loads and flow separation on the blade surface. The unsteady loads can cause propulsor blade damage, and also affect vehicle maneuverability. Crashback is therefore well known as one of the most challenging propeller states to analyze. This dissertation uses Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) to predict the highly unsteady flow field in crashback. A non-dissipative and robust finite volume method developed by Mahesh et al. (2004) for unstructured grids is applied to flow around marine propulsors. The LES equations are written in a rotating frame of reference. The objectives of this dissertation are: (1) to understand the flow physics of crashback in marine propulsors with and without a duct, (2) to develop a finite volume method for highly skewed meshes which usually occur in complex propulsor geometries, and (3) to develop a sliding interface method for simulations of rotor-stator propulsor on parallel platforms. LES is performed for an open propulsor in crashback and validated against experiments performed by Jessup et al. (2004). The LES results show good agreement with experiments. Effective pressures for thrust and side-force are introduced to more clearly understand the physical sources of thrust and side-force. Both thrust and side-force are seen to be mainly generated from the leading edge of the suction side of the propeller. This implies that thrust and side-force have the same source---the highly unsteady leading edge separation. Conditional averaging is performed to obtain quantitative information about the complex flow physics of high- or low-amplitude events. The events for thrust and side force show the same tendency. The conditional averages show that during high amplitude events, the vortex ring core is closer to the propeller blades, the reverse flow induced by the propeller rotation is lower, the forward flow is higher at the root of the blades, and leading and trailing edge flow separations are larger. The instantaneous flow field shows that during low amplitude events, the vortex ring is more axisymmetric and the stronger reverse flow induced by the vortex ring suppresses the forward flow so that flow separation on the blades is smaller. During high amplitude events, the vortex ring is less coherent and the weaker reverse flow cannot overcome the forward flow. The stronger forward flow makes flow separation on the blades larger. The effect of a duct on crashback is studied with LES. Thrust mostly arises from the blade surface, but most of side-force is generated from the duct surface. Both mean and RMS of pressure are much higher on inner surface of duct, especially near blade tips. This implies that side-force on the ducted propulsor is caused by the blade-duct interaction. Strong tip leakage flow is observed behind the suction side at the tip gap. The physical source of the tip leakage flow is seen to be the large pressure difference between pressure and suction sides. The conditional average for high amplitude event shows consistent results; the tip leakage flow and pressure difference are significantly higher when thrust and side-force are higher. A sliding interface method is developed to allow simulations of rotor-stator propulsor in crashback. The method allows relative rotations between different parts of the computational grid. Search algorithm for sliding elements, data structures for message passing, and accurate interpolation scheme at the sliding interface are developed for arbitrary shaped unstructured grids on parallel computing platforms. Preliminary simulations of open propulsor in crashback show reasonable performance.

Implicit flux-split Euler schemes for unsteady aerodynamic analysis involving unstructured dynamic meshes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batina, John T.

1990-01-01

Improved algorithms for the solution of the time-dependent Euler equations are presented for unsteady aerodynamic analysis involving unstructured dynamic meshes. The improvements have been developed recently to the spatial and temporal discretizations used by unstructured grid flow solvers. The spatial discretization involves a flux-split approach which is naturally dissipative and captures shock waves sharply with at most one grid point within the shock structure. The temporal discretization involves an implicit time-integration shceme using a Gauss-Seidel relaxation procedure which is computationally efficient for either steady or unsteady flow problems. For example, very large time steps may be used for rapid convergence to steady state, and the step size for unsteady cases may be selected for temporal accuracy rather than for numerical stability. Steady and unsteady flow results are presented for the NACA 0012 airfoil to demonstrate applications of the new Euler solvers. The unsteady results were obtained for the airfoil pitching harmonically about the quarter chord. The resulting instantaneous pressure distributions and lift and moment coefficients during a cycle of motion compare well with experimental data. The paper presents a description of the Euler solvers along with results and comparisons which assess the capability.

Implicit flux-split Euler schemes for unsteady aerodynamic analysis involving unstructured dynamic meshes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batina, John T.

1990-01-01

Improved algorithm for the solution of the time-dependent Euler equations are presented for unsteady aerodynamic analysis involving unstructured dynamic meshes. The improvements were developed recently to the spatial and temporal discretizations used by unstructured grid flow solvers. The spatial discretization involves a flux-split approach which is naturally dissipative and captures shock waves sharply with at most one grid point within the shock structure. The temporal discretization involves an implicit time-integration scheme using a Gauss-Seidel relaxation procedure which is computationally efficient for either steady or unsteady flow problems. For example, very large time steps may be used for rapid convergence to steady state, and the step size for unsteady cases may be selected for temporal accuracy rather than for numerical stability. Steady and unsteady flow results are presented for the NACA 0012 airfoil to demonstrate applications of the new Euler solvers. The unsteady results were obtained for the airfoil pitching harmonically about the quarter chord. The resulting instantaneous pressure distributions and lift and moment coefficients during a cycle of motion compare well with experimental data. A description of the Euler solvers is presented along with results and comparisons which assess the capability.

On the onset of secondary flow and unsteady solutions through a loosely coiled rectangular duct for large aspect ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaha, Poly Rani; Rudro, Sajal Kanti; Poddar, Nayan Kumar; Mondal, Rabindra Nath

2016-07-01

The study of flows through coiled ducts and channels has attracted considerable attention not only because of their ample applications in Chemical, Mechanical, Civil, Nuclear and Biomechanical engineering but also because of their ample applications in other areas, such as blood flow in the veins and arteries of human and other animals. In this paper, a numerical study is presented for the fully developed two-dimensional flow of viscous incompressible fluid through a loosely coiled rectangular duct of large aspect ratio. Numerical calculations are carried out by using a spectral method, and covering a wide range of the Dean number, Dn, for two types of curvatures of the duct. The main concern of the present study is to find out effects of curvature as well as formation of secondary vortices on unsteady solutions whether the unsteady flow is steady-state, periodic, multi-periodic or chaotic, if Dn is increased. Time evolution calculations as well as their phase spaces are performed with a view to study the non-linear behavior of the unsteady solutions, and it is found that the steady-state flow turns into chaotic flow through various flow instabilities, if Dn is increased no matter what the curvature is. It is found that the unsteady flow is a steady-state solution for small Dn's and oscillates periodically or non-periodically (chaotic) between two- and twelve-vortex solutions, if Dn is increased. It is also found that the chaotic solution is weak for small Dn's but strong as Dn becomes large. Axial flow distribution is also investigated and shown in contour plots.

On the onset of secondary flow and unsteady solutions through a loosely coiled rectangular duct for large aspect ratio

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shaha, Poly Rani; Poddar, Nayan Kumar; Mondal, Rabindra Nath, E-mail: rnmondal71@yahoo.com

The study of flows through coiled ducts and channels has attracted considerable attention not only because of their ample applications in Chemical, Mechanical, Civil, Nuclear and Biomechanical engineering but also because of their ample applications in other areas, such as blood flow in the veins and arteries of human and other animals. In this paper, a numerical study is presented for the fully developed two-dimensional flow of viscous incompressible fluid through a loosely coiled rectangular duct of large aspect ratio. Numerical calculations are carried out by using a spectral method, and covering a wide range of the Dean number, Dn,more » for two types of curvatures of the duct. The main concern of the present study is to find out effects of curvature as well as formation of secondary vortices on unsteady solutions whether the unsteady flow is steady-state, periodic, multi-periodic or chaotic, if Dn is increased. Time evolution calculations as well as their phase spaces are performed with a view to study the non-linear behavior of the unsteady solutions, and it is found that the steady-state flow turns into chaotic flow through various flow instabilities, if Dn is increased no matter what the curvature is. It is found that the unsteady flow is a steady-state solution for small Dn’s and oscillates periodically or non-periodically (chaotic) between two- and twelve-vortex solutions, if Dn is increased. It is also found that the chaotic solution is weak for small Dn’s but strong as Dn becomes large. Axial flow distribution is also investigated and shown in contour plots.« less

Three-Dimensional Unsteady Separation at Low Reynolds Numbers

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-07-01

novel, robust adaptive- grid technique for incompressible flow (Shen & Reed 1990a "Shepard’s Interpolation for Solution-Adaptive Methods" submitted to...3-D adaptive- grid schemes developed for flat plate for full, unsteady, incompressible Navier Stokes. 4. 2-D and 3-D unsteady, vortex-lattice code...perforated to tailor suction through wall. Honeycomb and contractiong uide flow uniformly crons "a dn muwet a m Fiur32 c ic R n R ev lving -disc seals

Investigation of Unsteady Tip Clearance Flow in a Low-Speed One and Half Stage Axial Compressor with LES And PIV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hah, Chunill; Hathaway, Michael; Katz, Joseph; Tan, David

2015-01-01

The primary focus of this paper is to investigate how a rotor's unsteady tip clearance flow structure changes in a low speed one and half stage axial compressor when the rotor tip gap size is increased from 0.5 mm (0.49% of rotor tip blade chord, 2% of blade span) to 2.4 mm (2.34% chord, 4% span) at the design condition are investigated. The changes in unsteady tip clearance flow with the 0.62 % tip gap as the flow rate is reduced to near stall condition are also investigated. A Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is applied to calculate the unsteady flow field at these three flow conditions. Detailed Stereoscopic PIV (SPIV) measurements of the current flow fields were also performed at the Johns Hopkins University in a refractive index-matched test facility which renders the compressor blades and casing optically transparent. With this setup, the unsteady velocity field in the entire flow domain, including the flow inside the tip gap, can be measured. Unsteady tip clearance flow fields from LES are compared with the PIV measurements and both LES and PIV results are used to study changes in tip clearance flow structures. The current study shows that the tip clearance vortex is not a single structure as traditionally perceived. The tip clearance vortex is formed by multiple interlaced vorticities. Therefore, the tip clearance vortex is inherently unsteady. The multiple interlaced vortices never roll up to form a single structure. When phased-averaged, the tip clearance vortex appears as a single structure. When flow rate is reduced with the same tip gap, the tip clearance vortex rolls further upstream and the tip clearance vortex moves further radially inward and away from the suction side of the blade. When the tip gap size is increased at the design flow condition, the overall tip clearance vortex becomes stronger and it stays closer to the blade suction side and the vortex core extends all the way to the exit of the blade passage. Measured and calculated unsteady flow fields inside the tip gap agree fairly well. Instantaneous velocity vectors inside the tip gap from both the PIV and LES do show flow separation and reattachment at the entrance of tip gap as some earlier studies suggested. This area at the entrance of tip gap flow (the pressure side of the blade) is confined very close to the rotor tip section. With a small tip gap (0.5mm), the gap flow looks like a simple two-dimensional channel flow with larger velocity near the casing for both flow rates. A small area with a sharp velocity gradient is observed just above the rotor tip. This strong shear layer is turned radially inward when it collides with the incoming flow and forms the core structure of the tip clearance vortex. When tip gap size is increased to 2.4 mm at the design operation, the radial profile of the tip gap flow changes drastically. With the large tip gap, the gap flow looks like a two-dimensional channel flow only near the casing. Near the rotor top section, a bigger region with very large shear and reversed flow is observed.

Response analysis of a laminar premixed M-flame to flow perturbations using a linearized compressible Navier-Stokes solver

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blanchard, M., E-mail: mathieu.blanchard@ladhyx.polytechnique.fr; Schuller, T.; Centrale-Supélec, Grande Voie des Vignes, 92290 Châtenay-Malabry

2015-04-15

The response of a laminar premixed methane-air flame subjected to flow perturbations around a steady state is examined experimentally and using a linearized compressible Navier-Stokes solver with a one-step chemistry mechanism to describe combustion. The unperturbed flame takes an M-shape stabilized both by a central bluff body and by the external rim of a cylindrical nozzle. This base flow is computed by a nonlinear direct simulation of the steady reacting flow, and the flame topology is shown to qualitatively correspond to experiments conducted under comparable conditions. The flame is then subjected to acoustic disturbances produced at different locations in themore » numerical domain, and its response is examined using the linearized solver. This linear numerical model then allows the componentwise investigation of the effects of flow disturbances on unsteady combustion and the feedback from the flame on the unsteady flow field. It is shown that a wrinkled reaction layer produces hydrodynamic disturbances in the fresh reactant flow field that superimpose on the acoustic field. This phenomenon, observed in several experiments, is fully interpreted here. The additional perturbations convected by the mean flow stem from the feedback of the perturbed flame sheet dynamics onto the flow field by a mechanism similar to that of a perturbed vortex sheet. The different regimes where this mechanism prevails are investigated by examining the phase and group velocities of flow disturbances along an axis oriented along the main direction of the flow in the fresh reactant flow field. It is shown that this mechanism dominates the low-frequency response of the wrinkled shape taken by the flame and, in particular, that it fully determines the dynamics of the flame tip from where the bulk of noise is radiated.« less

An unconditionally stable Runge-Kutta method for unsteady flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jorgenson, Philip C. E.; Chima, Rodrick V.

1988-01-01

A quasi-three dimensional analysis was developed for unsteady rotor-stator interaction in turbomachinery. The analysis solves the unsteady Euler or thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations in a body fitted coordinate system. It accounts for the effects of rotation, radius change, and stream surface thickness. The Baldwin-Lomax eddy viscosity model is used for turbulent flows. The equations are integrated in time using a four stage Runge-Kutta scheme with a constant time step. Implicit residual smoothing was employed to accelerate the solution of the time accurate computations. The scheme is described and accuracy analyses are given. Results are shown for a supersonic through-flow fan designed for NASA Lewis. The rotor:stator blade ratio was taken as 1:1. Results are also shown for the first stage of the Space Shuttle Main Engine high pressure fuel turbopump. Here the blade ratio is 2:3. Implicit residual smoothing was used to increase the time step limit of the unsmoothed scheme by a factor of six with negligible differences in the unsteady results. It is felt that the implicitly smoothed Runge-Kutta scheme is easily competitive with implicit schemes for unsteady flows while retaining the simplicity of an explicit scheme.

Effects of rotating flows on combustion and jet noise.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, I. R.

1972-01-01

Experimental investigations of combustion in rotating (swirling) flow have shown that the mixing and combustion processes were accelerated, flame length and noise levels significantly decreased, and flame stability increased relative to that obtained without rotation. Unsteady burning accompanied by a pulsating flame, violent fluctuating jet, and intense noise present in straight flow burning were not present in rotating flow burning. Correlations between theory and experiment show good agreement. Such effects due to rotating flows could lead to suppressing jet noise, improving combustion, reducing pollution, and decreasing aircraft engine size. Quantitative analysis of the aero-acoustic relationship and noise source characteristics are needed.-

Progress in Unsteady Turbopump Flow Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiris, Cetin C.; Chan, William; Kwak, Dochan; Williams, Robert

2002-01-01

This viewgraph presentation discusses unsteady flow simulations for a turbopump intended for a reusable launch vehicle (RLV). The simulation process makes use of computational grids and parallel processing. The architecture of the parallel computers used is discussed, as is the scripting of turbopump simulations.

High Fidelity Simulations for Unsteady Flow Through the Orbiter LH2 Feedline Flowliner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiris, Cetin C.; Kwak, Dochan; Chan, William; Housman, Jeffrey

2005-01-01

High fidelity computations were carried out to analyze the orbiter M2 feedline flowliner. Various computational models were used to characterize the unsteady flow features in the turbopump, including the orbiter Low-Pressure-Fuel-Turbopump (LPFTP) inducer, the orbiter manifold and a test article used to represent the manifold. Unsteady flow originating from the orbiter LPFTP inducer is one of the major contributors to the high frequency cyclic loading that results in high cycle fatigue damage to the gimbal flowliners just upstream of the LPFTP. The flow fields for the orbiter manifold and representative test article are computed and analyzed for similarities and differences. An incompressible Navier-Stokes flow solver INS3D, based on the artificial compressibility method, was used to compute the flow of liquid hydrogen in each test article.

Influence of Reynolds Number on the Unsteady Aerodynamics of Integrated Aggressive Intermediate Turbine Duct

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hongrui; Liu, Jun; Ji, Lucheng; Du, Qiang; Liu, Guang; Wang, Pei

2018-06-01

The ultra-high bypass ratio turbofan engine attracts more and more attention in modern commercial engine due to advantages of high efficiency and low Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC). One of the characteristics of ultra-high bypass ratio turbofan is the intermediate turbine duct which guides the flow leaving high pressure turbine (HPT) to low pressure turbine (LPT) at a larger diameter, and this kind of design will lead to aggressive intermediate turbine duct (AITD) design concept. Thus, it is important to design the AITD without any severe loss. From the unsteady flow's point of view, in actual operating conditions, the incoming wake generated by HPT is unsteady which will take influence on boundary layer's transition within the ITD and LPT. In this paper, the three-dimensional unsteady aerodynamics of an AITD taken from a real engine is studied. The results of fully unsteady three-dimensional numerical simulations, performed with ANSYS-CFX (RANS simulation with transitional model), are critically evaluated against experimental data. After validation of the numerical model, the physical mechanisms inside the flow channel are analyzed, with an aim to quantify the sensitivities of different Reynolds number effect on both the ITD and LPT nozzle. Some general physical mechanisms can be recognized in the unsteady environment. It is recognized that wake characteristics plays a crucial role on the loss within both the ITD and LPT nozzle section, determining both time-averaged and time-resolved characteristics of the flow field. Meanwhile, particular attention needs to be paid to the unsteady effect on the boundary layer of LPT nozzle's suction side surface.

Time domain numerical calculations of unsteady vortical flows about a flat plate airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hariharan, S. I.; Yu, Ping; Scott, J. R.

1989-01-01

A time domain numerical scheme is developed to solve for the unsteady flow about a flat plate airfoil due to imposed upstream, small amplitude, transverse velocity perturbations. The governing equation for the resulting unsteady potential is a homogeneous, constant coefficient, convective wave equation. Accurate solution of the problem requires the development of approximate boundary conditions which correctly model the physics of the unsteady flow in the far field. A uniformly valid far field boundary condition is developed, and numerical results are presented using this condition. The stability of the scheme is discussed, and the stability restriction for the scheme is established as a function of the Mach number. Finally, comparisons are made with the frequency domain calculation by Scott and Atassi, and the relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach are assessed.

Investigation of Three-Dimensional Unsteady Flow Characteristics in Transonic Diffusers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proshchanka, Dzianis; Yonezawa, Koichi; Tsujimoto, Yoshinobu

Three-dimensional characteristics of unsteady flow in supercritical transonic diffuser are investigated. For various pressure ratios three-dimensional flow containing a normal shock/turbulent boundary layer interaction regions with shockwave and pseudo-shockwaves fluctuating in longitudinal and spanwise directions is observed. Experimental and numerical investigations show details of the flowfield in the vicinity of terminal shock, interaction regions and downstream turbulent unsteady flow. Spectral analysis of pressure fluctuations reveals existence of two characteristic frequencies attributed to the shockwave fluctuation in longitudinal direction for the lower frequency case and acoustic resonance in spanwise direction for the higher one. Vortices appear at each corner in transversal sections modifying the core flow. As a result, size and depth of longitudinal and vertical penetration of separation regions impelled by the terminal shock is either increased or decreased.

Analysis of high-incidence separated flow past airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chia, K. N.; Osswald, G. A.; Chia, U.

1989-01-01

An unsteady Navier-Stokes (NS) analysis is developed and used to carefully examine high-incidence aerodynamic separated flows past airfoils. Clustered conformal C-grids are employed for the 12 percent thick symmetric Joukowski airfoil as well as for the NACA 0012 airfoil with a sharp trailing edge. The clustering is controlled by appropriate one-dimensional stretching transformations. An attempt is made to resolve many of the dominant scales of an unsteady flow with massive separation, while maintaining the transformation metrics to be smooth and continuous in the entire flow field. A fully implicit time-marching alternating-direction implicit-block Gaussian elimination (ADI-BGE) method is employed, in which no use is made of any explicit artificial dissipation. Detailed results are obtained for massively separated, unsteady flow past symmetric Joukowski and NACA 0012 airfoils.

Bed Load Variability and Morphology of Gravel Bed Rivers Subject to Unsteady Flow: A Laboratory Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redolfi, M.; Bertoldi, W.; Tubino, M.; Welber, M.

2018-02-01

Measurement and estimation of bed load transport in gravel bed rivers are highly affected by its temporal fluctuations. Such variability is primarily driven by the flow regime but is also associated with a variety of inherent channel processes, such as flow turbulence, grain entrainment, and bed forms migration. These internal and external controls often act at comparable time scales, and are therefore difficult to disentangle, thus hindering the study of bed load variability under unsteady flow regime. In this paper, we report on laboratory experiments performed in a large, mobile bed flume where typical hydromorphological conditions of gravel bed rivers were reproduced. Data from a large number of replicated runs, including triangular and square-wave hydrographs, were used to build a statistically sound description of sediment transport processes. We found that the inherent variability of bed load flux strongly depends on the sampling interval, and it is significantly higher in complex, wandering or braided channels. This variability can be filtered out by computing the mean response over the experimental replicates, which allows us to highlight two distinctive phenomena: (i) an overshooting (undershooting) response of the mean bed load flux to a sudden increase (decrease) of discharge, and (ii) a clockwise hysteresis in the sediment rating curve. We then provide an interpretation of these findings through a conceptual mathematical model, showing how both phenomena are associated with a lagging morphological adaptation to unsteady flow. Overall, this work provides basic information for evaluating, monitoring, and managing gravel transport in morphologically active rivers.

Numerical analyses of evolution of unsteady flow structures in the wake of flapping starling wing model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnan, Krishnamoorthy; Naqavi, Iftekhar Z.; Gurka, Roi

2017-11-01

Understanding the physics of flapping wings at moderate Reynolds number flows takes on greater importance in the context of avian aerodynamics as well as in the design of miniature-aerial-vehicles. Analyzing the characteristics of wake vortices generated downstream of flapping wings can help to explain the unsteady contribution to the aerodynamics loads. In this study, numerical simulations of flow over a bio-inspired pseudo-2D flapping wing model was conducted to characterize the evolution of unsteady flow structures in the downstream wake of flapping wing. The wing model was based on a European starling's wing and wingbeat kinematics were incorporated to simulate a free-forward flight. The starling's wingbeat kinematics were extracted from experiments conducted in a wind tunnel where freely flying starling was measured using high-speed PIV as well as high-speed imaging yielding a series of kinematic images sampled at 500 Hz. The average chord of the wing section was 6 cm and simulations were carried out at a Reynolds number of 54,000, reduced frequency of 0.17, and Strouhal number of 0.16. Large eddy simulation was performed using a second order, finite difference code ParLES. Characteristics of wake vortex structures during the different phases of the wing strokes were examined. The role of wingbeat kinematics in the configuration of downstream vortex patterns is discussed. Evaluated wake topology and lift-drag characteristics are compared with the starling's wind tunnel results.

Numerical Investigation of Double-Cone Flows with High Enthalpy Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nompelis, I.; Candler, G. V.

2009-01-01

A numerical study of shock/shock and shock/boundary layer interactions generated by a double-cone model that is placed in a hypersonic free-stream is presented. Computational results are compared with the experimental measurements made at the CUBRC LENS facility for nitrogen flows at high enthalpy conditions. The CFD predictions agree well with surface pressure and heat-flux measurements for all but one of the double-cone cases that have been studied by the authors. Unsteadiness is observed in computations of one of the LENS cases, however for this case the experimental measurements show that the flowfield is steady. To understand this discrepancy, several double-cone experiments performed in two different facilities with both air and nitrogen as the working gas are examined in the present study. Computational results agree well with measurements made in both the AEDC tunnel 9 and the CUBRC LENS facility for double-cone flows at low free-stream Reynolds numbers where the flow is steady. It is shown that at higher free- stream pressures the double-cone simulations develop instabilities that result in an unsteady separation.

Quasi-2D Unsteady Flow Procedure for Real Fluids

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-17

Reynolds number and the wall surface roughness . For the viscous flow examples presented below, the Churchill correlation7 was used to determine single...methods is discussed to aid in selection for specific applications. Results for the transient flows of gaseous nitrogen and water in a simple pipe ...gaseous nitrogen and water in a simple pipe network are presented to demonstrate the capability of the current techniques and the unsteady flow

The Effects of Blade Count on Boundary Layer Development in a Low-Pressure Turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorney, Daniel J.; Flitan, Horia C.; Ashpis, David E.; Solomon, William J.

2000-01-01

Experimental data from jet-engine tests have indicated that turbine efficiencies at takeoff can be as much as two points higher than those at cruise conditions. Recent studies have shown that Reynolds number effects contribute to the lower efficiencies at cruise conditions. In the current study numerical simulations have been performed to study the boundary layer development in a two-stage low-pressure turbine, and to evaluate the models available for low Reynolds number flows in turbomachinery. In a previous study using the same geometry the predicted time-averaged boundary layer quantities showed excellent agreement with the experimental data, but the predicted unsteady results showed only fair agreement with the experimental data. It was surmised that the blade count approximation used in the numerical simulations generated more unsteadiness than was observed in the experiments. In this study a more accurate blade approximation has been used to model the turbine, and the method of post-processing the boundary layer information has been modified to more closely resemble the process used in the experiments. The predicted results show improved agreement with the unsteady experimental data.

Effects of homogeneous condensation in compressible flows: Ludwieg-tube experiments and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Xisheng; Lamanna, Grazia; Holten, A. P. C.; van Dongen, M. E. H.

Effects of homogeneous nucleation and subsequent droplet growth in compressible flows in humid nitrogen are investigated numerically and experimentally. A Ludwieg tube is employed to produce expansion flows. Corresponding to different configurations, three types of experiment are carried out in such a tube. First, the phase transition in a strong unsteady expansion wave is investigated to demonstrate the mutual interaction between the unsteady flow and the condensation process and also the formation of condensation-induced shock waves. The role of condensation-induced shocks in the gradual transition from a frozen initial structure to an equilibrium structure is explained. Second, the condensing flow in a slender supersonic nozzle G2 is considered. Particular attention is given to condensation-induced oscillations and to the transition from symmetrical mode-1 oscillations to asymmetrical mode-2 oscillations in a starting nozzle flow, as first observed by Adam & Schnerr. The transition is also found numerically, but the amplitude, frequency and transition time are not yet well predicted. Third, a sharp-edged obstacle is placed in the tube to generate a starting vortex. Condensation in the vortex is found. Owing to the release of latent heat of condensation, an increase in the pressure and temperature in the vortex core is observed. Condensation-induced shock waves are found, for a sufficiently high initial saturation ratio, which interact with the starting vortex, resulting in a very complex flow. As time proceeds, a subsonic or transonic free jet is formed downstream of the sharp-edged obstacle, which becomes oscillatory for a relatively high main-flow velocity and for a sufficiently high humidity.

A Wind Tunnel Model to Explore Unsteady Circulation Control for General Aviation Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cagle, Christopher M.; Jones, Gregory S.

2002-01-01

Circulation Control airfoils have been demonstrated to provide substantial improvements in lift over conventional airfoils. The General Aviation Circular Control model is an attempt to address some of the concerns of this technique. The primary focus is to substantially reduce the amount of air mass flow by implementing unsteady flow. This paper describes a wind tunnel model that implements unsteady circulation control by pulsing internal pneumatic valves and details some preliminary results from the first test entry.

Numerical calculations of two dimensional, unsteady transonic flows with circulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beam, R. M.; Warming, R. F.

1974-01-01

The feasibility of obtaining two-dimensional, unsteady transonic aerodynamic data by numerically integrating the Euler equations is investigated. An explicit, third-order-accurate, noncentered, finite-difference scheme is used to compute unsteady flows about airfoils. Solutions for lifting and nonlifting airfoils are presented and compared with subsonic linear theory. The applicability and efficiency of the numerical indicial function method are outlined. Numerically computed subsonic and transonic oscillatory aerodynamic coefficients are presented and compared with those obtained from subsonic linear theory and transonic wind-tunnel data.

Retrospective cost adaptive Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes k-ω model for data-driven unsteady turbulent simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhiyong; Hoagg, Jesse B.; Martin, Alexandre; Bailey, Sean C. C.

2018-03-01

This paper presents a data-driven computational model for simulating unsteady turbulent flows, where sparse measurement data is available. The model uses the retrospective cost adaptation (RCA) algorithm to automatically adjust the closure coefficients of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) k- ω turbulence equations to improve agreement between the simulated flow and the measurements. The RCA-RANS k- ω model is verified for steady flow using a pipe-flow test case and for unsteady flow using a surface-mounted-cube test case. Measurements used for adaptation of the verification cases are obtained from baseline simulations with known closure coefficients. These verification test cases demonstrate that the RCA-RANS k- ω model can successfully adapt the closure coefficients to improve agreement between the simulated flow field and a set of sparse flow-field measurements. Furthermore, the RCA-RANS k- ω model improves agreement between the simulated flow and the baseline flow at locations at which measurements do not exist. The RCA-RANS k- ω model is also validated with experimental data from 2 test cases: steady pipe flow, and unsteady flow past a square cylinder. In both test cases, the adaptation improves agreement with experimental data in comparison to the results from a non-adaptive RANS k- ω model that uses the standard values of the k- ω closure coefficients. For the steady pipe flow, adaptation is driven by mean stream-wise velocity measurements at 24 locations along the pipe radius. The RCA-RANS k- ω model reduces the average velocity error at these locations by over 35%. For the unsteady flow over a square cylinder, adaptation is driven by time-varying surface pressure measurements at 2 locations on the square cylinder. The RCA-RANS k- ω model reduces the average surface-pressure error at these locations by 88.8%.

Current status of computational methods for transonic unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelastic applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, John W.; Malone, John B.

1992-01-01

The current status of computational methods for unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelasticity is reviewed. The key features of challenging aeroelastic applications are discussed in terms of the flowfield state: low-angle high speed flows and high-angle vortex-dominated flows. The critical role played by viscous effects in determining aeroelastic stability for conditions of incipient flow separation is stressed. The need for a variety of flow modeling tools, from linear formulations to implementations of the Navier-Stokes equations, is emphasized. Estimates of computer run times for flutter calculations using several computational methods are given. Applications of these methods for unsteady aerodynamic and transonic flutter calculations for airfoils, wings, and configurations are summarized. Finally, recommendations are made concerning future research directions.

Unsteady flow phenomena in industrial centrifugal compressor stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bonciani, L.; Terrinoni, L.; Tesei, A.

1982-01-01

The results of an experimental investigation on a typical centrifugal compressor stage running on an atmospheric pressure test rig are shown. Unsteady flow was invariably observed at low flow well before surge. In order to determine the influence of the statoric components, the same impeller was repeatedly tested with the same vaneless diffuser, but varying return channel geometry. Experimental results show the strong effect exerted by the return channel, both on onset and on the behavior of unsteady flow. Observed phenomena have been found to confirm well the observed dynamic behavior of full load tested machines when gas density is high enough to cause appreciable mechanical vibrations. Therefore, testing of single stages at atmospheric pressure may provide a fairly accurate prediction of this kind of aerodynamic excitation.

Verification of a one-dimensional, unsteady-flow model for the Fox River in Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ishii, Audrey L.; Turner, Mary J.

1996-01-01

The previously-calibrated application of the Full EQuations (FEQ) model of one-dimensional, unsteady flow to a 30.7-mile reach of the Fox River in northeastern Illinois was verified with discharge, stage, and dye-transport data collected during a 12-day period in October-November 1990. The period included unsteady flow induced by the operation of a sluice gate dam located at the upstream end of the reach. The model flow field was input to the Branched Lagrangian Transport Model (BLTM) for the simulation of dye transport. The results of the FEQ and BLTM model simulations are compared with the measured data and sensitivity analyses of the model parameters for this application are presented.

Off-Design Performance of a Multi-Stage Supersonic Turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorney, Daniel J.; Griffin, Lisa W.; Huber, Frank; Sondak, Douglas L.

2003-01-01

The drive towards high-work turbines has led to designs which can be compact, transonic, supersonic, counter rotating, or use a dense drive gas. These aggressive designs can lead to strong unsteady secondary flows and flow separation. The amplitude and extent of these unsteady flow phenomena can be amplified at off-design operating conditions. Pre-test off-design predictions have been performed for a new two-stage supersonic turbine design that is currently being tested in air. The simulations were performed using a three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes analysis, and the predicted results have been compared with solutions from a validated meanline analysis.

Fully unsteady subsonic and supersonic potential aerodynamics for complex aircraft configurations for flutter applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tseng, K.; Morino, L.

1975-01-01

A general theory for study, oscillatory or fully unsteady potential compressible aerodynamics around complex configurations is presented. Using the finite-element method to discretize the space problem, one obtains a set of differential-delay equations in time relating the potential to its normal derivative which is expressed in terms of the generalized coordinates of the structure. For oscillatory flow, the motion consists of sinusoidal oscillations around a steady, subsonic or supersonic flow. For fully unsteady flow, the motion is assumed to consist of constant subsonic or supersonic speed for time t or = 0 and of small perturbations around the steady state for time t 0.

Unsteady boundary layer flow over a sphere in a porous medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammad, Nurul Farahain; Waini, Iskandar; Kasim, Abdul Rahman Mohd; Majid, Nurazleen Abdul

2017-08-01

This study focuses on the problem of unsteady boundary layer flow over a sphere in a porous medium. The governing equations which consists of a system of dimensional partial differential equations is applied with dimensionless parameter in order to attain non-dimensional partial differential equations. Later, the similarity transformation is performed in order to attain nonsimilar governing equations. Afterwards, the nonsimilar governing equations are solved numerically by using the Keller-Box method in Octave programme. The effect of porosity parameter is examined on separation time, velocity profile and skin friction of the unsteady flow. The results attained are presented in the form of table and graph.

Unsteady Full Annulus Simulations of a Transonic Axial Compressor Stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herrick, Gregory P.; Hathaway, Michael D.; Chen, Jen-Ping

2009-01-01

Two recent research endeavors in turbomachinery at NASA Glenn Research Center have focused on compression system stall inception and compression system aerothermodynamic performance. Physical experiment and computational research are ongoing in support of these research objectives. TURBO, an unsteady, three-dimensional, Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics code commissioned and developed by NASA, has been utilized, enhanced, and validated in support of these endeavors. In the research which follows, TURBO is shown to accurately capture compression system flow range-from choke to stall inception-and also to accurately calculate fundamental aerothermodynamic performance parameters. Rigorous full-annulus calculations are performed to validate TURBO s ability to simulate the unstable, unsteady, chaotic stall inception process; as part of these efforts, full-annulus calculations are also performed at a condition approaching choke to further document TURBO s capabilities to compute aerothermodynamic performance data and support a NASA code assessment effort.

Finite element analysis and computer graphics visualization of flow around pitching and plunging airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bratanow, T.; Ecer, A.

1973-01-01

A general computational method for analyzing unsteady flow around pitching and plunging airfoils was developed. The finite element method was applied in developing an efficient numerical procedure for the solution of equations describing the flow around airfoils. The numerical results were employed in conjunction with computer graphics techniques to produce visualization of the flow. The investigation involved mathematical model studies of flow in two phases: (1) analysis of a potential flow formulation and (2) analysis of an incompressible, unsteady, viscous flow from Navier-Stokes equations.

An experimental investigation of gapwise periodicity and unsteady aerodynamic response in an oscillating cascade. 1: Experimental and theoretical results. [turbine blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carta, F. O.

1982-01-01

Tests were conducted on a linear cascade of airfoils oscillating in pitch to measure the unsteady pressure response on selected blades along the leading edge plane of the cascade, over the chord of the center blade, and on the sidewall in the plane of the leading edge. The pressure data were reduced to Fourier coefficient form for direct comparison, and were also processed to yield integrated loads and, particularly, the aerodynamic damping coefficient. Results from the unsteady Verdon/Caspar theory for cascaded blades with nonzero thickness and camber were compared with the experimental measurements. The three primary results are: (1) from the leading edge plane blade data, the cascade was judged to be periodic in unsteady flow over the range of parameters tested; (2) the interblade phase angle was found to be the single most important parameter affecting the stability of the oscillating cascade blades; and (3) the real blade theory and the experiment were in excellent agreement for the several cases chosen for comparison.

An experimental investigation of the efficacy of perforated holes on unsteady aerodynamic force reduction for a 2D cylinder in uniform incoming flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudalaimuthu, Vignesh; Liu, Xiaofeng

2017-11-01

A series of wind tunnel aerodynamic force measurements have been conducted on a 2D hollow cylinder with perforated holes uniformly-distributed on its surface to evaluate the efficacy of perforation as a means of passive flow control in reducing unsteady aerodynamic forces. Both smooth and perforated cylinders were tested for comparison at Reynolds numbers ranging from 50,000 to 200,000 corresponding to free stream velocities varying from 5 to 20 m/s (at an increment of 5 m/s) and a cylinder diameter of 0.152 m. The aerodynamic forces acting on the testing model were measured using a 6-component load cell. For each tunnel speed, the test has been repeated for 10 runs at a sampling rate of 10 kHz for 60 seconds each, with a total of 6,000,000 samples acquired for each test. Both mean and r.m.s. values of the lift and drag coefficients were calculated. Power spectral density distributions of the unsteady aerodynamic force loading was analyzed to investigate the effect of the perforation on the frequency composition. Comparisons indicate that the perforated cylinder with a 8% porosity and a hole diameter of about 2% of that of the cylinder gives both substantially less unsteady drag and lift than those of the smooth cylinder for the entire Reynolds number range tested, with the r.m.s. force reduction from 8% to 82% for the drag and 64% to 85% for the lift, confirming a corresponding beneficial reduction in flow-induced cylinder vibration as observed during the experiments. Sponsor: San Diego State University.

A lift formula applied to low-Reynolds-number unsteady flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shizhao; Zhang, Xing; He, Guowei; Liu, Tianshu

2013-09-01

A lift formula for a wing in a rectangular control volume is given in a very simple and physically lucid form, providing a rational foundation for calculation of the lift of a flapping wing in highly unsteady and separated flows at low Reynolds numbers. Direct numerical simulations on the stationary and flapping two-dimensional flat plate and rectangular flat-plate wing are conducted to assess the accuracy of the lift formula along with the classical Kutta-Joukowski theorem. In particular, the Lamb vector integral for the vortex force and the acceleration term of fluid for the unsteady inertial effect are evaluated as the main contributions to the unsteady lift generation of a flapping wing.

Helicopter Rotor Blade Computation in Unsteady Flows Using Moving Overset Grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahmad, Jasim; Duque, Earl P. N.

1996-01-01

An overset grid thin-layer Navier-Stokes code has been extended to include dynamic motion of helicopter rotor blades through relative grid motion. The unsteady flowfield and airloads on an AH-IG rotor in forward flight were computed to verify the methodology and to demonstrate the method's potential usefulness towards comprehensive helicopter codes. In addition, the method uses the blade's first harmonics measured in the flight test to prescribe the blade motion. The solution was impulsively started and became periodic in less than three rotor revolutions. Detailed unsteady numerical flow visualization techniques were applied to the entire unsteady data set of five rotor revolutions and exhibited flowfield features such as blade vortex interaction and wake roll-up. The unsteady blade loads and surface pressures compare well against those from flight measurements. Details of the method, a discussion of the resulting predicted flowfield, and requirements for future work are presented. Overall, given the proper blade dynamics, this method can compute the unsteady flowfield of a general helicopter rotor in forward flight.

High Fidelity Simulations of Unsteady Flow through Turbopumps and Flowliners

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiris, Cetin C.; Kwak, dochan; Chan, William; Housman, Jeff

2006-01-01

High fidelity computations were carried out to analyze the orbiter LH2 feedline flowliner. Computations were performed on the Columbia platform which is a 10,240-processor supercluster consisting of 20 Altix nodes with 512 processor each. Various computational models were used to characterize the unsteady flow features in the turbopump, including the orbiter Low-Pressure-Fuel-Turbopump (LPFTP) inducer, the orbiter manifold and a test article used to represent the manifold. Unsteady flow originating from the orbiter LPFTP inducer is one of the major contributors to the high frequency cyclic loading that results in high cycle fatigue damage to the gimbal flowliners just upstream of the LPFTP. The flow fields for the orbiter manifold and representative test article are computed and analyzed for similarities and differences. The incompressible Navier-Stokes flow solver INS3D, based on the artificial compressibility method, was used to compute the flow of liquid hydrogen in each test article.

Unsteady flow over a decelerating rotating sphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turkyilmazoglu, M.

2018-03-01

Unsteady flow analysis induced by a decelerating rotating sphere is the main concern of this paper. A revolving sphere in a still fluid is supposed to slow down at an angular velocity rate that is inversely proportional to time. The governing partial differential equations of motion are scaled in accordance with the literature, reducing to the well-documented von Kármán equations in the special circumstance near the pole. Both numerical and perturbation approaches are pursued to identify the velocity fields, shear stresses, and suction velocity far above the sphere. It is detected that an induced flow surrounding the sphere acts accordingly to adapt to the motion of the sphere up to some critical unsteadiness parameters at certain latitudes. Afterward, the decay rate of rotation ceases such that the flow at the remaining azimuths starts revolving freely. At a critical unsteadiness parameter corresponding to s = -0.681, the decelerating sphere rotates freely and requires no more torque. At a value of s exactly matching the rotating disk flow at the pole identified in the literature, the entire flow field around the sphere starts revolving faster than the disk itself. Increasing values of -s almost diminish the radial outflow. This results in jet flows in both the latitudinal and meridional directions, concentrated near the wall region. The presented mean flow results will be useful for analyzing the instability features of the flow, whether of a convective or absolute nature.

The flip-flop nozzle extended to supersonic flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raman, Ganesh; Hailye, Michael; Rice, Edward J.

1992-01-01

An experiment studying a fluidically oscillated rectangular jet flow was conducted. The Mach number was varied over a range from low subsonic to supersonic. Unsteady velocity and pressure measurements were made using hot wires and piezoresistive pressure transducers. In addition smoke flow visualization using high speed photography was used to document the oscillation of the jet. For the subsonic flip-flop jet it was found that the apparent time-mean widening of the jet was not accompanied by an increase in mass flux. It was found that it is possible to extend the operation of these devices to supersonic flows. Most of the measurements were made for a fixed nozzle geometry for which the oscillations ceased at a fully expanded Mach number of 1.58. By varying the nozzle geometry this limitation was overcome and operation was extended to Mach 1.8. The streamwise velocity perturbation levels produced by this device were much higher than the perturbation levels that could be produced using conventional excitation sources such as acoustic drivers. In view of this ability to produce high amplitudes, the potential for using small scale fluidically oscillated jet as an unsteady excitation source for the control of shear flows in full scale practical applications seems promising.

The flip flop nozzle extended to supersonic flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raman, Ganesh; Hailye, Michael; Rice, Edward J.

1992-01-01

An experiment studying a fluidically oscillated rectangular jet flow was conducted. The Mach number was varied over a range from low subsonic to supersonic. Unsteady velocity and pressure measurements were made using hot wires and piezoresistive pressure transducers. In addition smoke flow visualization using high speed photography was used to document the oscillation of the jet. For the subsonic flip-flop jet it was found that the apparent time-mean widening of the jet was not accompanied by an increase in mass flux. It was found that it is possible to extend the operation of these devices to supersonic flows. Most of the measurements were made for a fixed nozzle geometry for which the oscillations ceased at a fully expanded Mach number of 1.58. By varying the nozzle geometry this limitation was overcome and operation was extended to Mach 1.8. The streamwise velocity perturbation levels produced by this device were much higher than the perturbation levels that could be produced using conventional excitation sources such as acoustic drivers. In view of this ability to produce high amplitudes, the potential for using small scale fluidically oscillated jet as an unsteady excitation source for the control of shear flows in full scale practical applications seems promising.

Unsteady flows in rotor-stator cascades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yu-Tai; Bein, Thomas W.; Feng, Jin Z.; Merkle, Charles L.

1991-03-01

A time-accurate potential-flow calculation method has been developed for unsteady incompressible flows through two-dimensional multi-blade-row linear cascades. The method represents the boundary surfaces by distributing piecewise linear-vortex and constant-source singularities on discrete panels. A local coordinate is assigned to each independently moving object. Blade-shed vorticity is traced at each time step. The unsteady Kutta condition applied is nonlinear and requires zero blade trailing-edge loading at each time. Its influence on the solutions depends on the blade trailing-edge shapes. Steady biplane and cascade solutions are presented and compared to exact solutions and experimental data. Unsteady solutions are validated with the Wagner function for an airfoil moving impulsively from rest and the Theodorsen function for an oscillating airfoil. The shed vortex motion and its interaction with blades are calculated and compared to an analytic solution. For multi-blade-row cascade, the potential effect between blade rows is predicted using steady and quasi unsteady calculations. The accuracy of the predictions is demonstrated using experimental results for a one-stage turbine stator-rotor.

Unsteady Flows in a Single-Stage Transonic Axial-Flow Fan Stator Row. Ph.D. Thesis - Iowa State Univ.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hathaway, Michael D.

1986-01-01

Measurements of the unsteady velocity field within the stator row of a transonic axial-flow fan were acquired using a laser anemometer. Measurements were obtained on axisymmetric surfaces located at 10 and 50 percent span from the shroud, with the fan operating at maximum efficiency at design speed. The ensemble-average and variance of the measured velocities are used to identify rotor-wake-generated (deterministic) unsteadiness and turbulence, respectively. Correlations of both deterministic and turbulent velocity fluctuations provide information on the characteristics of unsteady interactions within the stator row. These correlations are derived from the Navier-Stokes equation in a manner similar to deriving the Reynolds stress terms, whereby various averaging operators are used to average the aperiodic, deterministic, and turbulent velocity fluctuations which are known to be present in multistage turbomachines. The correlations of deterministic and turbulent velocity fluctuations throughout the axial fan stator row are presented. In particular, amplification and attenuation of both types of unsteadiness are shown to occur within the stator blade passage.

Unsteady-flow-field predictions for oscillating cascades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huff, Dennis L.

1991-01-01

The unsteady flow field around an oscillating cascade of flat plates with zero stagger was studied by using a time marching Euler code. This case had an exact solution based on linear theory and served as a model problem for studying pressure wave propagation in the numerical solution. The importance of using proper unsteady boundary conditions, grid resolution, and time step size was shown for a moderate reduced frequency. Results show that an approximate nonreflecting boundary condition based on linear theory does a good job of minimizing reflections from the inflow and outflow boundaries and allows the placement of the boundaries to be closer to the airfoils than when reflective boundaries are used. Stretching the boundary to dampen the unsteady waves is another way to minimize reflections. Grid clustering near the plates captures the unsteady flow field better than when uniform grids are used as long as the 'Courant Friedrichs Levy' (CFL) number is less than 1 for a sufficient portion of the grid. Finally, a solution based on an optimization of grid, CFL number, and boundary conditions shows good agreement with linear theory.

A modal aeroelastic analysis scheme for turbomachinery blading. M.S. Thesis - Case Western Reserve Univ. Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Todd E.

1991-01-01

An aeroelastic analysis is developed which has general application to all types of axial-flow turbomachinery blades. The approach is based on linear modal analysis, where the blade's dynamic response is represented as a linear combination of contributions from each of its in-vacuum free vibrational modes. A compressible linearized unsteady potential theory is used to model the flow over the oscillating blades. The two-dimensional unsteady flow is evaluated along several stacked axisymmetric strips along the span of the airfoil. The unsteady pressures at the blade surface are integrated to result in the generalized force acting on the blade due to simple harmonic motions. The unsteady aerodynamic forces are coupled to the blade normal modes in the frequency domain using modal analysis. An iterative eigenvalue problem is solved to determine the stability of the blade when the unsteady aerodynamic forces are included in the analysis. The approach is demonstrated by applying it to a high-energy subsonic turbine blade from a rocket engine turbopump power turbine. The results indicate that this turbine could undergo flutter in an edgewise mode of vibration.

Unsteady flow model for circulation-control airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, B. M.

1979-01-01

An analysis and a numerical lifting surface method are developed for predicting the unsteady airloads on two-dimensional circulation control airfoils in incompressible flow. The analysis and the computer program are validated by correlating the computed unsteady airloads with test data and also with other theoretical solutions. Additionally, a mathematical model for predicting the bending-torsion flutter of a two-dimensional airfoil (a reference section of a wing or rotor blade) and a computer program using an iterative scheme are developed. The flutter program has a provision for using the CC airfoil airloads program or the Theodorsen hard flap solution to compute the unsteady lift and moment used in the flutter equations. The adopted mathematical model and the iterative scheme are used to perform a flutter analysis of a typical CC rotor blade reference section. The program seems to work well within the basic assumption of the incompressible flow.

A computational study of entropy generation in magnetohydrodynamic flow and heat transfer over an unsteady stretching permeable sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saeed Butt, Adnan; Ali, Asif

2014-01-01

The present article aims to investigate the entropy effects in magnetohydrodynamic flow and heat transfer over an unsteady permeable stretching surface. The time-dependent partial differential equations are converted into non-linear ordinary differential equations by suitable similarity transformations. The solutions of these equations are computed analytically by the Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM) then solved numerically by the MATLAB built-in routine. Comparison of the obtained results is made with the existing literature under limiting cases to validate our study. The effects of unsteadiness parameter, magnetic field parameter, suction/injection parameter, Prandtl number, group parameter and Reynolds number on flow and heat transfer characteristics are checked and analysed with the aid of graphs and tables. Moreover, the effects of these parameters on entropy generation number and Bejan number are also shown graphically. It is examined that the unsteadiness and presence of magnetic field augments the entropy production.

Computation of Separated and Unsteady Flows with One- and Two-Equation Turbulence Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ekaterinaris, John A.; Menter, Florian R.

1994-01-01

The ability of one- and two-equation turbulence models to predict unsteady separated flows over airfoils is evaluated. An implicit, factorized, upwind-biased numerical scheme is used for the integration of the compressible, Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The turbulent eddy viscosity is obtained from the computed mean flowfield by integration of the turbulent field equations. The two-equation turbulence models are discretized in space with an upwind-biased, second order accurate total variation diminishing scheme. One and two-equation turbulence models are first tested for a separated airfoil flow at fixed angle of incidence. The same models are then applied to compute the unsteady flowfields about airfoils undergoing oscillatory motion at low subsonic Mach numbers. Experimental cases where the flow has been tripped at the leading edge and where natural transition was allowed to occur naturally are considered. The more recently developed field-equation turbulence models capture the physics of unsteady separated flow significantly better than the standard kappa-epsilon and kappa-omega models. However, certain differences in the hysteresis effects are obtained. For an untripped high-Reynolds-number flow, it was found necessary to take into account the leading edge transitional flow region in order to capture the correct physical mechanism that leads to dynamic stall.

Variable High Order Multiblock Overlapping Grid Methods for Mixed Steady and Unsteady Multiscale Viscous Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sjogreen, Bjoern; Yee, H. C.

2007-01-01

Flows containing steady or nearly steady strong shocks in parts of the flow field, and unsteady turbulence with shocklets on other parts of the flow field are difficult to capture accurately and efficiently employing the same numerical scheme even under the multiblock grid or adaptive grid refinement framework. On one hand, sixth-order or higher shock-capturing methods are appropriate for unsteady turbulence with shocklets. On the other hand, lower order shock-capturing methods are more effective for strong steady shocks in terms of convergence. In order to minimize the shortcomings of low order and high order shock-capturing schemes for the subject flows,a multi- block overlapping grid with different orders of accuracy on different blocks is proposed. Test cases to illustrate the performance of the new solver are included.

Implicit method for the computation of unsteady flows on unstructured grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatakrishnan, V.; Mavriplis, D. J.

1995-01-01

An implicit method for the computation of unsteady flows on unstructured grids is presented. Following a finite difference approximation for the time derivative, the resulting nonlinear system of equations is solved at each time step by using an agglomeration multigrid procedure. The method allows for arbitrarily large time steps and is efficient in terms of computational effort and storage. Inviscid and viscous unsteady flows are computed to validate the procedure. The issue of the mass matrix which arises with vertex-centered finite volume schemes is addressed. The present formulation allows the mass matrix to be inverted indirectly. A mesh point movement and reconnection procedure is described that allows the grids to evolve with the motion of bodies. As an example of flow over bodies in relative motion, flow over a multi-element airfoil system undergoing deployment is computed.

One-dimensional analysis of unsteady flows due to supercritical heat addition in high speed condensing steam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malek, N. A.; Hasini, H.; Yusoff, M. Z.

2013-06-01

Unsteadiness in supersonic flow in nozzles can be generated by the release of heat due to spontaneous condensation. The heat released is termed "supercritical" and may be responsible for turbine blades failure in turbine cascade as it causes a supersonic flow to decelerate. When the Mach number is reduced to unity, the flow can no longer sustain the additional heat and becomes unstable. This paper aims to numerically investigate the unsteadiness caused by supercritical heat addition in one-dimensional condensing flows. The governing equations for mass, momentum and energy, coupled with the equations describing the wetness fraction and droplet growth are integrated and solved iteratively to reveal the final solution. Comparison is made with well-established experimental and numerical solution done by previous researchers that shows similar phenomena.

The flows structure in unsteady gas flow in pipes with different cross-sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plotnikov, Leonid; Nevolin, Alexandr; Nikolaev, Dmitrij

2017-10-01

The results of numerical simulation and experimental study of the structure of unsteady flows in pipes with different cross sections are presented in the article. It is shown that the unsteady gas flow in a circular pipe is axisymmetric without secondary currents. Steady vortex structures (secondary flows) are observed in pipes with cross sections in the form of a square and an equilateral triangle. It was found that these secondary flows have a significant impact on gas flows in pipes of complex configuration. On the basis of experimental researches it is established that the strong oscillatory phenomena exist in the inlet pipe of the piston engine arising after the closing of the intake valve. The placement of the profiled plots (with a cross section of a square or an equilateral triangle) in the intake pipe leads to the damping of the oscillatory phenomena and a more rapid stabilization of pulsating flow. This is due to the stabilizing effect of the vortex structures formed in the corners of this configuration.

Gas Generator Feedline Orifice Sizing Methodology: Effects of Unsteadiness and Non-Axisymmetric Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothermel, Jeffry; West, Jeffrey S.

2011-01-01

Engine LH2 and LO2 gas generator feed assemblies were modeled with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods at 100% rated power level, using on-center square- and round-edge orifices. The purpose of the orifices is to regulate the flow of fuel and oxidizer to the gas generator, enabling optimal power supply to the turbine and pump assemblies. The unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations were solved on unstructured grids at second-order spatial and temporal accuracy. The LO2 model was validated against published experimental data and semi-empirical relationships for thin-plate orifices over a range of Reynolds numbers. Predictions for the LO2 square- and round-edge orifices precisely match experiment and semi-empirical formulas, despite complex feedline geometry whereby a portion of the flow from the engine main feedlines travels at a right-angle through a smaller-diameter pipe containing the orifice. Predictions for LH2 square- and round-edge orifice designs match experiment and semi-empirical formulas to varying degrees depending on the semi-empirical formula being evaluated. LO2 mass flow rate through the square-edge orifice is predicted to be 25 percent less than the flow rate budgeted in the original engine balance, which was subsequently modified. LH2 mass flow rate through the square-edge orifice is predicted to be 5 percent greater than the flow rate budgeted in the engine balance. Since CFD predictions for LO2 and LH2 square-edge orifice pressure loss coefficients, K, both agree with published data, the equation for K has been used to define a procedure for orifice sizing.

Experimental investigation of recirculating cells in laminar coaxial jets.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warpinski, N. R.; Nagib, H. M.; Lavan, Z.

1972-01-01

Utilizing several unique means of introducing smoke into the flow field for careful visualization in addition to hot-wire techniques, experiments are performed in a specially designed facility producing laminar flows up to considerably high Reynolds numbers. Characteristics of the cells and the flow conditions that bring them about are documented by smoke photographs in the Reynolds number velocity ratio plane and the results are compared to previous analytical predictions. The cells are found to fall into three categories with different flow characteristics involving unsteadiness in position, and shear layer instabilities which result in higher mixing with the outer streams.-

Unsteady flowfield in an integrated rocket ramjet engine and combustion dynamics of a gas turbine swirl-stabilized injector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Hong-Gye

This research focuses on the time-accurate simulation and analysis of the unsteady flowfield in an integrated rocket-ramjet engine (IRR) and combustion dynamics of a swirl-stabilized gas turbine engine. The primary objectives are: (1) to establish a unified computational framework for studying unsteady flow and flame dynamics in ramjet propulsion systems and gas turbine combustion chambers, and (2) to investigate the parameters and mechanisms responsible for driving flow oscillations. The first part of the thesis deals with a complete axi-symmetric IRR engine. The domain of concern includes a supersonic inlet diffuser, a combustion chamber, and an exhaust nozzle. This study focused on the physical mechanism of the interaction between the oscillatory terminal shock in the inlet diffuser and the flame in the combustion chamber. In addition, the flow and ignition transitions from the booster to the sustainer phase were analyzed comprehensively. Even though the coupling between the inlet dynamics and the unsteady motions of flame shows that they are closely correlated, fortunately, those couplings are out of phase with a phase lag of 90 degrees, which compensates for the amplification of the pressure fluctuation in the inlet. The second part of the thesis treats the combustion dynamics of a lean-premixed gas turbine swirl injector. A three-dimensional computation method utilizing the message passing interface (MPI) Parallel architecture and large-eddy-simulation technique was applied. Vortex breakdown in the swirling flow is clearly visualized and explained on theoretical bases. The unsteady turbulent flame dynamics are carefully simulated so that the flow motion can be characterized in detail. It was observed that some fuel lumps escape from the primary combustion zone, and move downstream and consequently produce hot spots and large vortical structures in the azimuthal direction. The correlation between pressure oscillation and unsteady heat release is examined by both the spatial and temporal Rayleigh parameters. In addition, basis modes of the unsteady turbulent flame are characterized using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis.

Numerical simulation of swept-wing flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, Helen L.

1991-01-01

Efforts of the last six months to computationally model the transition process characteristics of flow over swept wings are described. Specifically, the crossflow instability and crossflow/Tollmien-Schlichting wave interactions are analyzed through the numerical solution of the full 3D Navier-Stokes equations including unsteadiness, curvature, and sweep. This approach is chosen because of the complexity of the problem and because it appears that linear stability theory is insufficient to explain the discrepancies between different experiments and between theory and experiment. The leading edge region of a swept wing is considered in a 3D spatial simulation with random disturbances as the initial conditions.

Numerical investigation on the self-induced unsteadiness in tip leakage flow of a micro-axial fan rotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jinxin; Lai, Huanxin

2015-06-01

The self-induced unsteadiness in tip leakage flow (TLF) of a micro-axial fan rotor is numerically studied by solvingReynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The micro-axial fan, which is widely used in cooling systems of electronic devices, has a tip clearance of 6% of the axial chord length of the blade. At the design rotation speed, four cases near the peak efficiency point (PEP) with self-induced unsteadiness and four steady cases which have much weaker pressure fluctuations are investigated Using the "interface" separating the incoming main flow and the TLF defined by Du et al. [1], an explanation based on the propagation of the low energy spot and its multi-passing through the high gradient zone of the relativetotal pressure, is proposed to clarify the originating mechanism of the unsteadiness. At the operating points near the PEP, the main flow is weaker than the TLF and the interface moves upstream. The low energy spot which propagates along in the close behind of the interface has opportunity to circulate in the circumferential direction and passes through the sensitive interfaces several times, a slight perturbation therefore may be magnified significantlyand develops into the self-induced unsteadiness. The explanation is demonstrated by numerical results

Design of an Efficient Turbulent Micro-Mixer for Protein Folding Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inguva, Venkatesh; Perot, Blair

2015-11-01

Protein folding studies require the development of micro-mixers that require less sample, mix at faster rates, and still provide a high signal to noise ratio. Chaotic to marginally turbulent micro-mixers are promising candidates for this application. In this study, various turbulence and unsteadiness generation concepts are explored that avoid cavitation. The mixing enhancements include flow turning regions, flow splitters, and vortex shedding. The relative effectiveness of these different approaches for rapid micro-mixing is discussed. Simulations found that flow turning regions provided the best mixing profile. Experimental validation of the optimal design is verified through laser confocal microscopy experiments. This work is support by the National Science Foundation.

The effects of gusts on the fluctuating airloads of airfoils in transonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccroskey, W. J.

1984-01-01

Unsteady interactions of distributed and sharp-edged gusts with a stationary airfoil have been analyzed in two-dimensional transonic flow.A simple method of introducing such disturbances has been numerically implemented within the framework of unsteady, transonic small-disturbance theory. Representative solutions for various airfoils subjected to chordwise and transverse gusts show that the strength and unsteady motion of the shock wave on the airfoil significantly affect the flowfield development and, consequently, the dynamic airloads. Also a study was made of the reductions in the unsteady airloads that can be achieved by the proper active control motion of a trailing-edge flap, and a simple gust-alleviation strategy was developed. However, the chordwise pressure distributions associated with gusts are very different from those produced by trailing-edge flap oscillations. Consequently, the fluctuating lift and the unsteady pitching moments cannot both be eliminated simultaneously.

Fully unsteady subsonic and supersonic potential aerodynamics for complex aircraft configurations with applications to flutter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tseng, K.; Morino, L.

1975-01-01

A general formulation is presented for the analysis of steady and unsteady, subsonic and supersonic aerodynamics for complex aircraft configurations. The theoretical formulation, the numerical procedure, the description of the program SOUSSA (steady, oscillatory and unsteady, subsonic and supersonic aerodynamics) and numerical results are included. In particular, generalized forces for fully unsteady (complex frequency) aerodynamics for a wing-body configuration, AGARD wing-tail interference in both subsonic and supersonic flows as well as flutter analysis results are included. The theoretical formulation is based upon an integral equation, which includes completely arbitrary motion. Steady and oscillatory aerodynamic flows are considered. Here small-amplitude, fully transient response in the time domain is considered. This yields the aerodynamic transfer function (Laplace transform of the fully unsteady operator) for frequency domain analysis. This is particularly convenient for the linear systems analysis of the whole aircraft.

Euler flow predictions for an oscillating cascade using a high resolution wave-split scheme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huff, Dennis L.; Swafford, Timothy W.; Reddy, T. S. R.

1991-01-01

A compressible flow code that can predict the nonlinear unsteady aerodynamics associated with transonic flows over oscillating cascades is developed and validated. The code solves the two dimensional, unsteady Euler equations using a time-marching, flux-difference splitting scheme. The unsteady pressures and forces can be determined for arbitrary input motions, although only harmonic pitching and plunging motions are addressed. The code solves the flow equations on a H-grid which is allowed to deform with the airfoil motion. Predictions are presented for both flat plate cascades and loaded airfoil cascades. Results are compared to flat plate theory and experimental data. Predictions are also presented for several oscillating cascades with strong normal shocks where the pitching amplitudes, cascade geometry and interblade phase angles are varied to investigate nonlinear behavior.

Computational open-channel hydraulics for movable-bed problems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lai, Chintu; ,

1990-01-01

As a major branch of computational hydraulics, notable advances have been made in numerical modeling of unsteady open-channel flow since the beginning of the computer age. According to the broader definition and scope of 'computational hydraulics,' the basic concepts and technology of modeling unsteady open-channel flow have been systematically studied previously. As a natural extension, computational open-channel hydraulics for movable-bed problems are addressed in this paper. The introduction of the multimode method of characteristics (MMOC) has made the modeling of this class of unsteady flows both practical and effective. New modeling techniques are developed, thereby shedding light on several aspects of computational hydraulics. Some special features of movable-bed channel-flow simulation are discussed here in the same order as given by the author in the fixed-bed case.

Unsteady free surface flow in porous media: One-dimensional model equations including vertical effects and seepage face

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Nucci, Carmine

2018-05-01

This note examines the two-dimensional unsteady isothermal free surface flow of an incompressible fluid in a non-deformable, homogeneous, isotropic, and saturated porous medium (with zero recharge and neglecting capillary effects). Coupling a Boussinesq-type model for nonlinear water waves with Darcy's law, the two-dimensional flow problem is solved using one-dimensional model equations including vertical effects and seepage face. In order to take into account the seepage face development, the system equations (given by the continuity and momentum equations) are completed by an integral relation (deduced from the Cauchy theorem). After testing the model against data sets available in the literature, some numerical simulations, concerning the unsteady flow through a rectangular dam (with an impermeable horizontal bottom), are presented and discussed.

A predictor-corrector technique for visualizing unsteady flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, David C.; Singer, Bart A.

1995-01-01

We present a method for visualizing unsteady flow by displaying its vortices. The vortices are identified by using a vorticity-predictor pressure-corrector scheme that follows vortex cores. The cross-sections of a vortex at each point along the core can be represented by a Fourier series. A vortex can be faithfully reconstructed from the series as a simple quadrilateral mesh, or its reconstruction can be enhanced to indicate helical motion. The mesh can reduce the representation of the flow features by a factor of one thousand or more compared with the volumetric dataset. With this amount of reduction it is possible to implement an interactive system on a graphics workstation to permit a viewer to examine, in three dimensions, the evolution of the vortical structures in a complex, unsteady flow.

Experimental study of time-dependent flows in laboratory atmospheric flow models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rush, J. E.

1982-01-01

Baroclinic waves in a rotating, differentially-heated annulus of liquid were studied in support of the Atmospheric General Circulation Experiment. Specific objectives were to determine: (1) the nature of the flow at shallow depths, (2) the effect of a rigid lid vs. free surface, and (3) the nature of fluctuations in the waves as a function of rotation rate, depth, and type of surface. It is found that flows with a rigid lid are basically the same as those with a free surface, except for a decrease in flow rate. At shallow depths steady flows are found in essentially the same form, but the incidence of unsteady flows is greatly diminished.

Unsteady Aerodynamic Modeling of A Maneuvering Aircraft Using Indicial Functions

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-30

indicial functions are directly calculated using the results of unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier - Stokes simulation and a grid-movement tool. Results are...but meanwhile, the full-order model based on Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier - Stokes (URANS) equation is too computationally expensive to be used...The flow solver used in this study solves the unsteady, three-dimensional and compressible Navier - Stokes equations. The equations in terms of

Unsteady transonic viscous-inviscid interaction using Euler and boundary-layer equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pirzadeh, Shahyar; Whitfield, Dave

1989-01-01

The Euler code is used extensively for computation of transonic unsteady aerodynamics. The boundary layer code solves the 3-D, compressible, unsteady, mean flow kinetic energy integral boundary layer equations in the direct mode. Inviscid-viscous coupling is handled using porosity boundary conditions. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of using the Euler and boundary layer equations for investigating unsteady viscous-inviscid interaction is examined.

Sinuous Flow in Cutting of Metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeung, Ho; Viswanathan, Koushik; Udupa, Anirudh; Mahato, Anirban; Chandrasekar, Srinivasan

2017-11-01

Using in situ high-speed imaging, we unveil details of a highly unsteady plastic flow mode in the cutting of annealed and highly strain-hardening metals. This mesoscopic flow mode, termed sinuous flow, is characterized by repeated material folding, large rotation, and energy dissipation. Sinuous flow effects a very large shape transformation, with local strains of ten or more, and results in a characteristic mushroomlike surface morphology that is quite distinct from the well-known morphologies of metal-cutting chips. Importantly, the attributes of this unsteady flow are also fundamentally different from other well-established unsteady plastic flows in large-strain deformation, like adiabatic shear bands. The nucleation and development of sinuous flow, its dependence on material properties, and its manifestation across material systems are demonstrated. Plastic buckling and grain-scale heterogeneity are found to play key roles in triggering this flow at surfaces. Implications for modeling and understanding flow stability in large-strain plastic deformation, surface quality, and preparation of near-strain-free surfaces by cutting are discussed. The results point to the inadequacy of the widely used shear-zone models, even for ductile metals.

Flow in Atherosclerotic Blood Vessels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, Stanley A.; Stroud, Jenn S.

2000-11-01

Atherosclerotic lesions occur in arteries where there are major changes in flow structure, e.g. bifurcations and junctions. The reduction of vessel lumen alters the flow, including the mechanical forces on the walls. We have examined the flow in carotid artery bifurcations with realistic plaque contours. The unsteady, incompressible, Navier-Stokes equations are solved in finite-volume form. Steady and pulsatile flows have been analyzed for laminar and turbulent flows, using for the latter a low-Reynolds number k- ɛ model and a k-ω model. Non-Newtonian viscosity is also considered using a power-law model. In general the very irregular contours of the vessels lead to recirculating regions, strong spatial variations of wall shear stresses, and in some cases, vortex shedding. Even steady inlet flow exhibits fluctuating, unsteady behavior. Neither turbulence models captures all the physics of the flow. The flow, in fact, appears to be transitional and not fully turbulent. For unsteady flow, there are also strong temporal variations of normal and shear stresses, which together with the strong spatial variations, has important implications for the onset and progression of atherosclerotic disease.

Comparisons of Flutter Analyses for an Experimental Fan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bakhle, Milind A.; Reddy, T. S. R.; Stefko, George L.

2010-01-01

Two propulsion aeroelasticity codes were used to model the aeroelastic characteristics of an experimental forward-swept fan that encountered flutter during wind tunnel testing. Both of these three-dimensional codes model the unsteady flowfield due to blade vibrations using the Navier-Stokes equations. In the first approach, the unsteady flow equations are solved using an implicit time-marching approach. In the second approach, the unsteady flow equations are converted to a harmonic balance form and solved using a pseudo-time marching method. This paper describes the flutter calculations and compares the results to experimental measurements.

On solving the compressible Navier-Stokes equations for unsteady flows at very low Mach numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pletcher, R. H.; Chen, K.-H.

1993-01-01

The properties of a preconditioned, coupled, strongly implicit finite difference scheme for solving the compressible Navier-Stokes equations in primitive variables are investigated for two unsteady flows at low speeds, namely the impulsively started driven cavity and the startup of pipe flow. For the shear-driven cavity flow, the computational effort was observed to be nearly independent of Mach number, especially at the low end of the range considered. This Mach number independence was also observed for steady pipe flow calculations; however, rather different conclusions were drawn for the unsteady calculations. In the pressure-driven pipe startup problem, the compressibility of the fluid began to significantly influence the physics of the flow development at quite low Mach numbers. The present scheme was observed to produce the expected characteristics of completely incompressible flow when the Mach number was set at very low values. Good agreement with incompressible results available in the literature was observed.

Navier-Stokes simulations of unsteady transonic flow phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atwood, C. A.

1992-01-01

Numerical simulations of two classes of unsteady flows are obtained via the Navier-Stokes equations: a blast-wave/target interaction problem class and a transonic cavity flow problem class. The method developed for the viscous blast-wave/target interaction problem assumes a laminar, perfect gas implemented in a structured finite-volume framework. The approximately factored implicit scheme uses Newton subiterations to obtain the spatially and temporally second-order accurate time history of the blast-waves with stationary targets. The inviscid flux is evaluated using either of two upwind techniques, while the full viscous terms are computed by central differencing. Comparisons of unsteady numerical, analytical, and experimental results are made in two- and three-dimensions for Couette flows, a starting shock-tunnel, and a shock-tube blockage study. The results show accurate wave speed resolution and nonoscillatory discontinuity capturing of the predominantly inviscid flows. Viscous effects were increasingly significant at large post-interaction times. While the blast-wave/target interaction problem benefits from high-resolution methods applied to the Euler terms, the transonic cavity flow problem requires the use of an efficient scheme implemented in a geometrically flexible overset mesh environment. Hence, the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations implemented in a diagonal form are applied to the cavity flow class of problems. Comparisons between numerical and experimental results are made in two-dimensions for free shear layers and both rectangular and quieted cavities, and in three-dimensions for Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) geometries. The acoustic behavior of the rectangular and three-dimensional cavity flows compare well with experiment in terms of frequency, magnitude, and quieting trends. However, there is a more rapid decrease in computed acoustic energy with frequency than observed experimentally owing to numerical dissipation. In addition, optical phase distortion due to the time-varying density field is modelled using geometrical constructs. The computed optical distortion trends compare with the experimentally inferred result, but underpredicts the fluctuating phase difference magnitude.

Passive control of the flow around unsteady aerofoils using a self-activated deployable flap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosti, Marco E.; Omidyeganeh, Mohammad; Pinelli, Alfredo

2018-03-01

Self-activated feathers are used by many birds to adapt their wing characteristics to the sudden change of flight incidence angle. In particular, dorsal feathers are believed to pop-up as a consequence of unsteady flow separation and to interact with the flow to palliate the sudden stall breakdown typical of dynamic stall. Inspired by the adaptive character of birds feathers, some authors have envisaged the potential benefits of using of flexible flaps mounted on aerodynamic surfaces to counteract the negative aerodynamic effects associated with dynamic stall. This contribution explores more in depth the physical mechanisms that play a role in the modification of the unsteady flow field generated by a NACA0020 aerofoil equipped with an elastically mounted flap undergoing a specific ramp-up manoeuvre. We discuss the design of flaps that limit the severity of the dynamic stall breakdown by increasing the value of the lift overshoot also smoothing its abrupt decay in time. A detailed analysis on the modification of the turbulent and unsteady vorticity field due to the flap flow interaction during the ramp-up motion is also provided to explain the more benign aerodynamic response obtained when the flap is in use.

Higher Order Time Integration Schemes for the Unsteady Navier-Stokes Equations on Unstructured Meshes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jothiprasad, Giridhar; Mavriplis, Dimitri J.; Caughey, David A.

2002-01-01

The rapid increase in available computational power over the last decade has enabled higher resolution flow simulations and more widespread use of unstructured grid methods for complex geometries. While much of this effort has been focused on steady-state calculations in the aerodynamics community, the need to accurately predict off-design conditions, which may involve substantial amounts of flow separation, points to the need to efficiently simulate unsteady flow fields. Accurate unsteady flow simulations can easily require several orders of magnitude more computational effort than a corresponding steady-state simulation. For this reason, techniques for improving the efficiency of unsteady flow simulations are required in order to make such calculations feasible in the foreseeable future. The purpose of this work is to investigate possible reductions in computer time due to the choice of an efficient time-integration scheme from a series of schemes differing in the order of time-accuracy, and by the use of more efficient techniques to solve the nonlinear equations which arise while using implicit time-integration schemes. This investigation is carried out in the context of a two-dimensional unstructured mesh laminar Navier-Stokes solver.

An investigation of several factors involved in a finite difference procedure for analyzing the transonic flow about harmonically oscillating airfoils and wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ehlers, F. E.; Sebastian, J. D.; Weatherill, W. H.

1979-01-01

Analytical and empirical studies of a finite difference method for the solution of the transonic flow about harmonically oscillating wings and airfoils are presented. The procedure is based on separating the velocity potential into steady and unsteady parts and linearizing the resulting unsteady equations for small disturbances. Since sinusoidal motion is assumed, the unsteady equation is independent of time. Three finite difference investigations are discussed including a new operator for mesh points with supersonic flow, the effects on relaxation solution convergence of adding a viscosity term to the original differential equation, and an alternate and relatively simple downstream boundary condition. A method is developed which uses a finite difference procedure over a limited inner region and an approximate analytical procedure for the remaining outer region. Two investigations concerned with three-dimensional flow are presented. The first is the development of an oblique coordinate system for swept and tapered wings. The second derives the additional terms required to make row relaxation solutions converge when mixed flow is present. A finite span flutter analysis procedure is described using the two-dimensional unsteady transonic program with a full three-dimensional steady velocity potential.

Numerical experiment for ultrasonic-measurement-integrated simulation of three-dimensional unsteady blood flow.

PubMed

Funamoto, Kenichi; Hayase, Toshiyuki; Saijo, Yoshifumi; Yambe, Tomoyuki

2008-08-01

Integration of ultrasonic measurement and numerical simulation is a possible way to break through limitations of existing methods for obtaining complete information on hemodynamics. We herein propose Ultrasonic-Measurement-Integrated (UMI) simulation, in which feedback signals based on the optimal estimation of errors in the velocity vector determined by measured and computed Doppler velocities at feedback points are added to the governing equations. With an eye towards practical implementation of UMI simulation with real measurement data, its efficiency for three-dimensional unsteady blood flow analysis and a method for treating low time resolution of ultrasonic measurement were investigated by a numerical experiment dealing with complicated blood flow in an aneurysm. Even when simplified boundary conditions were applied, the UMI simulation reduced the errors of velocity and pressure to 31% and 53% in the feedback domain which covered the aneurysm, respectively. Local maximum wall shear stress was estimated, showing both the proper position and the value with 1% deviance. A properly designed intermittent feedback applied only at the time when measurement data were obtained had the same computational accuracy as feedback applied at every computational time step. Hence, this feedback method is a possible solution to overcome the insufficient time resolution of ultrasonic measurement.

On the ejection-induced instability in Navier-Stokes solutions of unsteady separation.

PubMed

Obabko, Aleksandr V; Cassel, Kevin W

2005-05-15

Numerical solutions of the flow induced by a thick-core vortex have been obtained using the unsteady, two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations. The presence of the vortex causes an adverse pressure gradient along the surface, which leads to unsteady separation. The calculations by Brinckman and Walker for a similar flow identify a possible instability, purported to be an inviscid Rayleigh instability, in the region where ejection of near-wall vorticity occurs during the unsteady separation process. In results for a range of Reynolds numbers in the present investigation, the oscillations are also found to occur. However, they can be eliminated with increased grid resolution. Despite this behaviour, the instability may be physical but requires a sufficient amplitude of disturbances to be realized.

Minnowbrook IV: 2003 Workshop on Transition and Unsteady Aspects of Turbomachinery Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LaGraff, John E. (Editor); Ashpis, David E.

2004-01-01

This Minnowbrook IV 2003 workshop on Transition and Unsteady Aspects of Turbomachinery Flows includes the following topics: 1) Current Issues in Unsteady Turbomachinery Flows; 2) Global Instability and Control of Low-Pressure Turbine Flows; 3) Influence of End Wall Leakage on Secondary Flow Development in Axial Turbines; 4) Active and Passive Flow Control on Low Pressure Turbine Airfoils; 5) Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Transitional Flows as Affected by Passing Wakes; 6) Effects of Freestream Turbulence on Turbine Blade Heat Transfer; 7) Bypass Transition Via Continuous Modes and Unsteady Effects on Film Cooling; 8) High Frequency Surface Heat Flux Imaging of Bypass Transition; 9) Skin Friction and Heat Flux Oscillations in Upstream Moving Wave Packets; 10) Transition Mechanisms and Use of Surface Roughness to Enhance the Benefits of Wake Passing in LP Turbines; 11) Transient Growth Approach to Roughness-Induced Transition; 12) Roughness- and Freestream-Turbulence-Induced Transient Growth as a Bypass Transition Mechanism; 13) Receptivity Calculations as a Means to Predicting Transition; 14) On Streamwise Vortices in a Curved Wall Jet and Their Effect on the Mean Flow; 15) Plasma Actuators for Separation Control of Low Pressure Turbine Blades; 16) Boundary-Layer Separation Control Under Low-Pressure-Turbine Conditions Using Glow-Discharge Plasma Actuators; 17) Control of Separation for Low Pressure Turbine Blades: Numerical Simulation; 18) Effects of Elevated Free-Stream Turbulence on Active Control of a Separation Bubble; 19) Wakes, Calming and Transition Under Strong Adverse Pressure Gradients; 20) Transitional Bubble in Periodic Flow Phase Shift; 21) Modelling Spots: The Calmed Region, Pressure Gradient Effects and Background; 22) Modeling of Unsteady Transitional Flow on Axial Compressor Blades; 23) Challenges in Predicting Component Efficiencies in Turbomachines With Low Reynolds Number Blading; 24) Observations on the Causal Relationship Between Blade Count and Developing Rotating Stall in a Four Stage Axial Compressor; 25) Experimental and Numerical Study of Non-Linear Interactions in Transonic Nozzle Flow; 26) Clocking Effects on a Modern Stage and One-Half Transonic Turbine; 27) DNS and LES of Transition on Turbine Blades; 28) The Use of Cellular Automata in Modeling the Transition; 29) Predicting Unsteady Buffet Onset Using RANS Solutions; 30) Transition Modelling With the SST Turbulence Model and an Intermittency Transport; and 31) Equation Workshop Summary Transcript

Vortex propagation around a wall-mounted obstacle in pulsatile flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Ian A.; Plesniak, Michael W.

2015-11-01

Wall-mounted obstacles are prevalent in nature and engineering applications. Physiological flows observed in human vocal fold pathologies, such as polyps, can be modeled by flow over a wall-mounted protuberance. Despite their prevalence, studies of wall-mounted obstacles have been restricted to steady (constant velocity) freestream flow. In biological and geophysical applications, pulsatile flow is much more common, yet effects of pulsatility on the wake of a wall-mounted obstacle remain to be extensively studied. This study aims to characterize the complex physics produced in this unsteady, separated flow. Experiments were performed in a low-speed wind tunnel with a set of rotating vanes, which produce the pulsatile inflow waveform. Instantaneous and phase-averaged particle image velocimetry (PIV) results acquired around a hemispherical obstacle are presented and compared. A mechanism based on self-induced vortex propagation, analogous to that in vortex rings, is proposed to explain the observed dynamics of coherent structures. Predictions of the propagation velocity based on analytical expressions for vortex rings in a viscous fluid are compared to the experimentally measured propagation velocity. Effects of the unsteady boundary layer on the observed physics are explored. This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number CBET-1236351, and GW Center for Biomimetics and Bioinspired Engineering (COBRE).

Leading-edge flow criticality as a governing factor in leading-edge vortex initiation in unsteady airfoil flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramesh, Kiran; Granlund, Kenneth; Ol, Michael V.; Gopalarathnam, Ashok; Edwards, Jack R.

2018-04-01

A leading-edge suction parameter (LESP) that is derived from potential flow theory as a measure of suction at the airfoil leading edge is used to study initiation of leading-edge vortex (LEV) formation in this article. The LESP hypothesis is presented, which states that LEV formation in unsteady flows for specified airfoil shape and Reynolds number occurs at a critical constant value of LESP, regardless of motion kinematics. This hypothesis is tested and validated against a large set of data from CFD and experimental studies of flows with LEV formation. The hypothesis is seen to hold except in cases with slow-rate kinematics which evince significant trailing-edge separation (which refers here to separation leading to reversed flow on the aft portion of the upper surface), thereby establishing the envelope of validity. The implication is that the critical LESP value for an airfoil-Reynolds number combination may be calibrated using CFD or experiment for just one motion and then employed to predict LEV initiation for any other (fast-rate) motion. It is also shown that the LESP concept may be used in an inverse mode to generate motion kinematics that would either prevent LEV formation or trigger the same as per aerodynamic requirements.

Unsteady transonic flow calculations for realistic aircraft configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batina, John T.; Seidel, David A.; Bland, Samuel R.; Bennett, Robert M.

1987-01-01

A transonic unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelasticity code has been developed for application to realistic aircraft configurations. The new code is called CAP-TSD which is an acronym for Computational Aeroelasticity Program - Transonic Small Disturbance. The CAP-TSD code uses a time-accurate approximate factorization (AF) algorithm for solution of the unsteady transonic small-disturbance equation. The AF algorithm is very efficient for solution of steady and unsteady transonic flow problems. It can provide accurate solutions in only several hundred time steps yielding a significant computational cost savings when compared to alternative methods. The new code can treat complete aircraft geometries with multiple lifting surfaces and bodies including canard, wing, tail, control surfaces, launchers, pylons, fuselage, stores, and nacelles. Applications are presented for a series of five configurations of increasing complexity to demonstrate the wide range of geometrical applicability of CAP-TSD. These results are in good agreement with available experimental steady and unsteady pressure data. Calculations for the General Dynamics one-ninth scale F-16C aircraft model are presented to demonstrate application to a realistic configuration. Unsteady results for the entire F-16C aircraft undergoing a rigid pitching motion illustrated the capability required to perform transonic unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic analyses for such configurations.

Experimental investigation on cavitating flow shedding over an axisymmetric blunt body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Changli; Wang, Guoyu; Huang, Biao

2015-03-01

Nowadays, most researchers focus on the cavity shedding mechanisms of unsteady cavitating flows over different objects, such as 2D/3D hydrofoils, venturi-type section, axisymmetric bodies with different headforms, and so on. But few of them pay attention to the differences of cavity shedding modality under different cavitation numbers in unsteady cavitating flows over the same object. In the present study, two kinds of shedding patterns are investigated experimentally. A high speed camera system is used to observe the cavitating flows over an axisymmetric blunt body and the velocity fields are measured by a particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique in a water tunnel for different cavitation conditions. The U-type cavitating vortex shedding is observed in unsteady cavitating flows. When the cavitation number is 0.7, there is a large scale cavity rolling up and shedding, which cause the instability and dramatic fluctuation of the flows, while at cavitation number of 0.6, the detached cavities can be conjunct with the attached part to induce the break-off behavior again at the tail of the attached cavity, as a result, the final shedding is in the form of small scale cavity and keeps a relatively steady flow field. It is also found that the interaction between the re-entrant flow and the attached cavity plays an important role in the unsteady cavity shedding modality. When the attached cavity scale is insufficient to overcome the re-entrant flow, it deserves the large cavity rolling up and shedding just as that at cavitation number of 0.7. Otherwise, the re-entrant flow is defeated by large enough cavity to induce the cavity-combined process and small scale cavity vortexes shedding just as that of the cavitation number of 0.6. This research shows the details of two different cavity shedding modalities which is worthful and meaningful for the further study of unsteady cavitation.

Numerical and experimental investigations of human swimming motions

PubMed Central

Takagi, Hideki; Nakashima, Motomu; Sato, Yohei; Matsuuchi, Kazuo; Sanders, Ross H.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT This paper reviews unsteady flow conditions in human swimming and identifies the limitations and future potential of the current methods of analysing unsteady flow. The capability of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been extended from approaches assuming steady-state conditions to consideration of unsteady/transient conditions associated with the body motion of a swimmer. However, to predict hydrodynamic forces and the swimmer’s potential speeds accurately, more robust and efficient numerical methods are necessary, coupled with validation procedures, requiring detailed experimental data reflecting local flow. Experimental data obtained by particle image velocimetry (PIV) in this area are limited, because at present observations are restricted to a two-dimensional 1.0 m2 area, though this could be improved if the output range of the associated laser sheet increased. Simulations of human swimming are expected to improve competitive swimming, and our review has identified two important advances relating to understanding the flow conditions affecting performance in front crawl swimming: one is a mechanism for generating unsteady fluid forces, and the other is a theory relating to increased speed and efficiency. PMID:26699925

Numerical and experimental investigations of human swimming motions.

PubMed

Takagi, Hideki; Nakashima, Motomu; Sato, Yohei; Matsuuchi, Kazuo; Sanders, Ross H

2016-08-01

This paper reviews unsteady flow conditions in human swimming and identifies the limitations and future potential of the current methods of analysing unsteady flow. The capability of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been extended from approaches assuming steady-state conditions to consideration of unsteady/transient conditions associated with the body motion of a swimmer. However, to predict hydrodynamic forces and the swimmer's potential speeds accurately, more robust and efficient numerical methods are necessary, coupled with validation procedures, requiring detailed experimental data reflecting local flow. Experimental data obtained by particle image velocimetry (PIV) in this area are limited, because at present observations are restricted to a two-dimensional 1.0 m(2) area, though this could be improved if the output range of the associated laser sheet increased. Simulations of human swimming are expected to improve competitive swimming, and our review has identified two important advances relating to understanding the flow conditions affecting performance in front crawl swimming: one is a mechanism for generating unsteady fluid forces, and the other is a theory relating to increased speed and efficiency.

Laser measurements of unsteady flow field in a radial turbine guide vanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasin, M.; Tabakoff, W.

1992-01-01

Detailed measurements of a unsteady flow field within the inlet guide vanes (IGV) of a radial inflow turbine were performed using a three component Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV) system. The mean velocity, the flow angle and the turbulence results are presented at the midspan plane for different rotor positions. These results are compared with the measurements obtained in the same passage in the absence of the rotor.

Separated Flow over Wind Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, David; Lewalle, Jacques

2015-11-01

The motion of the separation point on an airfoil under unsteady flow can affect its performance and longevity. Of interest is to understand and control the performance decrease in wind turbines subject to turbulent flow. We examine flow separation on an airfoil at a 19 degree angle of attack under unsteady flow conditions. We are using a DU-96-W180 airfoil of chord length 242 mm. The unsteadiness is generated by a cylinder with diameter 203 mm located 7 diameters upstream of the airfoil's leading edge. The data comes from twenty surface pressure sensors located on the top and bottom of the airfoil as well as on the upstream cylinder. Methods of analysis include Mexican hat transforms, Morlet wavelet transforms, power spectra, and various cross correlations. With this study I will explore how the differences of signals on the pressure and suction sides of an airfoil are related to the motion of the separation point.

Study of the flow unsteadiness in the human airway using large eddy simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernate, Jorge A.; Geisler, Taylor S.; Padhy, Sourav; Shaqfeh, Eric S. G.; Iaccarino, Gianluca

2017-08-01

The unsteady flow in a patient-specific geometry of the airways is studied. The geometry comprises the oral cavity, orophrarynx, larynx, trachea, and the bronchial tree extending to generations 5-8. Simulations are carried out for a constant inspiratory flow rate of 60 liters/min, corresponding to a Reynolds number of 4213 for a nominal tracheal diameter of 2 cm. The computed mean flow field is compared extensively with magnetic resonance velocimetry measurements by Banko et al. [Exp. Fluids 56, 117 (2015), 10.1007/s00348-015-1966-y] carried out in the same computed-tomography-based geometry, showing good agreement. In particular, we focus on the dynamics of the flow in the bronchial tree. After becoming unsteady at a constriction in the oropharynx, the flow is found to be chaotic, exhibiting fluctuations with broad-band spectra even at the most distal airways in which the Reynolds numbers are as low as 300. An inertial range signature is present in the trachea but not in the bronchial tree where a narrower range of scales is observed. The unsteadiness is attributed to the convection of turbulent structures produced at the larynx as well as to local kinetic energy production throughout the bronchial tree. Production occurs predominantly at shear layers bounding geometry-induced separation regions.

Numerical simulation of transonic compressor under circumferential inlet distortion and rotor/stator interference using harmonic balance method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ziwei; Jiang, Xiong; Chen, Ti; Hao, Yan; Qiu, Min

2018-05-01

Simulating the unsteady flow of compressor under circumferential inlet distortion and rotor/stator interference would need full-annulus grid with a dual time method. This process is time consuming and needs a large amount of computational resources. Harmonic balance method simulates the unsteady flow in compressor on single passage grid with a series of steady simulations. This will largely increase the computational efficiency in comparison with the dual time method. However, most simulations with harmonic balance method are conducted on the flow under either circumferential inlet distortion or rotor/stator interference. Based on an in-house CFD code, the harmonic balance method is applied in the simulation of flow in the NASA Stage 35 under both circumferential inlet distortion and rotor/stator interference. As the unsteady flow is influenced by two different unsteady disturbances, it leads to the computational instability. The instability can be avoided by coupling the harmonic balance method with an optimizing algorithm. The computational result of harmonic balance method is compared with the result of full-annulus simulation. It denotes that, the harmonic balance method simulates the flow under circumferential inlet distortion and rotor/stator interference as precise as the full-annulus simulation with a speed-up of about 8 times.

A Numerical Method for Solving the 3D Unsteady Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations in Curvilinear Domains with Complex Immersed Boundaries.

PubMed

Ge, Liang; Sotiropoulos, Fotis

2007-08-01

A novel numerical method is developed that integrates boundary-conforming grids with a sharp interface, immersed boundary methodology. The method is intended for simulating internal flows containing complex, moving immersed boundaries such as those encountered in several cardiovascular applications. The background domain (e.g the empty aorta) is discretized efficiently with a curvilinear boundary-fitted mesh while the complex moving immersed boundary (say a prosthetic heart valve) is treated with the sharp-interface, hybrid Cartesian/immersed-boundary approach of Gilmanov and Sotiropoulos [1]. To facilitate the implementation of this novel modeling paradigm in complex flow simulations, an accurate and efficient numerical method is developed for solving the unsteady, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in generalized curvilinear coordinates. The method employs a novel, fully-curvilinear staggered grid discretization approach, which does not require either the explicit evaluation of the Christoffel symbols or the discretization of all three momentum equations at cell interfaces as done in previous formulations. The equations are integrated in time using an efficient, second-order accurate fractional step methodology coupled with a Jacobian-free, Newton-Krylov solver for the momentum equations and a GMRES solver enhanced with multigrid as preconditioner for the Poisson equation. Several numerical experiments are carried out on fine computational meshes to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method for standard benchmark problems as well as for unsteady, pulsatile flow through a curved, pipe bend. To demonstrate the ability of the method to simulate flows with complex, moving immersed boundaries we apply it to calculate pulsatile, physiological flow through a mechanical, bileaflet heart valve mounted in a model straight aorta with an anatomical-like triple sinus.

A Numerical Method for Solving the 3D Unsteady Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations in Curvilinear Domains with Complex Immersed Boundaries

PubMed Central

Ge, Liang; Sotiropoulos, Fotis

2008-01-01

A novel numerical method is developed that integrates boundary-conforming grids with a sharp interface, immersed boundary methodology. The method is intended for simulating internal flows containing complex, moving immersed boundaries such as those encountered in several cardiovascular applications. The background domain (e.g the empty aorta) is discretized efficiently with a curvilinear boundary-fitted mesh while the complex moving immersed boundary (say a prosthetic heart valve) is treated with the sharp-interface, hybrid Cartesian/immersed-boundary approach of Gilmanov and Sotiropoulos [1]. To facilitate the implementation of this novel modeling paradigm in complex flow simulations, an accurate and efficient numerical method is developed for solving the unsteady, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in generalized curvilinear coordinates. The method employs a novel, fully-curvilinear staggered grid discretization approach, which does not require either the explicit evaluation of the Christoffel symbols or the discretization of all three momentum equations at cell interfaces as done in previous formulations. The equations are integrated in time using an efficient, second-order accurate fractional step methodology coupled with a Jacobian-free, Newton-Krylov solver for the momentum equations and a GMRES solver enhanced with multigrid as preconditioner for the Poisson equation. Several numerical experiments are carried out on fine computational meshes to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method for standard benchmark problems as well as for unsteady, pulsatile flow through a curved, pipe bend. To demonstrate the ability of the method to simulate flows with complex, moving immersed boundaries we apply it to calculate pulsatile, physiological flow through a mechanical, bileaflet heart valve mounted in a model straight aorta with an anatomical-like triple sinus. PMID:19194533

On the utility of GPU accelerated high-order methods for unsteady flow simulations: A comparison with industry-standard tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vermeire, B. C.; Witherden, F. D.; Vincent, P. E.

2017-04-01

First- and second-order accurate numerical methods, implemented for CPUs, underpin the majority of industrial CFD solvers. Whilst this technology has proven very successful at solving steady-state problems via a Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes approach, its utility for undertaking scale-resolving simulations of unsteady flows is less clear. High-order methods for unstructured grids and GPU accelerators have been proposed as an enabling technology for unsteady scale-resolving simulations of flow over complex geometries. In this study we systematically compare accuracy and cost of the high-order Flux Reconstruction solver PyFR running on GPUs and the industry-standard solver STAR-CCM+ running on CPUs when applied to a range of unsteady flow problems. Specifically, we perform comparisons of accuracy and cost for isentropic vortex advection (EV), decay of the Taylor-Green vortex (TGV), turbulent flow over a circular cylinder, and turbulent flow over an SD7003 aerofoil. We consider two configurations of STAR-CCM+: a second-order configuration, and a third-order configuration, where the latter was recommended by CD-adapco for more effective computation of unsteady flow problems. Results from both PyFR and STAR-CCM+ demonstrate that third-order schemes can be more accurate than second-order schemes for a given cost e.g. going from second- to third-order, the PyFR simulations of the EV and TGV achieve 75× and 3× error reduction respectively for the same or reduced cost, and STAR-CCM+ simulations of the cylinder recovered wake statistics significantly more accurately for only twice the cost. Moreover, advancing to higher-order schemes on GPUs with PyFR was found to offer even further accuracy vs. cost benefits relative to industry-standard tools.

On the utility of GPU accelerated high-order methods for unsteady flow simulations: A comparison with industry-standard tools

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vermeire, B.C., E-mail: brian.vermeire@concordia.ca; Witherden, F.D.; Vincent, P.E.

First- and second-order accurate numerical methods, implemented for CPUs, underpin the majority of industrial CFD solvers. Whilst this technology has proven very successful at solving steady-state problems via a Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes approach, its utility for undertaking scale-resolving simulations of unsteady flows is less clear. High-order methods for unstructured grids and GPU accelerators have been proposed as an enabling technology for unsteady scale-resolving simulations of flow over complex geometries. In this study we systematically compare accuracy and cost of the high-order Flux Reconstruction solver PyFR running on GPUs and the industry-standard solver STAR-CCM+ running on CPUs when applied to amore » range of unsteady flow problems. Specifically, we perform comparisons of accuracy and cost for isentropic vortex advection (EV), decay of the Taylor–Green vortex (TGV), turbulent flow over a circular cylinder, and turbulent flow over an SD7003 aerofoil. We consider two configurations of STAR-CCM+: a second-order configuration, and a third-order configuration, where the latter was recommended by CD-adapco for more effective computation of unsteady flow problems. Results from both PyFR and STAR-CCM+ demonstrate that third-order schemes can be more accurate than second-order schemes for a given cost e.g. going from second- to third-order, the PyFR simulations of the EV and TGV achieve 75× and 3× error reduction respectively for the same or reduced cost, and STAR-CCM+ simulations of the cylinder recovered wake statistics significantly more accurately for only twice the cost. Moreover, advancing to higher-order schemes on GPUs with PyFR was found to offer even further accuracy vs. cost benefits relative to industry-standard tools.« less

Experimental and numerical characterization of the water flow in spacer-filled channels of spiral-wound membranes.

PubMed

Bucs, Szilard S; Linares, Rodrigo Valladares; Marston, Jeremy O; Radu, Andrea I; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S; Picioreanu, Cristian

2015-12-15

Micro-scale flow distribution in spacer-filled flow channels of spiral-wound membrane modules was determined with a particle image velocimetry system (PIV), aiming to elucidate the flow behaviour in spacer-filled flow channels. Two-dimensional water velocity fields were measured in a flow cell (representing the feed spacer-filled flow channel of a spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane module without permeate production) at several planes throughout the channel height. At linear flow velocities (volumetric flow rate per cross-section of the flow channel considering the channel porosity, also described as crossflow velocities) used in practice (0.074 and 0.163 m·s(-1)) the recorded flow was laminar with only slight unsteadiness in the upper velocity limit. At higher linear flow velocity (0.3 m·s(-1)) the flow was observed to be unsteady and with recirculation zones. Measurements made at different locations in the flow cell exhibited very similar flow patterns within all feed spacer mesh elements, thus revealing the same hydrodynamic conditions along the length of the flow channel. Three-dimensional (3-D) computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed using the same geometries and flow parameters as the experiments, based on steady laminar flow assumption. The numerical results were in good agreement (0.85-0.95 Bray-Curtis similarity) with the measured flow fields at linear velocities of 0.074 and 0.163 m·s(-1), thus supporting the use of model-based studies in the optimization of feed spacer geometries and operational conditions of spiral wound membrane systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The flow structure of jets from transient sources and implications for modeling short-duration explosive volcanic eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chojnicki, K. N.; Clarke, A. B.; Adrian, R. J.; Phillips, J. C.

2014-12-01

We used laboratory experiments to examine the rise process in neutrally buoyant jets that resulted from an unsteady supply of momentum, a condition that defines plumes from discrete Vulcanian and Strombolian-style eruptions. We simultaneously measured the analog-jet discharge rate (the supply rate of momentum) and the analog-jet internal velocity distribution (a consequence of momentum transport and dilution). Then, we examined the changes in the analog-jet velocity distribution over time to assess the impact of the supply-rate variations on the momentum-driven rise dynamics. We found that the analog-jet velocity distribution changes significantly and quickly as the supply rate varied, such that the whole-field distribution at any instant differed considerably from the time average. We also found that entrainment varied in space and over time with instantaneous entrainment coefficient values ranging from 0 to 0.93 in an individual unsteady jet. Consequently, we conclude that supply-rate variations exert first-order control over jet dynamics, and therefore cannot be neglected in models without compromising their capability to predict large-scale eruption behavior. These findings emphasize the fundamental differences between unsteady and steady jet dynamics, and show clearly that: (i) variations in source momentum flux directly control the dynamics of the resulting flow; (ii) impulsive flows driven by sources of varying flux cannot reasonably be approximated by quasi-steady flow models. New modeling approaches capable of describing the time-dependent properties of transient volcanic eruption plumes are needed before their trajectory, dilution, and stability can be reliably computed for hazards management.

Unsteady aerodynamics and vortex-sheet formation of a two-dimensional airfoil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, X.; Mohseni, K.

2017-11-01

Unsteady inviscid flow models of wings and airfoils have been developed to study the aerodynamics of natural and man-made flyers. Vortex methods have been extensively applied to reduce the dimensionality of these aerodynamic models, based on the proper estimation of the strength and distribution of the vortices in the wake. In such modeling approaches, one of the most fundamental questions is how the vortex sheets are generated and released from sharp edges. To determine the formation of the trailing-edge vortex sheet, the classical Kutta condition can be extended to unsteady situations by realizing that a flow cannot turn abruptly around a sharp edge. This condition can be readily applied to a flat plate or an airfoil with cusped trailing edge since the direction of the forming vortex sheet is known to be tangential to the trailing edge. However, for a finite-angle trailing edge, or in the case of flow separation away from a sharp corner, the direction of the forming vortex sheet is ambiguous. To remove any ad-hoc implementation, the unsteady Kutta condition, the conservation of circulation, as well as the conservation laws of mass and momentum are coupled to analytically solve for the angle, strength, and relative velocity of the trailing-edge vortex sheet. The two-dimensional aerodynamic model together with the proposed vortex-sheet formation condition is verified by comparing flow structures and force calculations with experimental results for airfoils in steady and unsteady background flows.

Unsteady flow simulations around complex geometries using stationary or rotating unstructured grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sezer-Uzol, Nilay

In this research, the computational analysis of three-dimensional, unsteady, separated, vortical flows around complex geometries is studied by using stationary or moving unstructured grids. Two main engineering problems are investigated. The first problem is the unsteady simulation of a ship airwake, where helicopter operations become even more challenging, by using stationary unstructured grids. The second problem is the unsteady simulation of wind turbine rotor flow fields by using moving unstructured grids which are rotating with the whole three-dimensional rigid rotor geometry. The three dimensional, unsteady, parallel, unstructured, finite volume flow solver, PUMA2, is used for the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations considered in this research. The code is modified to have a moving grid capability to perform three-dimensional, time-dependent rotor simulations. An instantaneous log-law wall model for Large Eddy Simulations is also implemented in PUMA2 to investigate the very large Reynolds number flow fields of rotating blades. To verify the code modifications, several sample test cases are also considered. In addition, interdisciplinary studies, which are aiming to provide new tools and insights to the aerospace and wind energy scientific communities, are done during this research by focusing on the coupling of ship airwake CFD simulations with the helicopter flight dynamics and control analysis, the coupling of wind turbine rotor CFD simulations with the aeroacoustic analysis, and the analysis of these time-dependent and large-scale CFD simulations with the help of a computational monitoring, steering and visualization tool, POSSE.

Pulsating flow past a tube bundle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molochnikov, V. M.; Mikheev, N. I.; Vazeev, T. A.; Paereliy, A. A.

2017-11-01

Visualization of the pulsating cross-flow past the in-line and staggered tube bundles has been performed. The frequency and amplitude of forced flow pulsations and the tube pitch in the bundle varied in the experiments. The main attention was focused on the flow pattern in the near wake of the third-row tube. The most indicative regimes of flow past a tube in a bundle have been revealed depending on forced flow unsteadiness parameters. The obtained data have been generalized in the flow maps in the space of dimensionless frequency (Strouhal number, St) and relative pulsation amplitude, β, individually for the in-line and staggered tube arrangement. Three most indicative regimes of pulsating flow past the tubes in a bundle have been singled out in each flow map.

Unsteady Transonic Flow Past Airfoils in Rigid Body Motion.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

coordinate system. Numerical experiments show that the scheme is very stable and is able to resolve the highly non- linear transonic effects for flutter...Numerical experiments show that the scheme is very stable and is able to resolve the highly nonlinear transonic effects for flutter analysis within...of attack, the angle between the flight direction and the airfoil chord. The effect of chanqinthe angle of attack of a conventional symmetric airfoil

Active-Adaptive Control of Inlet Separation Using Supersonic Microjets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alvi, Farrukh S.

2007-01-01

Flow separation in internal and external flows generally results in a significant degradation in aircraft performance. For internal flows, such as inlets and transmission ducts in aircraft propulsion systems, separation is undesirable as it reduces the overall system performance. The aim of this research has been to understand the nature of separation and more importantly, to explore techniques to actively control it. In this research, we extended our investigation of active separation control (under a previous NASA grant) where we explored the use of microjets for the control of boundary layer separation. The geometry used for the initial study was a simple diverging Stratford ramp, equipped with arrays of microjets. These early results clearly show that the activation of microjets eliminated flow separation. Furthermore, the velocity-field measurements, using PIV, also demonstrate that the gain in momentum due to the elimination of separation is at least an order of magnitude larger (two orders of magnitude larger in most cases) than the momentum injected by the microjets and is accomplished with very little mass flow through the microjets. Based on our initial promising results this research was continued under the present grant, using a more flexible model. This model allows for the magnitude and extent of separation as well as the microjet parameters to be independently varied. The results, using this model were even more encouraging and demonstrated that microjet control completely eliminated significant regions of flow separation over a wide range of conditions with almost negligible mass flow. Detailed studies of the flowfield and its response to microjets were further examined using 3-component PIV and unsteady pressure measurements, among others. As the results presented this report will show, microjets were successfully used to control the separation of a much larger extent and magnitude than demonstrated in our earlier experiments. In fact, using the appropriate combination of control parameters (microjet, location, angle and pressure) separation was completely eliminated for the largest separated flowfield we could generate with the present model. Separation control also resulted in a significant reduction in the unsteady pressures in the flow where the unsteady pressure field was found to be directly responsive to the state of the flow above the surface. Hence, our study indicates that the unsteady pressure signature is a strong candidate for a flow state sensor , which can be used to estimate the location, magnitude and other properties of the separated flowfield. Once better understood and properly utilized, this behavior can be of significant practical importance for developing and implementing online control.

Exact solution for flow in a porous pipe with unsteady wall suction and/or injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsangaris, S.; Kondaxakis, D.; Vlachakis, N. W.

2007-10-01

This paper presents an extension of the exact solution of the steady laminar axisymmetric flow in a straight pipe of circular cross section with porous wall, given by R.M. Terrill, to the case of unsteady wall injection and/or suction. The cases of the pulsating parabolic profile and of the developed pulsating flow are investigated as examples. The pulsating flow in porous ducts has many applications in biomedical engineering and in other engineering areas.

Numerical flow analysis of axial flow compressor for steady and unsteady flow cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prabhudev, B. M.; Satish kumar, S.; Rajanna, D.

2017-07-01

Performance of jet engine is dependent on the performance of compressor. This paper gives numerical study of performance characteristics for axial compressor. The test rig is present at CSIR LAB Bangalore. Flow domains are meshed and fluid dynamic equations are solved using ANSYS package. Analysis is done for six different speeds and for operating conditions like choke, maximum efficiency & before stall point. Different plots are compared and results are discussed. Shock displacement, vortex flows, leakage patterns are presented along with unsteady FFT plot and time step plot.

Burnout in the horizontal tubes of a furnace waterwall panel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamenetskii, B. Ya.

2009-08-01

An experimental study of heat transfer that occurs in tubes nonuniformly heated over the perimeter at low velocities of subcooled water flowing in them is presented. Experiments with unsteady supply of heat made it possible to determine heat fluxes under burnout conditions. Unusually low values of critical heat fluxes were obtained under such conditions.

Prediction of dendrite arm spacings in unsteady-and steady-state heat flow of unidirectionally solidified binary alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchard, Dominique; Kirkaldy, John S.

1997-08-01

Various theoretical dendrite and cell spacing formulas have been tested against experimental data obtained in unsteady- and steady-state heat flow conditions. An iterative assessment strategy satisfactorily overcomes the circumstances that certain constitutive parameters are inadequately established and/or highly variable and that many of the data sets, in terms of gradients, velocities, and/or cooling rates, are unreliable. The accessed unsteady- and steady-state observations on near-terminal binary alloys for primary and secondary spacings were first examined within conventional power law representations, the deduced exponents and confidence limits for each alloy being tabularly recorded. Through this analysis, it became clear that to achieve predictive generality the many constitutive parameters must be included in a rational way, this being achievable only through extant or new theoretical formulations. However, in the case of primary spacings, all formulas, including our own, failed within the unsteady heat flow algorithm while performing adequately within their steady-state context. An earlier untested, heuristically derived steady-state formula after modification, λ _1 = 120 ( {{16X_0^{{1/2}} G_0 (\\varepsilon σ )T_M D}/{(1 - k)mΔ H G R}} )^{{1/2}} ultimately proved its utility in the unsteady regime, and so it is recommended for purposes of predictions for general terminal alloys. For secondary spacings, a Mullins and Sekerka type formula proved from the start to be adequate in both unsteady- and steady-state heat flows, and so it recommends itself in calibrated form, λ _2 = 12π ( {{4σ }/{X_0 (1 - k)^2 Δ H}( {D/R} )^2 } )^{{1/3}}

Unsteady Velocity Measurements in the NASA Research Low Speed Axial Compressor: Smooth Wall Configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lepicovsky, Jan

2007-01-01

The report is a collection of experimental unsteady data acquired in the first stage of the NASA Low Speed Axial Compressor in configuration with smooth (solid) wall treatment over the first rotor. The aim of the report is to present a reliable experimental data base that can be used for analysis of the compressor flow behavior, and hopefully help with further improvements of compressor CFD codes. All data analysis is strictly restricted to verification of reliability of the experimental data reported. The report is divided into six main sections. First two sections cover the low speed axial compressor, the basic instrumentation, and the in-house developed methodology of unsteady velocity measurements using a thermo-anemometric split-fiber probe. The next two sections contain experimental data presented as averaged radial distributions for three compressor operation conditions, including the distribution of the total temperature rise over the first rotor, and ensemble averages of unsteady flow data based on a rotor blade passage period. Ensemble averages based on the rotor revolution period, and spectral analysis of unsteady flow parameters are presented in the last two sections. The report is completed with two appendices where performance and dynamic response of thermo-anemometric probes is discussed.

Development of iterative techniques for the solution of unsteady compressible viscous flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hixon, Duane; Sankar, L. N.

1993-01-01

During the past two decades, there has been significant progress in the field of numerical simulation of unsteady compressible viscous flows. At present, a variety of solution techniques exist such as the transonic small disturbance analyses (TSD), transonic full potential equation-based methods, unsteady Euler solvers, and unsteady Navier-Stokes solvers. These advances have been made possible by developments in three areas: (1) improved numerical algorithms; (2) automation of body-fitted grid generation schemes; and (3) advanced computer architectures with vector processing and massively parallel processing features. In this work, the GMRES scheme has been considered as a candidate for acceleration of a Newton iteration time marching scheme for unsteady 2-D and 3-D compressible viscous flow calculation; from preliminary calculations, this will provide up to a 65 percent reduction in the computer time requirements over the existing class of explicit and implicit time marching schemes. The proposed method has ben tested on structured grids, but is flexible enough for extension to unstructured grids. The described scheme has been tested only on the current generation of vector processor architecture of the Cray Y/MP class, but should be suitable for adaptation to massively parallel machines.

Verification Assessment of Flow Boundary Conditions for CFD Analysis of Supersonic Inlet Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slater, John W.

2002-01-01

Boundary conditions for subsonic inflow, bleed, and subsonic outflow as implemented into the WIND CFD code are assessed with respect to verification for steady and unsteady flows associated with supersonic inlets. Verification procedures include grid convergence studies and comparisons to analytical data. The objective is to examine errors, limitations, capabilities, and behavior of the boundary conditions. Computational studies were performed on configurations derived from a "parameterized" supersonic inlet. These include steady supersonic flows with normal and oblique shocks, steady subsonic flow in a diffuser, and unsteady flow with the propagation and reflection of an acoustic disturbance.

Discrete Adjoint-Based Design Optimization of Unsteady Turbulent Flows on Dynamic Unstructured Grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nielsen, Eric J.; Diskin, Boris; Yamaleev, Nail K.

2009-01-01

An adjoint-based methodology for design optimization of unsteady turbulent flows on dynamic unstructured grids is described. The implementation relies on an existing unsteady three-dimensional unstructured grid solver capable of dynamic mesh simulations and discrete adjoint capabilities previously developed for steady flows. The discrete equations for the primal and adjoint systems are presented for the backward-difference family of time-integration schemes on both static and dynamic grids. The consistency of sensitivity derivatives is established via comparisons with complex-variable computations. The current work is believed to be the first verified implementation of an adjoint-based optimization methodology for the true time-dependent formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations in a practical computational code. Large-scale shape optimizations are demonstrated for turbulent flows over a tiltrotor geometry and a simulated aeroelastic motion of a fighter jet.

Proper Orthogonal Decomposition in Optimal Control of Fluids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravindran, S. S.

1999-01-01

In this article, we present a reduced order modeling approach suitable for active control of fluid dynamical systems based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). The rationale behind the reduced order modeling is that numerical simulation of Navier-Stokes equations is still too costly for the purpose of optimization and control of unsteady flows. We examine the possibility of obtaining reduced order models that reduce computational complexity associated with the Navier-Stokes equations while capturing the essential dynamics by using the POD. The POD allows extraction of certain optimal set of basis functions, perhaps few, from a computational or experimental data-base through an eigenvalue analysis. The solution is then obtained as a linear combination of these optimal set of basis functions by means of Galerkin projection. This makes it attractive for optimal control and estimation of systems governed by partial differential equations. We here use it in active control of fluid flows governed by the Navier-Stokes equations. We show that the resulting reduced order model can be very efficient for the computations of optimization and control problems in unsteady flows. Finally, implementational issues and numerical experiments are presented for simulations and optimal control of fluid flow through channels.

Force production and time-averaged flow structure around thin, non-slender delta wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Han; Green, Melissa

2017-11-01

Experimental force measurement and time-averaged three dimensional flow visualization of low Reynolds number baseline cases have been carried out on a steady flat plate delta wing. Current data will serve as steady reference for future unsteady flow and actuation cases. The comprehensive study will compare force production in highly unsteady environments, which is necessary to consider in unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) control strategies. Force measurements are carried out at angles of attack 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 degrees. The coefficient of drag increases with angle of attack, while the coefficient of lift reaches a maximum value at 20 degrees. Time-averaged flow visualization conducted at angles of attack of 20, 25 and 30 degrees shows vortices with larger magnitude that persist farther into wake are generated at higher angles of attack. These results compare analogously with similar steady baseline experiment results of high Reynolds number conducted by collaborators. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research under ONR Award No. N00014-16-1-2732. We also acknowledge the collaborative support of Dr. David Rival and Mr. Matthew Marzanek at Queen's University.

Algorithm and code development for unsteady three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Obayashi, Shigeru

1993-01-01

In the last two decades, there have been extensive developments in computational aerodynamics, which constitutes a major part of the general area of computational fluid dynamics. Such developments are essential to advance the understanding of the physics of complex flows, to complement expensive wind-tunnel tests, and to reduce the overall design cost of an aircraft, particularly in the area of aeroelasticity. Aeroelasticity plays an important role in the design and development of aircraft, particularly modern aircraft, which tend to be more flexible. Several phenomena that can be dangerous and limit the performance of an aircraft occur because of the interaction of the flow with flexible components. For example, an aircraft with highly swept wings may experience vortex-induced aeroelastic oscillations. Also, undesirable aeroelastic phenomena due to the presence and movement of shock waves occur in the transonic range. Aeroelastically critical phenomena, such as a low transonic flutter speed, have been known to occur through limited wind-tunnel tests and flight tests. Aeroelastic tests require extensive cost and risk. An aeroelastic wind-tunnel experiment is an order of magnitude more expensive than a parallel experiment involving only aerodynamics. By complementing the wind-tunnel experiments with numerical simulations the overall cost of the development of aircraft can be considerably reduced. In order to accurately compute aeroelastic phenomenon it is necessary to solve the unsteady Euler/Navier-Stokes equations simultaneously with the structural equations of motion. These equations accurately describe the flow phenomena for aeroelastic applications. At Ames a code, ENSAERO, is being developed for computing the unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelasticity of aircraft and it solves the Euler/Navier-Stokes equations. The purpose of this contract is to continue the algorithm enhancements of ENSAERO and to apply the code to complicated geometries. During the last year, the geometric capability of the code was extended to simulate transonic flows, a wing with oscillating control surface. Single-grid and zonal approaches were tested. For the zonal approach, a new interpolation technique was introduced. The key development of the algorithm was an interface treatment between moving zones for a control surface using the virtual-zone concept. The work performed during the period, 1 Apr. 1992 through 31 Mar. 1993 is summarized. Additional details on the various aspects of the study are given in the Appendices.

Three-dimensional unsteady flow calculations in an advanced gas generator turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rangwalla, Akil A.

1993-01-01

This paper deals with the application of a three-dimensional, unsteady Navier-Stokes code for predicting the unsteady flow in a single stage of an advanced gas generator turbine. The numerical method solves the three-dimensional thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations, using a system of overlaid grids, which allow for relative motion between the rotor and stator airfoils. Results in the form of time averaged pressures and pressure amplitudes on the airfoil surfaces will be shown. In addition, instantaneous contours of pressure, Mach number, etc. will be presented in order to provide a greater understanding of the inviscid as well as the viscous aspects of the flowfield. Also, relevant secondary flow features such as cross-plane velocity vectors and total pressure contours will be presented. Prior work in two-dimensions has indicated that for the advanced designs, the unsteady interactions can play a significant role in turbine performance. These interactions affect not only the stage efficiency but can substantially alter the time-averaged features of the flow. This work is a natural extension of the work done in two-dimensions and hopes to address some of the issues raised by the two-dimensional calculations. These calculations are being performed as an integral part of an actual design process and demonstrate the value of unsteady rotor-stator interaction calculations in the design of turbomachines.

Development of a High-Order Space-Time Matrix-Free Adjoint Solver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ceze, Marco A.; Diosady, Laslo T.; Murman, Scott M.

2016-01-01

The growth in computational power and algorithm development in the past few decades has granted the science and engineering community the ability to simulate flows over complex geometries, thus making Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools indispensable in analysis and design. Currently, one of the pacing items limiting the utility of CFD for general problems is the prediction of unsteady turbulent ows.1{3 Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) methods, which predict a time-invariant mean flowfield, struggle to provide consistent predictions when encountering even mild separation, such as the side-of-body separation at a wing-body junction. NASA's Transformative Tools and Technologies project is developing both numerical methods and physical modeling approaches to improve the prediction of separated flows. A major focus of this e ort is efficient methods for resolving the unsteady fluctuations occurring in these flows to provide valuable engineering data of the time-accurate flow field for buffet analysis, vortex shedding, etc. This approach encompasses unsteady RANS (URANS), large-eddy simulations (LES), and hybrid LES-RANS approaches such as Detached Eddy Simulations (DES). These unsteady approaches are inherently more expensive than traditional engineering RANS approaches, hence every e ort to mitigate this cost must be leveraged. Arguably, the most cost-effective approach to improve the efficiency of unsteady methods is the optimal placement of the spatial and temporal degrees of freedom (DOF) using solution-adaptive methods.

Flow Control Under Low-Pressure Turbine Conditions Using Pulsed Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Volino, Ralph J.; Ibrahim, Mounir B.

2012-01-01

This publication is the final report of research performed under an NRA/Cooperative Interagency Agreement, and includes a supplemental CD-ROM with detailed data. It is complemented by NASA/CR-2012-217416 and NASA/CR-2012-217417 which include a Ph.D. Dissertation and an M.S. thesis respectively, performed under this contract. In this study the effects of unsteady wakes and flow control using vortex generator jets (VGJs) were studied experimentally and computationally on the flow over the L1A low pressure turbine (LPT) airfoil. The experimental facility was a six passage linear cascade in a low speed wind tunnel at the U.S. Naval Academy. In parallel, computational work using the commercial code FLUENT (ANSYS, Inc.) was performed at Cleveland State University, using Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (URANS) and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) methods. In the first phase of the work, the baseline flow was documented under steady inflow conditions without flow control. URANS calculations were done using a variety of turbulence models. In the second phase of the work, flow control was added using steady and pulsed vortex generator jets. The VGJs successfully suppressed separation and reduced aerodynamic losses. Pulsed operation was more effective and mass flow requirements are very low. Numerical simulations of the VGJs cases showed that URANS failed to capture the effect of the jets. LES results were generally better. In the third phase, effects of unsteady wakes were studied. Computations with URANS and LES captured the wake effect and generally predicted separation and reattachment to match the experiments. Quantitatively the results were mixed. In the final phase of the study, wakes and VGJs were combined and synchronized using various timing schemes. The timing of the jets with respect to the wakes had some effect, but in general once the disturbance frequency was high enough to control separation, the timing was not very important.

Flow Control Under Low-Pressure Turbine Conditions Using Pulsed Jets: Experimental Data Archive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Volino, Ralph J.; Ibrahim, Mounir B.

2012-01-01

This publication is the final report of research performed under an NRA/Cooperative Interagency Agreement, and includes a supplemental CD-ROM with detailed data. It is complemented by NASA/CR-2012-217416 and NASA/CR-2012-217417 which include a Ph.D. Dissertation and an M.S. thesis respectively, performed under this contract. In this study the effects of unsteady wakes and flow control using vortex generator jets (VGJs) were studied experimentally and computationally on the flow over the L1A low pressure turbine (LPT) airfoil. The experimental facility was a six passage linear cascade in a low speed wind tunnel at the U.S. Naval Academy. In parallel, computational work using the commercial code FLUENT (ANSYS, Inc.) was performed at Cleveland State University, using Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (URANS) and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) methods. In the first phase of the work, the baseline flow was documented under steady inflow conditions without flow control. URANS calculations were done using a variety of turbulence models. In the second phase of the work, flow control was added using steady and pulsed vortex generator jets. The VGJs successfully suppressed separation and reduced aerodynamic losses. Pulsed operation was more effective and mass flow requirements are very low. Numerical simulations of the VGJs cases showed that URANS failed to capture the effect of the jets. LES results were generally better. In the third phase, effects of unsteady wakes were studied. Computations with URANS and LES captured the wake effect and generally predicted separation and reattachment to match the experiments. Quantitatively the results were mixed. In the final phase of the study, wakes and VGJs were combined and synchronized using various timing schemes. The timing of the jets with respect to the wakes had some effect, but in general once the disturbance frequency was high enough to control separation, the timing was not very important. This is the supplemental CD-ROM

Unsteady, Cooled Turbine Simulation Using a PC-Linux Analysis System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

List, Michael G.; Turner, Mark G.; Chen, Jen-Pimg; Remotigue, Michael G.; Veres, Joseph P.

2004-01-01

The fist stage of the high-pressure turbine (HPT) of the GE90 engine was simulated with a three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Sokes solver, MSU Turbo, which uses source terms to simulate the cooling flows. In addition to the solver, its pre-processor, GUMBO, and a post-processing and visualization tool, Turbomachinery Visual3 (TV3) were run in a Linux environment to carry out the simulation and analysis. The solver was run both with and without cooling. The introduction of cooling flow on the blade surfaces, case, and hub and its effects on both rotor-vane interaction as well the effects on the blades themselves were the principle motivations for this study. The studies of the cooling flow show the large amount of unsteadiness in the turbine and the corresponding hot streak migration phenomenon. This research on the GE90 turbomachinery has also led to a procedure for running unsteady, cooled turbine analysis on commodity PC's running the Linux operating system.

Spatial adaption procedures on unstructured meshes for accurate unsteady aerodynamic flow computation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rausch, Russ D.; Batina, John T.; Yang, Henry T. Y.

1991-01-01

Spatial adaption procedures for the accurate and efficient solution of steady and unsteady inviscid flow problems are described. The adaption procedures were developed and implemented within a two-dimensional unstructured-grid upwind-type Euler code. These procedures involve mesh enrichment and mesh coarsening to either add points in a high gradient region or the flow or remove points where they are not needed, respectively, to produce solutions of high spatial accuracy at minimal computational costs. A detailed description is given of the enrichment and coarsening procedures and comparisons with alternative results and experimental data are presented to provide an assessment of the accuracy and efficiency of the capability. Steady and unsteady transonic results, obtained using spatial adaption for the NACA 0012 airfoil, are shown to be of high spatial accuracy, primarily in that the shock waves are very sharply captured. The results were obtained with a computational savings of a factor of approximately fifty-three for a steady case and as much as twenty-five for the unsteady cases.

Development and application of a program to calculate transonic flow around an oscillating three-dimensional wing using finite difference procedures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weatherill, Warren H.; Ehlers, F. Edward

1989-01-01

A finite difference method for solving the unsteady transonic flow about harmonically oscillating wings is investigated. The procedure is based on separating the velocity potential into steady and unsteady parts and linearizing the resulting unsteady differential equation for small disturbances. The differential equation for the unsteady potential is linear with spatially varying coefficients and with the time variable eliminated by assuming harmonic motion. Difference equations are derived for harmonic transonic flow to include a coordinate transformation for swept and tapered planforms. A pilot program is developed for three-dimensional planar lifting surface configurations (including thickness) for the CRAY-XMP at Boeing Commercial Airplanes and for the CYBER VPS-32 at the NASA Langley Research Center. An investigation is made of the effect of the location of the outer boundaries on accuracy for very small reduced frequencies. Finally, the pilot program is applied to the flutter analysis of a rectangular wing.

Unsteady Performance of Finite-Span Pitching Propulsors in Mixtures of Side-by-Side and In-Line Arrangements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurt, Melike; Moored, Keith

2016-11-01

Birds, insects, and fish propel themselves by flapping their wings or oscillating their fins in unsteady motions. Many of these animals fly or swim in groups or collectives, typically described as flocks, swarms and schools. The three-dimensional steady flow interactions and the two dimensional unsteady flow interactions that occur in collectives are well characterized. However, the interactions that occur among three-dimensional unsteady propulsors remain relatively unexplored. The aim of the current study is to measure the forces acting on and the energetics of two finite-span pitching wings. The wings are arranged in mixtures of canonical in-line and side-by-side configurations while the phase delay between the pitching wings is varied. The thrust force, fluid-mediated interaction force between the wings and the propulsive efficiency are quantified. The three-dimensional interaction mechanisms are compared and contrasted with previously examined two-dimensional mechanisms. Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry is employed to characterize the three-dimensional flow structures along the span of the pitching wings.

A review of turbomachinery blade-row interaction research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Todd E.

1988-01-01

Analytical and experimental research in the area of unsteady aerodynamics of turbomachinery has conventionally been applied to blading which oscillates when placed in a uniformly flowing fluid. Comparatively less effort has been offered for the study of blading which is subjected to nonuniformities within the flow field. The fluid dynamic environment of a blade-row embedded within multi-stage turbomachines is dominated by such highly unsteady fluid flow conditions. The production of wakes and circumferential pressure variations from adjacent blade-rows causes large unsteady energy transfers between the fluid and the blades. Determination of the forced response of a blade requires the ability to predict the unsteady loads which are induced by these aerodynamic sources. A review of research publications was done to determine recent investigations of the response of turbomachinery blading subjected to aerodynamic excitations. Such excitations are a direct result of the blade-row aerodynamic interaction which occurs between adjacent cascades of blades. The reports and papers reviewed have been organized into areas emphasizing experimental or analytical efforts.

Spatial adaption procedures on unstructured meshes for accurate unsteady aerodynamic flow computation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rausch, Russ D.; Yang, Henry T. Y.; Batina, John T.

1991-01-01

Spatial adaption procedures for the accurate and efficient solution of steady and unsteady inviscid flow problems are described. The adaption procedures were developed and implemented within a two-dimensional unstructured-grid upwind-type Euler code. These procedures involve mesh enrichment and mesh coarsening to either add points in high gradient regions of the flow or remove points where they are not needed, respectively, to produce solutions of high spatial accuracy at minimal computational cost. The paper gives a detailed description of the enrichment and coarsening procedures and presents comparisons with alternative results and experimental data to provide an assessment of the accuracy and efficiency of the capability. Steady and unsteady transonic results, obtained using spatial adaption for the NACA 0012 airfoil, are shown to be of high spatial accuracy, primarily in that the shock waves are very sharply captured. The results were obtained with a computational savings of a factor of approximately fifty-three for a steady case and as much as twenty-five for the unsteady cases.

Progress in Unsteady Turbopump Flow Simulations Using Overset Grid Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiris, Cetin C.; Chan, William; Kwak, Dochan

2002-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides information on unsteady flow simulations for the Second Generation RLV (Reusable Launch Vehicle) baseline turbopump. Three impeller rotations were simulated by using a 34.3 million grid points model. MPI/OpenMP hybrid parallelism and MLP shared memory parallelism has been implemented and benchmarked in INS3D, an incompressible Navier-Stokes solver. For RLV turbopump simulations a speed up of more than 30 times has been obtained. Moving boundary capability is obtained by using the DCF module. Scripting capability from CAD geometry to solution is developed. Unsteady flow simulations for advanced consortium impeller/diffuser by using a 39 million grid points model are currently underway. 1.2 impeller rotations are completed. The fluid/structure coupling is initiated.

Computations of unsteady multistage compressor flows in a workstation environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gundy-Burlet, Karen L.

1992-01-01

High-end graphics workstations are becoming a necessary tool in the computational fluid dynamics environment. In addition to their graphic capabilities, workstations of the latest generation have powerful floating-point-operation capabilities. As workstations become common, they could provide valuable computing time for such applications as turbomachinery flow calculations. This report discusses the issues involved in implementing an unsteady, viscous multistage-turbomachinery code (STAGE-2) on workstations. It then describes work in which the workstation version of STAGE-2 was used to study the effects of axial-gap spacing on the time-averaged and unsteady flow within a 2 1/2-stage compressor. The results included time-averaged surface pressures, time-averaged pressure contours, standard deviation of pressure contours, pressure amplitudes, and force polar plots.

Simultaneous, Unsteady PIV and Photogrammetry Measurements of a Tension-Cone Decelerator in Subsonic Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schairer, Edward T.; Heineck, James T.; Walker, Louise Ann; Kushner, Laura Kathryn; Zilliac, Gregory

2010-01-01

This paper describes simultaneous, synchronized, high-frequency measurements of both unsteady flow in the wake of a tension-cone decelerator in subsonic flow (by PIV) and the unsteady shape of the decelerator (by photogrammetry). The purpose of these measurements was to develop the test techniques necessary to validate numerical methods for computing fluid-structure interactions of flexible decelerators. A critical need for this effort is to map fabric surfaces that have buckled or wrinkled so that code developers can accurately represent them. This paper describes a new photogrammetric technique that performs this measurement. The work was done in support of the Entry, Descent, and Landing discipline within the Supersonics Project of NASA s Fundamental Aeronautics Program.

Radiation effects on the flow of Powell-Eyring fluid past an unsteady inclined stretching sheet with non-uniform heat source/sink.

PubMed

Hayat, Tasawar; Asad, Sadia; Mustafa, Meraj; Alsaedi, Ahmed

2014-01-01

This study investigates the unsteady flow of Powell-Eyring fluid past an inclined stretching sheet. Unsteadiness in the flow is due to the time-dependence of the stretching velocity and wall temperature. Mathematical analysis is performed in the presence of thermal radiation and non-uniform heat source/sink. The relevant boundary layer equations are reduced into self-similar forms by suitable transformations. The analytic solutions are constructed in a series form by homotopy analysis method (HAM). The convergence interval of the auxiliary parameter is obtained. Graphical results displaying the influence of interesting parameters are given. Numerical values of skin friction coefficient and local Nusselt number are computed and analyzed.

Accounting for mean-flow periodicity in turbulence closures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Younis, Bassam A.; Zhou, Ye

2006-01-01

Measurements of the turbulence energy spectrum in the unsteady wakes of bodies in uniform incident streams clearly show the presence of a distinct peak in energy supply that occurs at the Strouhal frequency and whose presence implies a strong and direct interaction between the organized mean-flow unsteadiness and the random turbulence motions. It is argued here that the well-documented failure of conventional turbulence closures in capturing the main features of unsteady flows is largely due to their inability to properly account for the modifications in the energy spectrum wrought by these interactions. We derive a simple modification to the turbulence length-scale determining equation based on analysis of a distorted energy spectrum, and verify the result by computations of vortex shedding behind a square cylinder.

Numerical simulation of transient hypervelocity flow in an expansion tube

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobs, P. A.

1992-01-01

Several numerical simulations of the transient flow of helium in an expansion tube are presented in an effort to identify some of the basic mechanisms which cause the noisy test flows seen in experiments. The calculations were performed with an axisymmetric Navier-Stokes code based on a finite volume formulation and upwinding techniques. Although laminar flow and ideal bursting of the diaphragms was assumed, the simulations showed some of the important features seen in experiments. In particular, the discontinuity in tube diameter of the primary diaphragm station introduced a transverse perturbation to the expanding driver gas and this perturbation was seen to propagate into the test gas under some flow conditions. The disturbances seen in the test flow can be characterized as either small amplitude, low frequency noise possibly introduced during shock compression or large amplitude, high frequency noise associated with the passage of the reflected head of the unsteady expansion.

Semi-actuator disk theory for compressor choke flutter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Micklow, J.; Jeffers, J.

1981-01-01

A mathematical anaysis predict the unsteady aerodynamic utilizing semi actuator theory environment for a cascade of airfoils harmonically oscillating in choked flow was developed. A normal shock is located in the blade passage, its position depending on the time dependent geometry, and pressure perturbations of the system. In addition to shock dynamics, the model includes the effect of compressibility, interblade phase lag, and an unsteady flow field upstream and downstream of the cascade. Calculated unsteady aerodynamics were compared with isolated airfoil wind tunnel data, and choke flutter onset boundaries were compared with data from testing of an F100 high pressure compressor stage.

Simulation of self-induced unsteady motion in the near wake of a Joukowski airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghia, K. N.; Osswald, G. A.; Ghia, U.

1986-01-01

The unsteady Navier-Stokes analysis is shown to be capable of analyzing the massively separated, persistently unsteady flow in the post-stall regime of a Joukowski airfoil for an angle of attack as high as 53 degrees. The analysis has provided the detailed flow structure, showing the complex vortex interaction for this configuration. The aerodynamic coefficients for lift, drag, and moment were calculated. So far only the spatial structure of the vortex interaction was computed. It is now important to potentially use the large-scale vortex interactions, an additional energy source, to improve the aerodynamic performance.

On the flow structure of cloud cavitating flow around an axisymmetric body near the free surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yiwei; Wu, Xiaocui; Huang, Chenguang; Yu, XianXian

2015-12-01

The influence of the free surface on the cavitating flow is an important issue involved in the design of high speed surface vehicles. In the present paper, unsteady cavitating turbulent flow around an axisymmetric body near the free surface was investigated by both launching experiment and LES simulation. The vortex motion induced by cavity shedding under the effect of the free surface is emphatically analyzed by comparing with the submerged condition. The vortex shedding process around the projectile is not synchronized, while the asymmetric characteristic in collapse process is more remarkable, with the generation of multiple vortex ring structures.

Definition of the unsteady vortex flow over a wing/body configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, S. G.; Debry, B.; Lenakos, J.; Caplin, J.; Komerath, N. M.

1991-01-01

A problem of current interest in computational aerodynamics is the prediction of unsteady vortex flows over aircraft at high angles of attack. A six-month experimental effort was conducted at the John H. Harper Wind Tunnel to acquire qualitative and quantitative information on the unsteady vortex flow over a generic wing-body configuration at high angles of attack. A double-delta flat-plate wing with beveled edges was combined with a slender sharp-nosed body-of-revolution fuselage to form the generic configuration. This configuration produces a strong attached leading edge vortex on the wing, as well as sharply-peaked flow velocity spectra above the wing. While it thus produces flows with several well-defined features of current interest, the model was designed for efficiency of representation in computational codes. A moderate number of surface pressure ports and two unsteady pressure sensors were used to study the pressure distribution over the wing and body surface at high angles of attack; the unsteady pressure sensing did not succeed because of inadequate signal-to-noise ratio. A pulsed copper vapor laser sheet was used to visualize the vortex flow over the model, and vortex trajectories, burst locations, mutual induction of vortex systems from the forebody, strake, and wing, were quantified. Laser Doppler velocimetry was used to quantify all 3 components of the time-average velocity in 3 data planes perpendicular to the freestream direction. Statistics of the instantaneous velocity were used to study intermittency and fluctuation intensity. Hot-film anemometry was used to study the fluctuation energy content in the velocity field, and the spectra of these fluctuations. In addition, a successful attempt was made to measure velocity spectra, component by component, using laser velocimetry, and these were compared with spectra measured by hot-film anemometry at several locations.

Unsteady CFD simulation for bucket design optimization of Pelton turbine runner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

KUMASHIRO, Takashi; FUKUHARA, Haruki; TANI, Kiyohito

2016-11-01

To investigate flow patterns on the bucket of Pelton turbine runners is one of the important issues to improve the turbine performance. By studying the mechanism of loss generation on the flow around the bucket, it becomes possible to optimize the design of inner and outer bucket shape. For making it into study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is quite an effective method. It is normally used to simulate the flow in turbines and to expect the turbine performances in the development for many kind of water turbine including Pelton type. Especially in the bucket development, the numerical investigations are more useful than observations and measurements obtained in the model test to understand the transient flow patterns. In this paper, a numerical study on two different design buckets is introduced. The simplified analysis domain with consideration for reduction of computational load is also introduced. Furthermore the model tests of two buckets are also performed by using the same test equipment. As the results of the model test, a difference of turbine efficiency is clearly confirmed. The trend of calculated efficiencies on both buckets agrees with the experiment. To investigate the causes of that, the difference of unsteady flow patterns between two buckets is discussed based on the results of numerical analysis.

Non-Linear Harmonic flow simulations of a High-Head Francis Turbine test case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestriez, R.; Amet, E.; Tartinville, B.; Hirsch, C.

2016-11-01

This work investigates the use of the non-linear harmonic (NLH) method for a high- head Francis turbine, the Francis99 workshop test case. The NLH method relies on a Fourier decomposition of the unsteady flow components in harmonics of Blade Passing Frequencies (BPF), which are the fundamentals of the periodic disturbances generated by the adjacent blade rows. The unsteady flow solution is obtained by marching in pseudo-time to a steady-state solution of the transport equations associated with the time-mean, the BPFs and their harmonics. Thanks to this transposition into frequency domain, meshing only one blade channel is sufficient, like for a steady flow simulation. Notable benefits in terms of computing costs and engineering time can therefore be obtained compared to classical time marching approach using sliding grid techniques. The method has been applied for three operating points of the Francis99 workshop high-head Francis turbine. Steady and NLH flow simulations have been carried out for these configurations. Impact of the grid size and near-wall refinement is analysed on all operating points for steady simulations and for Best Efficiency Point (BEP) for NLH simulations. Then, NLH results for a selected grid size are compared for the three different operating points, reproducing the tendencies observed in the experiment.

Dynamics of ferrofluidic flow in the Taylor-Couette system with a small aspect ratio

PubMed Central

Altmeyer, Sebastian; Do, Younghae; Lai, Ying-Cheng

2017-01-01

We investigate fundamental nonlinear dynamics of ferrofluidic Taylor-Couette flow - flow confined be-tween two concentric independently rotating cylinders - consider small aspect ratio by solving the ferro-hydrodynamical equations, carrying out systematic bifurcation analysis. Without magnetic field, we find steady flow patterns, previously observed with a simple fluid, such as those containing normal one- or two vortex cells, as well as anomalous one-cell and twin-cell flow states. However, when a symmetry-breaking transverse magnetic field is present, all flow states exhibit stimulated, finite two-fold mode. Various bifurcations between steady and unsteady states can occur, corresponding to the transitions between the two-cell and one-cell states. While unsteady, axially oscillating flow states can arise, we also detect the emergence of new unsteady flow states. In particular, we uncover two new states: one contains only the azimuthally oscillating solution in the configuration of the twin-cell flow state, and an-other a rotating flow state. Topologically, these flow states are a limit cycle and a quasiperiodic solution on a two-torus, respectively. Emergence of new flow states in addition to observed ones with classical fluid, indicates that richer but potentially more controllable dynamics in ferrofluidic flows, as such flow states depend on the external magnetic field. PMID:28059129

Acoustic interactions between an altitude test facility and jet engine plumes: Theory and experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahuja, K. K.; Jones, R. R., III; Tam, C. K.; Massey, K. C.; Fleming, A. J.

1992-01-01

The overall objective of the described effort was to develop an understanding of the physical mechanisms involved in the flow/acoustic interactions experienced in full-scale altitude engine test facilities. This is done by conducting subscale experiments and through development of a theoretical model. Model cold jet experiments with an axisymmetric convergent nozzle are performed in a test setup that stimulates a supersonic jet exhausting into a cylindrical diffuser. The measured data consist of detailed flow visualization data and acoustic spectra for a free and a ducted plume. It is shown that duct resonance is most likely responsible by theoretical calculations. Theoretical calculations also indicate that the higher discrete tones observed in the measurements are related to the screech phenomena. Limited experiments on the sensitivity of a free 2-D, C-D nozzle to externally imposed sound are also presented. It is shown that a 2-D, C-D nozzle with a cutback is less excitable than a 2-D C-D nozzle with no cutback. At a pressure ratio of 1.5 unsteady separation from the diverging walls of the nozzle is noticed. This separation switches from one wall to the opposite wall thus providing an unsteady deflection of the plume. It is shown that this phenomenon is related to the venting provided by the cutback section.

Detection, Tracking and Analysis of Turbulent Spots and Other Coherent Structures in Unsteady Transition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewalle, Jacques; Ashpis, David (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Transition on turbine blades is an important factor in the determination of eventual flow separation and engine performance. The phenomenon is strongly affected by unsteady flow conditions (wake passing). It is likely that some physics of unsteadiness should be included in advanced models, but it is unclear which properties would best embody this information. In this paper, we use a GEAE experimental database in unsteady transition to test some tools of spot identification, tracking and characterization. In this preliminary study, we identify some parameters that appear to be insensitive to wake passing effects, such as convection speed, and others more likely to require unsteady modeling. The main findings are that wavelet duration can be used as a measure of spot size, and that spot energy density is most closely correlated to the wake passing. The energy density is also correlated to spot size, but spot size appears unrelated to the phase angle. Recommendations are made for further study.

Development and applications of algorithms for calculating the transonic flow about harmonically oscillating wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ehlers, F. E.; Weatherill, W. H.; Yip, E. L.

1984-01-01

A finite difference method to solve the unsteady transonic flow about harmonically oscillating wings was investigated. The procedure is based on separating the velocity potential into steady and unsteady parts and linearizing the resulting unsteady differential equation for small disturbances. The differential equation for the unsteady velocity potential is linear with spatially varying coefficients and with the time variable eliminated by assuming harmonic motion. An alternating direction implicit procedure was investigated, and a pilot program was developed for both two and three dimensional wings. This program provides a relatively efficient relaxation solution without previously encountered solution instability problems. Pressure distributions for two rectangular wings are calculated. Conjugate gradient techniques were developed for the asymmetric, indefinite problem. The conjugate gradient procedure is evaluated for applications to the unsteady transonic problem. Different equations for the alternating direction procedure are derived using a coordinate transformation for swept and tapered wing planforms. Pressure distributions for swept, untaped wings of vanishing thickness are correlated with linear results for sweep angles up to 45 degrees.

Effect of Turbulence Modeling on an Excited Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Clifford A.; Hixon, Ray

2010-01-01

The flow dynamics in a high-speed jet are dominated by unsteady turbulent flow structures in the plume. Jet excitation seeks to control these flow structures through the natural instabilities present in the initial shear layer of the jet. Understanding and optimizing the excitation input, for jet noise reduction or plume mixing enhancement, requires many trials that may be done experimentally or computationally at a significant cost savings. Numerical simulations, which model various parts of the unsteady dynamics to reduce the computational expense of the simulation, must adequately capture the unsteady flow dynamics in the excited jet for the results are to be used. Four CFD methods are considered for use in an excited jet problem, including two turbulence models with an Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) solver, one Large Eddy Simulation (LES) solver, and one URANS/LES hybrid method. Each method is used to simulate a simplified excited jet and the results are evaluated based on the flow data, computation time, and numerical stability. The knowledge gained about the effect of turbulence modeling and CFD methods from these basic simulations will guide and assist future three-dimensional (3-D) simulations that will be used to understand and optimize a realistic excited jet for a particular application.

Shock unsteadiness in a thrust optimized parabolic nozzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, S. B.

2009-07-01

This paper discusses the nature of shock unsteadiness, in an overexpanded thrust optimized parabolic nozzle, prevalent in various flow separation modes experienced during start up {(δ P0 /δ t > 0)} and shut down {(δ P0/δ t < 0)} sequences. The results are based on simultaneously acquired data from real-time wall pressure measurements using Kulite pressure transducers, high-speed schlieren (2 kHz) of the exhaust flow-field and from strain-gauges installed on the nozzle bending tube. Shock unsteadiness in the separation region is seen to increase significantly just before the onset of each flow transition, even during steady nozzle operation. The intensity of this measure ( rms level) is seen to be strongly influenced by relative locations of normal and overexpansion shock, the decrease in radial size of re-circulation zone in the back-flow region, and finally, the local nozzle wall contour. During restricted shock separation, the pressure fluctuations in separation region exhibit periodic characteristics rather than the usually observed characteristics of intermittent separation. The possible physical mechanisms responsible for the generation of flow unsteadiness in various separation modes are discussed. The results are from an experimental study conducted in P6.2 cold-gas subscale test facility using a thrust optimized parabolic nozzle of area-ratio 30.

Vortex Formation and Acceleration of a Fish-Inspired Robot Performing Starts from Rest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devoria, Adam; Bapst, Jonathan; Ringuette, Matthew

2009-11-01

We investigate the unsteady flow of a fish-inspired robot executing starts from rest, with the objective of understanding the connection among the kinematics, vortex formation, and acceleration performance. Several fish perform ``fast starts,'' where the body bends into a ``C'' or ``S'' shape while turning (phase I), followed by a straightening of the body and caudal fin and a linear acceleration (phase II). The resulting highly 3-D, unsteady vortex formation and its relationship to the acceleration are not well understood. The self-propelled robotic model contains motor-driven joints with programmable motion to emulate phase II of a simplified C-start. The experiments are conducted in a water tank, and the model is constrained to 1 direction along rails. The velocity is measured using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) in multiple planes. Vortex boundaries are identified using the finite-time Lyapunov exponent, then the unsteady vortex circulation is computed. The thrust is estimated from the identified vortices, and correlated with the circulation and model acceleration for different kinematics.

Observations and Measurements on Unsteady Cloud Cavitation Flow Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, L. X.; Yan, G. J.; Huang, B.

2015-12-01

The objectives of this paper are to investigate the unsteady structures and hydrodynamics of cavitating flows. Experimental results are presented for a Clark-Y hydrofoil, which is fixed at α=0°, 5° and 8°. The high-speed video camera and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) are applied to investigate the transient flow structures. The dynamic measurement system is used to record the dynamic characteristics. The cloud cavitation exhibits noticeable unsteady characteristics. For the case of α=0°, there exit strong interactions between the attached cavity and the re-entrant flow. While for the case of α=8°, the re-entrant flow is relatively thin and the interaction between the cavity and re-entrant flow is limited. The results also present that the periodic collapse and shedding of the large-scale cloud cavitation, which leads to substantial increase of turbulent velocity fluctuations in the cavity region. Experimental evidence indicates that the hydrodynamics are clearly affected by the cavitating flow structures, the amplitude of load fluctuation are much higher for the cloud cavitating cases.

Computation of oscillating airfoil flows with one- and two-equation turbulence models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ekaterinaris, J. A.; Menter, F. R.

1994-01-01

The ability of one- and two-equation turbulence models to predict unsteady separated flows over airfoils is evaluated. An implicit, factorized, upwind-biased numerical scheme is used for the integration of the compressible, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The turbulent eddy viscosity is obtained from the computed mean flowfield by integration of the turbulent field equations. One- and two-equation turbulence models are first tested for a separated airfoil flow at fixed angle of incidence. The same models are then applied to compute the unsteady flowfields about airfoils undergoing oscillatory motion at low subsonic Mach numbers. Experimental cases where the flow has been tripped at the leading-edge and where natural transition was allowed to occur naturally are considered. The more recently developed turbulence models capture the physics of unsteady separated flow significantly better than the standard kappa-epsilon and kappa-omega models. However, certain differences in the hysteresis effects are observed. For an untripped high-Reynolds-number flow, it was found necessary to take into account the leading-edge transitional flow region to capture the correct physical mechanism that leads to dynamic stall.

Flow control of micro-ramps on supersonic forward-facing step flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qing-Hu, Zhang; Tao, Zhu; Shihe, Yi; Anping, Wu

2016-05-01

The effects of the micro-ramps on supersonic turbulent flow over a forward-facing step (FFS) was experimentally investigated in a supersonic low-noise wind tunnel at Mach number 3 using nano-tracer planar laser scattering (NPLS) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques. High spatiotemporal resolution images and velocity fields of supersonic flow over the testing model were captured. The fine structures and their spatial evolutionary characteristics without and with the micro-ramps were revealed and compared. The large-scale structures generated by the micro-ramps can survive the downstream FFS flowfield. The micro-ramps control on the flow separation and the separation shock unsteadiness was investigated by PIV results. With the micro-ramps, the reduction in the range of the reversal flow zone in streamwise direction is 50% and the turbulence intensity is also reduced. Moreover, the reduction in the average separated region and in separation shock unsteadiness are 47% and 26%, respectively. The results indicate that the micro-ramps are effective in reducing the flow separation and the separation shock unsteadiness. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11172326 and 11502280).

Full equations utilities (FEQUTL) model for the approximation of hydraulic characteristics of open channels and control structures during unsteady flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Franz, Delbert D.; Melching, Charles S.

1997-01-01

The Full EQuations UTiLities (FEQUTL) model is a computer program for computation of tables that list the hydraulic characteristics of open channels and control structures as a function of upstream and downstream depths; these tables facilitate the simulation of unsteady flow in a stream system with the Full Equations (FEQ) model. Simulation of unsteady flow requires many iterations for each time period computed. Thus, computation of hydraulic characteristics during the simulations is impractical, and preparation of function tables and application of table look-up procedures facilitates simulation of unsteady flow. Three general types of function tables are computed: one-dimensional tables that relate hydraulic characteristics to upstream flow depth, two-dimensional tables that relate flow through control structures to upstream and downstream flow depth, and three-dimensional tables that relate flow through gated structures to upstream and downstream flow depth and gate setting. For open-channel reaches, six types of one-dimensional function tables contain different combinations of the top width of flow, area, first moment of area with respect to the water surface, conveyance, flux coefficients, and correction coefficients for channel curvilinearity. For hydraulic control structures, one type of one-dimensional function table contains relations between flow and upstream depth, and two types of two-dimensional function tables contain relations among flow and upstream and downstream flow depths. For hydraulic control structures with gates, a three-dimensional function table lists the system of two-dimensional tables that contain the relations among flow and upstream and downstream flow depths that correspond to different gate openings. Hydraulic control structures for which function tables containing flow relations are prepared in FEQUTL include expansions, contractions, bridges, culverts, embankments, weirs, closed conduits (circular, rectangular, and pipe-arch shapes), dam failures, floodways, and underflow gates (sluice and tainter gates). The theory for computation of the hydraulic characteristics is presented for open channels and for each hydraulic control structure. For the hydraulic control structures, the theory is developed from the results of experimental tests of flow through the structure for different upstream and downstream flow depths. These tests were done to describe flow hydraulics for a single, steady-flow design condition and, thus, do not provide complete information on flow transitions (for example, between free- and submerged-weir flow) that may result in simulation of unsteady flow. Therefore, new procedures are developed to approximate the hydraulics of flow transitions for culverts, embankments, weirs, and underflow gates.

Turbulence model sensitivity and scour gap effect of unsteady flow around pipe: a CFD study.

PubMed

Ali, Abbod; Sharma, R K; Ganesan, P; Akib, Shatirah

2014-01-01

A numerical investigation of incompressible and transient flow around circular pipe has been carried out at different five gap phases. Flow equations such as Navier-Stokes and continuity equations have been solved using finite volume method. Unsteady horizontal velocity and kinetic energy square root profiles are plotted using different turbulence models and their sensitivity is checked against published experimental results. Flow parameters such as horizontal velocity under pipe, pressure coefficient, wall shear stress, drag coefficient, and lift coefficient are studied and presented graphically to investigate the flow behavior around an immovable pipe and scoured bed.

The development of laser speckle velocimetry for the study of vortical flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krothapalli, A.

1991-01-01

A research program was undertaken to develop a new experimental technique commonly known as particle image displacement velocity (PIVD) to measure an instantaneous two dimensional velocity field in a selected plane of flow field. This technique was successfully developed and applied to the study of several aerodynamic problems. A detailed description of the technique and a broad review of all the research activity carried out in this field are reported. A list of technical publications is also provided. The application of PIDV to unsteady flows with large scale structures is demonstrated in a study of the temporal evolution of the flow past an impulsively started circular cylinder. The instantaneous two dimensional flow in the transition region of a rectangular air jet was measured using PIDV and the details are presented. This experiment clearly demonstrates the PIDV capability in the measurement of turbulent flows. Preliminary experiments were also conducted to measure the instantaneous flow over a circular bump in a transonic flow. Several other experiments now routinely use PIDV as a non-intrustive measurement technique to obtain instantaneous two dimensional velocity fields.

A Comparison of Hybrid Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes/Large Eddy Simulation (RANS/LES) and Unsteady RANS Predictions of Separated Flow for a Variable Speed Power Turbine Blade Operating with Low Inlet Turbulence Levels

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

Facility is a large-scale cascade that allows detailed flow field surveys and blade surface measurements.10–12 The facility has a continuous run ...structured grids at 2 flow conditions, cruise and takeoff, of the VSPT blade . Computations were run in parallel on a Department of Defense...RANS/LES) and Unsteady RANS Predictions of Separated Flow for a Variable-Speed Power- Turbine Blade Operating with Low Inlet Turbulence Levels

Stability of an oscillating boundary layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levchenko, V. Y.; Solovyev, A. S.

1985-01-01

Levchenko and Solov'ev (1972, 1974) have developed a stability theory for space periodic flows, assuming that the Floquet theory is applicable to partial differential equations. In the present paper, this approach is extended to unsteady periodic flows. A complete unsteady formulation of the stability problem is obtained, and the stability characteristics over an oscillating period are determined from the solution of the problem. Calculations carried out for an oscillating incompressible boundary layer on a plate showed that the boundary layer flow may be regarded as a locally parallel flow.

Penn State axial flow turbine facility: Performance and nozzle flow field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lakshminarayana, B.; Zaccaria, M.; Itoh, S.

1991-01-01

The objective is to gain a thorough understanding of the flow field in a turbine stage including three-dimensional inviscid and viscid effects, unsteady flow field, rotor-stator interaction effects, unsteady blade pressures, shear stress, and velocity field in rotor passages. The performance of the turbine facility at the design condition is measured and compared with the design distribution. The data on the nozzle vane static pressure and wake characteristics are presented and interpreted. The wakes are found to be highly three-dimensional, with substantial radial inward velocity at most spanwise locations.

Mass conservation: 1-D open channel flow equations

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeLong, Lewis L.

1989-01-01

Unsteady flow simulation in natural rivers is often complicated by meandering channels of compound section. Hydraulic properties and the length of the wetted channel may vary significantly as a meandering river inundates its adjacent floodplain. The one-dimensional, unsteady, open-channel flow equations can be extended to simulate floods in channels of compound section. It will be shown that equations derived from the addition of differential equations individually describing flow in main and overbank channels do not in general conserve mass when overbank and main channels are of different lengths.

Characterization of Unsteady Flow Structures Around Tandem Cylinders for Component Interaction Studies in Airframe Noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, Luther N.; Khorrami, Mehdi R.; Choudhari, Meelan M.; McGinley, Catherine B.

2005-01-01

A joint computational and experimental study has been performed at NASA Langley Research Center to investigate the unsteady flow generated by the components of an aircraft landing gear system. Because the flow field surrounding a full landing gear is so complex, the study was conducted on a simplified geometry consisting of two cylinders in tandem arrangement to isolate and characterize the pertinent flow phenomena. This paper focuses on the experimental effort where surface pressures, 2-D Particle Image Velocimetry, and hot-wire anemometry were used to document the flow interaction around the two cylinders at a Reynolds Number of 1.66 x 10(exp 5), based on cylinder diameter, and cylinder spacing-todiameter ratios, L/D, of 1.435 and 3.70. Transition strips were applied to the forward cylinder to produce a turbulent boundary layer upstream of the flow separation. For these flow conditions and L/D ratios, surface pressures on both the forward and rear cylinders show the effects of L/D on flow symmetry, base pressure, and the location of flow separation and attachment. Mean velocities and instantaneous vorticity obtained from the PIV data are used to examine the flow structure between and aft of the cylinders. Shedding frequencies and spectra obtained using hot-wire anemometry are presented. These results are compared with unsteady, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) computations for the same configuration in a companion paper by Khorrami, Choudhari, Jenkins, and McGinley (2005). The experimental dataset produced in this study provides information to better understand the mechanisms associated with component interaction noise, develop and validate time-accurate computer methods used to calculate the unsteady flow field, and assist in modeling of the radiated noise from landing gears.

An Experimental and Computational Investigation of Oscillating Airfoil Unsteady Aerodynamics at Large Mean Incidence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Capece, Vincent R.; Platzer, Max F.

2003-01-01

A major challenge in the design and development of turbomachine airfoils for gas turbine engines is high cycle fatigue failures due to flutter and aerodynamically induced forced vibrations. In order to predict the aeroelastic response of gas turbine airfoils early in the design phase, accurate unsteady aerodynamic models are required. However, accurate predictions of flutter and forced vibration stress at all operating conditions have remained elusive. The overall objectives of this research program are to develop a transition model suitable for unsteady separated flow and quantify the effects of transition on airfoil steady and unsteady aerodynamics for attached and separated flow using this model. Furthermore, the capability of current state-of-the-art unsteady aerodynamic models to predict the oscillating airfoil response of compressor airfoils over a range of realistic reduced frequencies, Mach numbers, and loading levels will be evaluated through correlation with benchmark data. This comprehensive evaluation will assess the assumptions used in unsteady aerodynamic models. The results of this evaluation can be used to direct improvement of current models and the development of future models. The transition modeling effort will also make strides in improving predictions of steady flow performance of fan and compressor blades at off-design conditions. This report summarizes the progress and results obtained in the first year of this program. These include: installation and verification of the operation of the parallel version of TURBO; the grid generation and initiation of steady flow simulations of the NASA/Pratt&Whitney airfoil at a Mach number of 0.5 and chordal incidence angles of 0 and 10 deg.; and the investigation of the prediction of laminar separation bubbles on a NACA 0012 airfoil.

Generalized Knudsen Number for Unsteady Fluid Flow.

PubMed

Kara, V; Yakhot, V; Ekinci, K L

2017-02-17

We explore the scaling behavior of an unsteady flow that is generated by an oscillating body of finite size in a gas. If the gas is gradually rarefied, the Navier-Stokes equations begin to fail and a kinetic description of the flow becomes more appropriate. The failure of the Navier-Stokes equations can be thought to take place via two different physical mechanisms: either the continuum hypothesis breaks down as a result of a finite size effect or local equilibrium is violated due to the high rate of strain. By independently tuning the relevant linear dimension and the frequency of the oscillating body, we can experimentally observe these two different physical mechanisms. All the experimental data, however, can be collapsed using a single dimensionless scaling parameter that combines the relevant linear dimension and the frequency of the body. This proposed Knudsen number for an unsteady flow is rooted in a fundamental symmetry principle, namely, Galilean invariance.

Generalized Knudsen Number for Unsteady Fluid Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kara, V.; Yakhot, V.; Ekinci, K. L.

2017-02-01

We explore the scaling behavior of an unsteady flow that is generated by an oscillating body of finite size in a gas. If the gas is gradually rarefied, the Navier-Stokes equations begin to fail and a kinetic description of the flow becomes more appropriate. The failure of the Navier-Stokes equations can be thought to take place via two different physical mechanisms: either the continuum hypothesis breaks down as a result of a finite size effect or local equilibrium is violated due to the high rate of strain. By independently tuning the relevant linear dimension and the frequency of the oscillating body, we can experimentally observe these two different physical mechanisms. All the experimental data, however, can be collapsed using a single dimensionless scaling parameter that combines the relevant linear dimension and the frequency of the body. This proposed Knudsen number for an unsteady flow is rooted in a fundamental symmetry principle, namely, Galilean invariance.

Unsteady jet flow computation towards noise prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soh, Woo-Yung

1994-01-01

An attempt has been made to combine a wave solution method and an unsteady flow computation to produce an integrated aeroacoustic code to predict far-field jet noise. An axisymmetric subsonic jet is considered for this purpose. A fourth order space accurate Pade compact scheme is used for the unsteady Navier-Stokes solution. A Kirchhoff surface integral for the wave equation is employed through the use of an imaginary surface which is a circular cylinder enclosing the jet at a distance. Information such as pressure and its time and normal derivatives is provided on the surface. The sound prediction is performed side by side with the jet flow computation. Retarded time is also taken into consideration since the cylinder body is not acoustically compact. The far-field sound pressure has the directivity and spectra show that low frequency peaks shift toward higher frequency region as the observation angle increases from the jet flow axis.

Unsteady separation and vortex shedding from a laminar separation bubble over a bluff body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, S. P.; Srinivasan, U.; Arakeri, J. H.

2013-07-01

Boundary layers are subject to favorable and adverse pressure gradients because of both the temporal and spatial components of the pressure gradient. The adverse pressure gradient may cause the flow to separate. In a closed loop unsteady tunnel we have studied the initiation of separation in unsteady flow past a constriction (bluff body) in a channel. We have proposed two important scalings for the time when boundary layer separates. One is based on the local pressure gradient and the other is a convective time scale based on boundary layer parameters. The flow visualization using a dye injection technique shows the flow structure past the body. Nondimensional shedding frequency (Strouhal number) is calculated based on boundary layer and momentum thicknesses. Strouhal number based on the momentum thickness shows a close agreement with that for flat plate and circular cylinder.

Procedures for the computation of unsteady transonic flows including viscous effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rizzetta, D. P.

1982-01-01

Modifications of the code LTRAN2, developed by Ballhaus and Goorjian, which account for viscous effects in the computation of planar unsteady transonic flows are presented. Two models are considered and their theoretical development and numerical implementation is discussed. Computational examples employing both models are compared with inviscid solutions and with experimental data. Use of the modified code is described.

The Chimera Method of Simulation for Unsteady Three-Dimensional Viscous Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meakin, Robert L.

1996-01-01

The Chimera overset grid method is reviewed and discussed in the context of a method of solution and analysis of unsteady three-dimensional viscous flows. The state of maturity of the various pieces of support software required to use the approach is discussed. A variety of recent applications of the method is presented. Current limitations of the approach are defined.

Improved Flux Formulations for Unsteady Low Mach Number Flows

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

challenging problem since it requires the resolution of disparate time scales. Unsteady effects may arise from a combination of hydrodynamic effects...Many practical applications including rotorcraft flows, jets and shear layers include a combination of both acoustic and hydrodynamic effects...are computed independently as scalar formulations thus making it possible to independently tailor the dissipation for hydrodynamic and acoustic

Finite Element Solution of Unsteady Mixed Convection Flow of Micropolar Fluid over a Porous Shrinking Sheet

PubMed Central

Gupta, Diksha; Singh, Bani

2014-01-01

The objective of this investigation is to analyze the effect of unsteadiness on the mixed convection boundary layer flow of micropolar fluid over a permeable shrinking sheet in the presence of viscous dissipation. At the sheet a variable distribution of suction is assumed. The unsteadiness in the flow and temperature fields is caused by the time dependence of the shrinking velocity and surface temperature. With the aid of similarity transformations, the governing partial differential equations are transformed into a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, which are solved numerically, using variational finite element method. The influence of important physical parameters, namely, suction parameter, unsteadiness parameter, buoyancy parameter and Eckert number on the velocity, microrotation, and temperature functions is investigated and analyzed with the help of their graphical representations. Additionally skin friction and the rate of heat transfer have also been computed. Under special conditions, an exact solution for the flow velocity is compared with the numerical results obtained by finite element method. An excellent agreement is observed for the two sets of solutions. Furthermore, to verify the convergence of numerical results, calculations are conducted with increasing number of elements. PMID:24672310

Rapid Aeroelastic Analysis of Blade Flutter in Turbomachines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trudell, J. J.; Mehmed, O.; Stefko, G. L.; Bakhle, M. A.; Reddy, T. S. R.; Montgomery, M.; Verdon, J.

2006-01-01

The LINFLUX-AE computer code predicts flutter and forced responses of blades and vanes in turbomachines under subsonic, transonic, and supersonic flow conditions. The code solves the Euler equations of unsteady flow in a blade passage under the assumption that the blades vibrate harmonically at small amplitudes. The steady-state nonlinear Euler equations are solved by a separate program, then equations for unsteady flow components are obtained through linearization around the steady-state solution. A structural-dynamics analysis (see figure) is performed to determine the frequencies and mode shapes of blade vibrations, a preprocessor interpolates mode shapes from the structural-dynamics mesh onto the LINFLUX computational-fluid-dynamics mesh, and an interface code is used to convert the steady-state flow solution to a form required by LINFLUX. Then LINFLUX solves the linearized equations in the frequency domain to calculate the unsteady aerodynamic pressure distribution for a given vibration mode, frequency, and interblade phase angle. A post-processor uses the unsteady pressures to calculate generalized aerodynamic forces, response amplitudes, and eigenvalues (which determine the flutter frequency and damping). In comparison with the TURBO-AE aeroelastic-analysis code, which solves the equations in the time domain, LINFLUX-AE is 6 to 7 times faster.

Application of Linear and Non-Linear Harmonic Methods for Unsteady Transonic Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gundevia, Rayomand

This thesis explores linear and non-linear computational methods for solving unsteady flow. The eventual goal is to apply these methods to two-dimensional and three-dimensional flutter predictions. In this study the quasi-one-dimensional nozzle is used as a framework for understanding these methods and their limitations. Subsonic and transonic cases are explored as the back-pressure is forced to oscillate with known amplitude and frequency. A steady harmonic approach is used to solve this unsteady problem for which perturbations are said to be small in comparison to the mean flow. The use of a linearized Euler equations (LEE) scheme is good at capturing the flow characteristics but is limited by accuracy to relatively small amplitude perturbations. The introduction of time-averaged second-order terms in the Non-Linear Harmonic (NLH) method means that a better approximation of the mean-valued solution, upon which the linearization is based, can be made. The nonlinear time-accurate Euler solutions are used for comparison and to establish the regimes of unsteadiness for which these schemes fails. The usefulness of the LEE and NLH methods lie in the gains in computational efficiency over the full equations.

Experimental and numerical studies of beetle-inspired flapping wing in hovering flight.

PubMed

Van Truong, Tien; Le, Tuyen Quang; Park, Hoon Cheol; Byun, Doyoung

2017-05-17

In this paper, we measure unsteady forces and visualize 3D vortices around a beetle-like flapping wing model in hovering flight by experiment and numerical simulation. The measurement of unsteady forces and flow patterns around the wing were conducted using a dynamically scaled wing model in the mineral-oil tank. The wing kinematics were directly derived from the experiment of a real beetle. The 3D flow structures of the flapping wing were captured by using air bubble visualization while forces were measured by a sensor attached at the wing base. In comparison, the size and topology of spiral leading edge vortex, trailing edge vortex and tip vortex are well matched from experimental and numerical studies. In addition, the time history of forces calculated from numerical simulation is also similar to that from theforce measurement. A difference of average force is in order of 10 percent. The results indicate that the leading edge vortex due to rotational acceleration at the end of the stroke during flapping wing causes significant reduction of lift. The present study provides useful information on hover flight to develop a beetle-like flapping wing Micro Air Vehicle.

Unsteady Flow in Different Atmospheric Boundary Layer Regimes and Its Impact on Wind-Turbine Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gohari, Iman; Korobenko, Artem; Yan, Jinhui; Bazilevs, Yuri; Sarkar, Sutanu

2016-11-01

Wind is a renewable energy resource that offers several advantages including low pollutant emission and inexpensive construction. Wind turbines operate in conditions dictated by the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) and that motivates the study of coupling ABL simulations with wind turbine dynamics. The ABL simulations can be used for realistic modeling of the environment which, with the use of fluid-structure interaction, can give realistic predictions of extracted power, rotor loading, and blade structural response. The ABL simulations provide inflow boundary conditions to the wind-turbine simulator which uses arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian variational multiscale formulation. In the present work, ABL simulations are performed to examine two different scenarios: (i) A neutral ABL with zero heat-flux and inversion layer at 350m, in which the wind turbine experiences maximum mean shear; (2) A shallow ABL with the surface cooling-rate of -1 K/hr, in which the wind turbine experiences maximum mean velocity at the low-level-jet nose height. We will discuss differences in the unsteady flow between the two different ABL conditions and their impact on the performance of the wind turbine cluster in the coupled ABL-wind turbine simulations.

An Eulerian time filtering technique to study large-scale transient flow phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanierschot, Maarten; Persoons, Tim; van den Bulck, Eric

2009-10-01

Unsteady fluctuating velocity fields can contain large-scale periodic motions with frequencies well separated from those of turbulence. Examples are the wake behind a cylinder or the processing vortex core in a swirling jet. These turbulent flow fields contain large-scale, low-frequency oscillations, which are obscured by turbulence, making it impossible to identify them. In this paper, we present an Eulerian time filtering (ETF) technique to extract the large-scale motions from unsteady statistical non-stationary velocity fields or flow fields with multiple phenomena that have sufficiently separated spectral content. The ETF method is based on non-causal time filtering of the velocity records in each point of the flow field. It is shown that the ETF technique gives good results, similar to the ones obtained by the phase-averaging method. In this paper, not only the influence of the temporal filter is checked, but also parameters such as the cut-off frequency and sampling frequency of the data are investigated. The technique is validated on a selected set of time-resolved stereoscopic particle image velocimetry measurements such as the initial region of an annular jet and the transition between flow patterns in an annular jet. The major advantage of the ETF method in the extraction of large scales is that it is computationally less expensive and it requires less measurement time compared to other extraction methods. Therefore, the technique is suitable in the startup phase of an experiment or in a measurement campaign where several experiments are needed such as parametric studies.

Implementation of unsteady sampling procedures for the parallel direct simulation Monte Carlo method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cave, H. M.; Tseng, K.-C.; Wu, J.-S.; Jermy, M. C.; Huang, J.-C.; Krumdieck, S. P.

2008-06-01

An unsteady sampling routine for a general parallel direct simulation Monte Carlo method called PDSC is introduced, allowing the simulation of time-dependent flow problems in the near continuum range. A post-processing procedure called DSMC rapid ensemble averaging method (DREAM) is developed to improve the statistical scatter in the results while minimising both memory and simulation time. This method builds an ensemble average of repeated runs over small number of sampling intervals prior to the sampling point of interest by restarting the flow using either a Maxwellian distribution based on macroscopic properties for near equilibrium flows (DREAM-I) or output instantaneous particle data obtained by the original unsteady sampling of PDSC for strongly non-equilibrium flows (DREAM-II). The method is validated by simulating shock tube flow and the development of simple Couette flow. Unsteady PDSC is found to accurately predict the flow field in both cases with significantly reduced run-times over single processor code and DREAM greatly reduces the statistical scatter in the results while maintaining accurate particle velocity distributions. Simulations are then conducted of two applications involving the interaction of shocks over wedges. The results of these simulations are compared to experimental data and simulations from the literature where there these are available. In general, it was found that 10 ensembled runs of DREAM processing could reduce the statistical uncertainty in the raw PDSC data by 2.5-3.3 times, based on the limited number of cases in the present study.

Experimental calibration and validation of sewer/surface flow exchange equations in steady and unsteady flow conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubinato, Matteo; Martins, Ricardo; Kesserwani, Georges; Leandro, Jorge; Djordjević, Slobodan; Shucksmith, James

2017-09-01

The linkage between sewer pipe flow and floodplain flow is recognised to induce an important source of uncertainty within two-dimensional (2D) urban flood models. This uncertainty is often attributed to the use of empirical hydraulic formulae (the one-dimensional (1D) weir and orifice steady flow equations) to achieve data-connectivity at the linking interface, which require the determination of discharge coefficients. Because of the paucity of high resolution localised data for this type of flows, the current understanding and quantification of a suitable range for those discharge coefficients is somewhat lacking. To fulfil this gap, this work presents the results acquired from an instrumented physical model designed to study the interaction between a pipe network flow and a floodplain flow. The full range of sewer-to-surface and surface-to-sewer flow conditions at the exchange zone are experimentally analysed in both steady and unsteady flow regimes. Steady state measured discharges are first analysed considering the relationship between the energy heads from the sewer flow and the floodplain flow; these results show that existing weir and orifice formulae are valid for describing the flow exchange for the present physical model, and yield new calibrated discharge coefficients for each of the flow conditions. The measured exchange discharges are also integrated (as a source term) within a 2D numerical flood model (a finite volume solver to the 2D Shallow Water Equations (SWE)), which is shown to reproduce the observed coefficients. This calibrated numerical model is then used to simulate a series of unsteady flow tests reproduced within the experimental facility. Results show that the numerical model overestimated the values of mean surcharge flow rate. This suggests the occurrence of additional head losses in unsteady conditions which are not currently accounted for within flood models calibrated in steady flow conditions.

Documentation and Control of Flow Separation on a Low Pressure Turbine Linear Cascade of Pak-B Blades Using Plasma Actuators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corke, Thomas c.; Thomas, FLint, O.; Huang, Junhui

2007-01-01

This work involved the documentation and control of flow separation that occurs over low pressure turbine (LPT) blades at low Reynolds numbers. A specially constructed linear cascade was utilized to study the flow field over a generic LPT cascade consisting of Pratt & Whitney "Pak-B" shaped blades. Flow visualization, surface pressure measurements, LDV measurements, and hot-wire anemometry were conducted to examine the flow fields with and without separation control. Experimental conditions were chosen to give a range of chord Reynolds numbers (based on axial chord and inlet velocity) from 10,000 to 100,000, and a range of freestream turbulence intensities from u'/U(infinity) = 0.08 to 2.85 percent. The blade pressure distributions were measured and used to identify the region of separation that depends on Reynolds number and the turbulence intensity. Separation control was performed using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators. Both steady and unsteady actuation were implemented and found to work well. The comparison between the steady and unsteady actuators showed that the unsteady actuators worked better than the steady ones. For the steady actuators, it was found that the separated region is significantly reduced. For the unsteady actuators, where the signal was pulsed, the separation was eliminated. The total pressure losses (a low Reynolds number) was reduced by approximately a factor of two. It was also found that lowest plasma duty cycle (10 percent in this work) was as effective as the highest plasma duty cycle (50 percent in this work). The mechanisms of the steady and unsteady plasma actuators were studied. It was suggested by the experimental results that the mechanism for the steady actuators is turbulence tripping, while the mechanism for the unsteady actuators is to generate a train of spanwise structures that promote mixing.

Computational aspects of unsteady flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cebeci, T.; Carr, L. W.; Khattab, A. A.; Schimke, S. M.

1985-01-01

The calculation of unsteady flows and the development of numerical methods for solving unsteady boundary layer equations and their application to the flows around important configurations such as oscillating airfoils are presented. A brief review of recent work is provided with emphasis on the need for numerical methods which can overcome possible problems associated with flow reversal and separation. The zig-zag and characteristic box schemes are described in this context, and when embodied in a method which permits interaction between solutions of inviscid and viscous equations, the characteristic box scheme is shown to avoid the singularity associated with boundary layer equations and prescribed pressure gradient. Calculations were performed for a cylinder started impulsively from rest and oscillating airfoils. The results are presented and discussed. It is conlcuded that turbulence models based on an algebraic specification of eddy viscosity can be adequate, that location of translation is important to the calculation of the location of flow separation and, therefore, to the overall lift of an oscillating airfoil.

Solution of 3-dimensional time-dependent viscous flows. Part 3: Application to turbulent and unsteady flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberg, B. C.; Mcdonald, H.

1982-01-01

A numerical scheme is developed for solving the time dependent, three dimensional compressible viscous flow equations to be used as an aid in the design of helicopter rotors. In order to further investigate the numerical procedure, the computer code developed to solve an approximate form of the three dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes equations employing a linearized block implicit technique in conjunction with a QR operator scheme is tested. Results of calculations are presented for several two dimensional boundary layer flows including steady turbulent and unsteady laminar cases. A comparison of fourth order and second order solutions indicate that increased accuracy can be obtained without any significant increases in cost (run time). The results of the computations also indicate that the computer code can be applied to more complex flows such as those encountered on rotating airfoils. The geometry of a symmetric NACA four digit airfoil is considered and the appropriate geometrical properties are computed.

Critical review of the trailing edge condition in steady and unsteady flow. Blade flutter in compressors and fans: Numerical simulation of the aerodynamic loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Radwan, S. F.; Rockwell, D. O.; Johnson, S. H.

1982-01-01

Existing interpretations of the trailing edge condition, addressing both theoretical and experimental works in steady, as well as unsteady flows are critically reviewed. The work of Kutta and Joukowski on the trailing edge condition in steady flow is reviewed. It is shown that for most practical airfoils and blades (as in the case of most turbomachine blades), this condition is violated due to rounded trailing edges and high frequency effects, the flow dynamics in the trailing edge region being dominated by viscous forces; therefore, any meaningful modelling must include viscous effects. The question of to what extent the trailing edge condition affects acoustic radiation from the edge is raised; it is found that violation of the trailing edge condition leads to significant sound diffraction at the tailing edge, which is related to the problem of noise generation. Finally, various trailing edge conditions in unsteady flow are discussed, with emphasis on high reduced frequencies.

Comparison of pitch rate history effects on dynamic stall

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandrasekhara, M. S.; Carr, Lawrence W.; Ahmed, S.

1992-01-01

Dynamic stall of an airfoil is a classic case of forced unsteady separated flow. Flow separation is brought about by large incidences introduced by the large amplitude unsteady pitching motion of an airfoil. One of the parameters that affects the dynamic stall process is the history of the unsteady motion. In addition, the problem is complicated by the effects of compressibility that rapidly appear over the airfoil even at low Mach numbers at moderately high angles of attack. Consequently, it is of interest to know the effects of pitch rate history on the dynamic stall process. This abstract compares the results of a flow visualization study of the problem with two different pitch rate histories, namely, oscillating airfoil motion and a linear change in the angle of attack due to a transient pitching motion.

Prediction of unsteady transonic flow around missile configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nixon, D.; Reisenthel, P. H.; Torres, T. O.; Klopfer, G. H.

1990-01-01

This paper describes the preliminary development of a method for predicting the unsteady transonic flow around missiles at transonic and supersonic speeds, with the final goal of developing a computer code for use in aeroelastic calculations or during maneuvers. The basic equations derived for this method are an extension of those derived by Klopfer and Nixon (1989) for steady flow and are a subset of the Euler equations. In this approach, the five Euler equations are reduced to an equation similar to the three-dimensional unsteady potential equation, and a two-dimensional Poisson equation. In addition, one of the equations in this method is almost identical to the potential equation for which there are well tested computer codes, allowing the development of a prediction method based in part on proved technology.

Response of Metal Core Piezoelectric Fibers to Unsteady Airflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, J. H.; Ji, H. L.; Zhu, K. J.; Park, M. J.

In the previous study, possible applications of metal core piezoelectric fibers with a diameter of 200 to 250 µm as bionic airflow sensors mimicking the flow sensitive receptor hairs of crickets have been proposed. This study aims to investigate the dynamic responses of the metal core piezoelectric fibers to unsteady airflow. The metal core piezoelectric fiber is half coated on the outer surface and is used in the bending mode. Wind tunnel tests were carried out and the output voltage of the fiber under the excitation of the unsteady aerodynamic force during flow acceleration and deceleration was measured when the wind tunnel was suddenly closed or opened by a shutter. The relationship between the maximum voltage and the steady-state velocity and that between the voltage and the acceleration of flow were also obtained.

Experimental measurements of unsteady turbulent boundary layers near separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, R. L.

1982-01-01

Investigations conducted to document the behavior of turbulent boundary layers on flat surfaces that separate due to adverse pressure gradients are reported. Laser and hot wire anemometers measured turbulence and flow structure of a steady free stream separating turbulent boundary layer produced on the flow of a wind tunnel section. The effects of sinusoidal and unsteadiness of the free stream velocity on this separating turbulent boundary layer at a reduced frequency were determined. A friction gage and a thermal tuft were developed and used to measure the surface skin friction and the near wall fraction of time the flow moves downstream for several cases. Abstracts are provided of several articles which discuss the effects of the periodic free stream unsteadiness on the structure or separating turbulent boundary layers.

A rigorous solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for unsteady viscous flow at high Reynolds numbers around oscillating airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bratanow, T.; Aksu, H.; Spehert, T.

1975-01-01

A method based on the Navier-Stokes equations was developed for analyzing the unsteady incompressible viscous flow around oscillating airfoils at high Reynolds numbers. The Navier-Stokes equations have been integrated in their classical Helmholtz vorticity transport equation form, and the instantaneous velocity field at each time step was determined by the solution of Poisson's equation. A refined finite element was utilized to allow for a conformable solution of the stream function and its first space derivatives at the element interfaces. A corresponding set of accurate boundary conditions was applied; thus obtaining a rigorous solution for the velocity field. The details of the computational procedure and examples of computed results describing the unsteady flow characteristics around the airfoil are presented.

Software Aids Visualization of Computed Unsteady Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, David; Kenwright, David

2003-01-01

Unsteady Flow Analysis Toolkit (UFAT) is a computer program that synthesizes motions of time-dependent flows represented by very large sets of data generated in computational fluid dynamics simulations. Prior to the development of UFAT, it was necessary to rely on static, single-snapshot depictions of time-dependent flows generated by flow-visualization software designed for steady flows. Whereas it typically takes weeks to analyze the results of a largescale unsteady-flow simulation by use of steady-flow visualization software, the analysis time is reduced to hours when UFAT is used. UFAT can be used to generate graphical objects of flow visualization results using multi-block curvilinear grids in the format of a previously developed NASA data-visualization program, PLOT3D. These graphical objects can be rendered using FAST, another popular flow visualization software developed at NASA. Flow-visualization techniques that can be exploited by use of UFAT include time-dependent tracking of particles, detection of vortex cores, extractions of stream ribbons and surfaces, and tetrahedral decomposition for optimal particle tracking. Unique computational features of UFAT include capabilities for automatic (batch) processing, restart, memory mapping, and parallel processing. These capabilities significantly reduce analysis time and storage requirements, relative to those of prior flow-visualization software. UFAT can be executed on a variety of supercomputers.

Unsteady aerodynamic analysis of space shuttle vehicles. Part 2: Steady and unsteady aerodynamics of sharp-edged delta wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ericsson, L. E.; Reding, J. P.

1973-01-01

An analysis of the steady and unsteady aerodynamics of sharp-edged slender wings has been performed. The results show that slender wing theory can be modified to give the potential flow static and dynamic characteristics in incompressible flow. A semiempirical approximation is developed for the vortex-induced loads, and it is shown that the analytic approximation for sharp-edged slender wings gives good prediction of experimentally determined steady and unsteady aerodynamics at M = 0 and M = 1. The predictions are good not only for delta wings but also for so-called arrow and diamond wings. The results indicate that the effects of delta planform lifting surfaces can be included in a simple manner when determining elastic launch vehicle dynamic characteristics. For Part 1 see (N73-32763).

A numerical method for solving the 3D unsteady incompressible Navier Stokes equations in curvilinear domains with complex immersed boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Liang; Sotiropoulos, Fotis

2007-08-01

A novel numerical method is developed that integrates boundary-conforming grids with a sharp interface, immersed boundary methodology. The method is intended for simulating internal flows containing complex, moving immersed boundaries such as those encountered in several cardiovascular applications. The background domain (e.g. the empty aorta) is discretized efficiently with a curvilinear boundary-fitted mesh while the complex moving immersed boundary (say a prosthetic heart valve) is treated with the sharp-interface, hybrid Cartesian/immersed-boundary approach of Gilmanov and Sotiropoulos [A. Gilmanov, F. Sotiropoulos, A hybrid cartesian/immersed boundary method for simulating flows with 3d, geometrically complex, moving bodies, Journal of Computational Physics 207 (2005) 457-492.]. To facilitate the implementation of this novel modeling paradigm in complex flow simulations, an accurate and efficient numerical method is developed for solving the unsteady, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in generalized curvilinear coordinates. The method employs a novel, fully-curvilinear staggered grid discretization approach, which does not require either the explicit evaluation of the Christoffel symbols or the discretization of all three momentum equations at cell interfaces as done in previous formulations. The equations are integrated in time using an efficient, second-order accurate fractional step methodology coupled with a Jacobian-free, Newton-Krylov solver for the momentum equations and a GMRES solver enhanced with multigrid as preconditioner for the Poisson equation. Several numerical experiments are carried out on fine computational meshes to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method for standard benchmark problems as well as for unsteady, pulsatile flow through a curved, pipe bend. To demonstrate the ability of the method to simulate flows with complex, moving immersed boundaries we apply it to calculate pulsatile, physiological flow through a mechanical, bileaflet heart valve mounted in a model straight aorta with an anatomical-like triple sinus.

Finite difference methods for the solution of unsteady potential flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caradonna, F. X.

1982-01-01

Various problems which are confronted in the development of an unsteady finite difference potential code are reviewed mainly in the context of what is done for a typical small disturbance and full potential method. The issues discussed include choice of equations, linearization and conservation, differencing schemes, and algorithm development. A number of applications, including unsteady three dimensional rotor calculations, are demonstrated.

On the Unsteady Shock Wave Interaction with a Backward-Facing Step: Viscous Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, N.; Bowersox, R. D. W.

Unsteady shock propagation through ducts with varying cross-sectional area occurs in many engineering applications, such as explosions in underground tunnels, blast shelter design, engine exhaust systems, and high-speed propulsion systems. These complex, transient flows are rich in fundamental fluid-dynamic phenomena and are excellent testbeds for improving our understanding of unsteady fluid dynamics

A New Unsteady Model for Dense Cloud Cavitation in Cryogenic Fluids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hosangadi, Ashvin; Ahuja, Vineet

2005-01-01

Contents include the following: Background on thermal effects in cavitation. Physical properties of hydrogen. Multi-phase cavitation with thermal effect. Solution procedure. Cavitation model overview. Cavitation source terms. New cavitation model. Source term for bubble growth. One equation les model. Unsteady ogive simulations: liquid nitrogen. Unsteady incompressible flow in a pipe. Time averaged cavity length for NACA15 flowfield.

Unsteady bio-fluid dynamics in flying and swimming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hao; Kolomenskiy, Dmitry; Nakata, Toshiyuki; Li, Gen

2017-08-01

Flying and swimming in nature present sophisticated and exciting ventures in biomimetics, which seeks sustainable solutions and solves practical problems by emulating nature's time-tested patterns, functions, and strategies. Bio-fluids in insect and bird flight, as well as in fish swimming are highly dynamic and unsteady; however, they have been studied mostly with a focus on the phenomena associated with a body or wings moving in a steady flow. Characterized by unsteady wing flapping and body undulation, fluid-structure interactions, flexible wings and bodies, turbulent environments, and complex maneuver, bio-fluid dynamics normally have challenges associated with low Reynolds number regime and high unsteadiness in modeling and analysis of flow physics. In this article, we review and highlight recent advances in unsteady bio-fluid dynamics in terms of leading-edge vortices, passive mechanisms in flexible wings and hinges, flapping flight in unsteady environments, and micro-structured aerodynamics in flapping flight, as well as undulatory swimming, flapping-fin hydrodynamics, body-fin interaction, C-start and maneuvering, swimming in turbulence, collective swimming, and micro-structured hydrodynamics in swimming. We further give a perspective outlook on future challenges and tasks of several key issues of the field.

On the Estimation of Time Dependent Lift of a European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) during Flapping Flight.

PubMed

Stalnov, Oksana; Ben-Gida, Hadar; Kirchhefer, Adam J; Guglielmo, Christopher G; Kopp, Gregory A; Liberzon, Alexander; Gurka, Roi

2015-01-01

We study the role of unsteady lift in the context of flapping wing bird flight. Both aerodynamicists and biologists have attempted to address this subject, yet it seems that the contribution of unsteady lift still holds many open questions. The current study deals with the estimation of unsteady aerodynamic forces on a freely flying bird through analysis of wingbeat kinematics and near wake flow measurements using time resolved particle image velocimetry. The aerodynamic forces are obtained through two approaches, the unsteady thin airfoil theory and using the momentum equation for viscous flows. The unsteady lift is comprised of circulatory and non-circulatory components. Both approaches are presented over the duration of wingbeat cycles. Using long-time sampling data, several wingbeat cycles have been analyzed in order to cover both the downstroke and upstroke phases. It appears that the unsteady lift varies over the wingbeat cycle emphasizing its contribution to the total lift and its role in power estimations. It is suggested that the circulatory lift component cannot assumed to be negligible and should be considered when estimating lift or power of birds in flapping motion.

Prediction and measurement of heat transfer rates for the shock-induced unsteady laminar boundary layer on a flat plate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, W. J.

1972-01-01

The unsteady laminar boundary layer induced by the flow-initiating shock wave passing over a flat plate mounted in a shock tube was theoretically and experimentally studied in terms of heat transfer rates to the plate for shock speeds ranging from 1.695 to 7.34 km/sec. The theory presented by Cook and Chapman for the shock-induced unsteady boundary layer on a plate is reviewed with emphasis on unsteady heat transfer. A method of measuring time-dependent heat-transfer rates using thin-film heat-flux gages and an associated data reduction technique are outlined in detail. Particular consideration is given to heat-flux measurement in short-duration ionized shocktube flows. Experimental unsteady plate heat transfer rates obtained in both air and nitrogen using thin-film heat-flux gages generally agree well with theoretical predictions. The experimental results indicate that the theory continues to predict the unsteady boundary layer behavior after the shock wave leaves the trailing edge of the plate even though the theory is strictly applicable only for the time interval in which the shock remains on the plate.

On the Estimation of Time Dependent Lift of a European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) during Flapping Flight

PubMed Central

Stalnov, Oksana; Ben-Gida, Hadar; Kirchhefer, Adam J.; Guglielmo, Christopher G.; Kopp, Gregory A.; Liberzon, Alexander; Gurka, Roi

2015-01-01

We study the role of unsteady lift in the context of flapping wing bird flight. Both aerodynamicists and biologists have attempted to address this subject, yet it seems that the contribution of unsteady lift still holds many open questions. The current study deals with the estimation of unsteady aerodynamic forces on a freely flying bird through analysis of wingbeat kinematics and near wake flow measurements using time resolved particle image velocimetry. The aerodynamic forces are obtained through two approaches, the unsteady thin airfoil theory and using the momentum equation for viscous flows. The unsteady lift is comprised of circulatory and non-circulatory components. Both approaches are presented over the duration of wingbeat cycles. Using long-time sampling data, several wingbeat cycles have been analyzed in order to cover both the downstroke and upstroke phases. It appears that the unsteady lift varies over the wingbeat cycle emphasizing its contribution to the total lift and its role in power estimations. It is suggested that the circulatory lift component cannot assumed to be negligible and should be considered when estimating lift or power of birds in flapping motion. PMID:26394213

A Numerical Model of Unsteady, Subsonic Aeroelastic Behavior. Ph.D Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strganac, Thomas W.

1987-01-01

A method for predicting unsteady, subsonic aeroelastic responses was developed. The technique accounts for aerodynamic nonlinearities associated with angles of attack, vortex-dominated flow, static deformations, and unsteady behavior. The fluid and the wing together are treated as a single dynamical system, and the equations of motion for the structure and flow field are integrated simultaneously and interactively in the time domain. The method employs an iterative scheme based on a predictor-corrector technique. The aerodynamic loads are computed by the general unsteady vortex-lattice method and are determined simultaneously with the motion of the wing. Because the unsteady vortex-lattice method predicts the wake as part of the solution, the history of the motion is taken into account; hysteresis is predicted. Two models are used to demonstrate the technique: a rigid wing on an elastic support experiencing plunge and pitch about the elastic axis, and an elastic wing rigidly supported at the root chord experiencing spanwise bending and twisting. The method can be readily extended to account for structural nonlinearities and/or substitute aerodynamic load models. The time domain solution coupled with the unsteady vortex-lattice method provides the capability of graphically depicting wing and wake motion.

Computation of steady and unsteady quasi-one-dimensional viscous/inviscid interacting internal flows at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic Mach numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swafford, Timothy W.; Huddleston, David H.; Busby, Judy A.; Chesser, B. Lawrence

1992-01-01

Computations of viscous-inviscid interacting internal flowfields are presented for steady and unsteady quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) test cases. The unsteady Q1D Euler equations are coupled with integral boundary-layer equations for unsteady, two-dimensional (planar or axisymmetric), turbulent flow over impermeable, adiabatic walls. The coupling methodology differs from that used in most techniques reported previously in that the above mentioned equation sets are written as a complete system and solved simultaneously; that is, the coupling is carried out directly through the equations as opposed to coupling the solutions of the different equation sets. Solutions to the coupled system of equations are obtained using both explicit and implicit numerical schemes for steady subsonic, steady transonic, and both steady and unsteady supersonic internal flowfields. Computed solutions are compared with measurements as well as Navier-Stokes and inverse boundary-layer methods. An analysis of the eigenvalues of the coefficient matrix associated with the quasi-linear form of the coupled system of equations indicates the presence of complex eigenvalues for certain flow conditions. It is concluded that although reasonable solutions can be obtained numerically, these complex eigenvalues contribute to the overall difficulty in obtaining numerical solutions to the coupled system of equations.

Dynamic behavior of an unsteady trubulent boundary layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parikh, P. G.; Reynolds, W. C.; Jayaramen, R.; Carr, L. W.

1981-01-01

Experiments on an unsteady turbulent boundary layer are reported in which the upstream portion of the flow is steady (in the mean) and in the downstream region, the boundary layer sees a linearly decreasing free stream velocity. This velocity gradient oscillates in time, at frequencies ranging from zero to approximately the bursting frequency. For the small amplitude, the mean velocity and mean turbulence intensity profiles are unaffected by the oscillations. The amplitude of the periodic velocity component, although as much as 70% greater than that in the free stream for very low frequencies, becomes equal to that in the free stream at higher frequencies. At high frequencies, both the boundary layer thickness and the Reynolds stress distribution across the boundary layer become frozen. The behavior at higher amplitude is quite similar. At sufficiently high frequencies, the boundary layer thickness remains frozen at the mean value over the oscillation cycle, even though flow reverses near the wall during a part of the cycle.

An aerodynamic model for one and two degree of freedom wing rock of slender delta wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hong, John

1993-01-01

The unsteady aerodynamic effects due to the separated flow around slender delta wings in motion were analyzed. By combining the unsteady flow field solution with the rigid body Euler equations of motion, self-induced wing rock motion is simulated. The aerodynamic model successfully captures the qualitative characteristics of wing rock observed in experiments. For the one degree of freedom in roll case, the model is used to look into the mechanisms of wing rock and to investigate the effects of various parameters, like angle of attack, yaw angle, displacement of the separation point, and wing inertia. To investigate the roll and yaw coupling for the delta wing, an additional degree of freedom is added. However, no limit cycle was observed in the two degree of freedom case. Nonetheless, the model can be used to apply various control laws to actively control wing rock using, for example, the displacement of the leading edge vortex separation point by inboard span wise blowing.

Towards Full Aircraft Airframe Noise Prediction: Detached Eddy Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khorrami, Mehdi R.; Mineck, Raymond E.

2014-01-01

Results from a computational study on the aeroacoustic characteristics of an 18%-scale, semi-span Gulf-stream aircraft model are presented in this paper. NASA's FUN3D unstructured compressible Navier-Stokes solver was used to perform steady and unsteady simulations of the flow field associated with this high-fidelity aircraft model. Solutions were obtained for free-air at a Mach number of 0.2 with the flap deflected at 39 deg, with the main gear off and on (the two baseline configurations). Initially, the study focused on accurately predicting the prominent noise sources at both flap tips for the baseline configuration with deployed flap only. Building upon the experience gained from this initial effort, subsequent work involved the full landing configuration with both flap and main landing gear deployed. For the unsteady computations, we capitalized on the Detached Eddy Simulation capability of FUN3D to capture the complex time-dependent flow features associated with the flap and main gear. To resolve the noise sources over a broad frequency range, the tailored grid was very dense near the flap inboard and outboard tips and the region surrounding the gear. Extensive comparison of the computed steady and unsteady surface pressures with wind tunnel measurements showed good agreement for the global aerodynamic characteristics and the local flow field at the flap inboard tip. However, the computed pressure coefficients indicated that a zone of separated flow that forms in the vicinity of the outboard tip is larger in extent along the flap span and chord than measurements suggest. Computed farfield acoustic characteristics from a FW-H integral approach that used the simulated pressures on the model solid surface were in excellent agreement with corresponding measurements.

Purely-elastic flow instabilities and elastic turbulence in microfluidic cross-slot devices

PubMed Central

Sousa, P. C.; Pinho, F. T.

2018-01-01

We experimentally investigate the dynamics of viscoelastic fluid flows in cross-slot microgeometries under creeping flow conditions. We focus on the unsteady flow regime observed at high Weissenberg numbers (Wi) with the purpose of understanding the underlying flow signature of elastic turbulence. The effects of the device aspect ratio and fluid rheology on the unsteady flow state are investigated. Visualization of the flow patterns and time-resolved micro-particle image velocimetry were carried out to study the fluid flow behavior for a wide range of Weissenberg numbers. A periodic flow behavior is observed at low Weissenberg numbers followed by a more complex dynamics as Wi increases, eventually leading to the onset of elastic turbulence for very high Weissenberg numbers. PMID:29376533

Multidomain approach for calculating compressible flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cambier, L.; Chazzi, W.; Veuillot, J. P.; Viviand, H.

1982-01-01

A multidomain approach for calculating compressible flows by using unsteady or pseudo-unsteady methods is presented. This approach is based on a general technique of connecting together two domains in which hyperbolic systems (that may differ) are solved with the aid of compatibility relations associated with these systems. Some examples of this approach's application to calculating transonic flows in ideal fluids are shown, particularly the adjustment of shock waves. The approach is then applied to treating a shock/boundary layer interaction problem in a transonic channel.

Unsteady Boundary-Layer Flow over Jerked Plate Moving in a Free Stream of Viscoelastic Fluid

PubMed Central

Mehmood, Ahmer; Ali, Asif; Saleem, Najma

2014-01-01

This study aims to investigate the unsteady boundary-layer flow of a viscoelastic non-Newtonian fluid over a flat surface. The plate is suddenly jerked to move with uniform velocity in a uniform stream of non-Newtonian fluid. Purely analytic solution to governing nonlinear equation is obtained. The solution is highly accurate and valid for all values of the dimensionless time 0 ≤ τ < ∞. Flow properties of the viscoelastic fluid are discussed through graphs. PMID:24892060

Modeling Unsteady Cavitation and Dynamic Loads in Turbopumps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hosangadi, Ashvin; Ahuja, Vineet; Ungewitter, Ronald; Dash, Sanford M.

2009-01-01

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model that includes representations of effects of unsteady cavitation and associated dynamic loads has been developed to increase the accuracy of simulations of the performances of turbopumps. Although the model was originally intended to serve as a means of analyzing preliminary designs of turbopumps that supply cryogenic propellant liquids to rocket engines, the model could also be applied to turbopumping of other liquids: this can be considered to have been already demonstrated, in that the validation of the model was performed by comparing results of simulations performed by use of the model with results of sub-scale experiments in water. The need for this or a similar model arises as follows: Cavitation instabilities in a turbopump are generated as inlet pressure drops and vapor cavities grow on inducer blades, eventually becoming unsteady. The unsteady vapor cavities lead to rotation cavitation, in which the cavities detach from the blades and become part of a fluid mass that rotates relative to the inducer, thereby generating a fluctuating load. Other instabilities (e.g., surge instabilities) can couple with cavitation instabilities, thereby compounding the deleterious effects of unsteadiness on other components of the fluid-handling system of which the turbopump is a part and thereby, further, adversely affecting the mechanical integrity and safety of the system. Therefore, an ability to predict cavitation- instability-induced dynamic pressure loads on the blades, the shaft, and other pump parts would be valuable in helping to quantify safe margins of inducer operation and in contributing to understanding of design compromises. Prior CFD models do not afford this ability. Heretofore, the primary parameter used in quantifying cavitation performance of a turbopump inducer has been the critical suction specific speed at which head breakdown occurs. This parameter is a mean quantity calculated on the basis of assumed steady-state operation of the inducer; it does not account for dynamic pressure loads associated with unsteady flow caused by instabilities. Because cavitation instabilities occur well before mean breakdown in inducers, engineers have, until now, found it necessary to use conservative factors of safety when analyzing the results of numerical simulations of flows in turbopumps.

Transonic Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interactions on an Oscillating Airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Sanford S.; Malcolm, Gerald N.

1980-01-01

Unsteady aerodynamic loads were measured on an oscillating NACA 64A010 airfoil In the NASA Ames 11 by 11 ft Transonic Wind Tunnel. Data are presented to show the effect of the unsteady shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction on the fundamental frequency lift, moment, and pressure distributions. The data show that weak shock waves induce an unsteady pressure distribution that can be predicted quite well, while stronger shock waves cause complex frequency-dependent distributions due to flow separation. An experimental test of the principles of linearity and superposition showed that they hold for weak shock waves while flows with stronger shock waves cannot be superimposed.

Efficient self-consistent viscous-inviscid solutions for unsteady transonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howlett, J. T.

1985-01-01

An improved method is presented for coupling a boundary layer code with an unsteady inviscid transonic computer code in a quasi-steady fashion. At each fixed time step, the boundary layer and inviscid equations are successively solved until the process converges. An explicit coupling of the equations is described which greatly accelerates the convergence process. Computer times for converged viscous-inviscid solutions are about 1.8 times the comparable inviscid values. Comparison of the results obtained with experimental data on three airfoils are presented. These comparisons demonstrate that the explicitly coupled viscous-inviscid solutions can provide efficient predictions of pressure distributions and lift for unsteady two-dimensional transonic flows.

Efficient self-consistent viscous-inviscid solutions for unsteady transonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howlett, J. T.

1985-01-01

An improved method is presented for coupling a boundary layer code with an unsteady inviscid transonic computer code in a quasi-steady fashion. At each fixed time step, the boundary layer and inviscid equations are successively solved until the process converges. An explicit coupling of the equations is described which greatly accelerates the convergence process. Computer times for converged viscous-inviscid solutions are about 1.8 times the comparable inviscid values. Comparison of the results obtained with experimental data on three airfoils are presented. These comparisons demonstrate that the explicitly coupled viscous-inviscid solutions can provide efficient predictions of pressure distributions and lift for unsteady two-dimensional transonic flow.

Numerical Simulation for the Unsteady MHD Flow and Heat Transfer of Couple Stress Fluid over a Rotating Disk

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The present work is devoted to study the numerical simulation for unsteady MHD flow and heat transfer of a couple stress fluid over a rotating disk. A similarity transformation is employed to reduce the time dependent system of nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) to ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The Runge-Kutta method and shooting technique are employed for finding the numerical solution of the governing system. The influences of governing parameters viz. unsteadiness parameter, couple stress and various physical parameters on velocity, temperature and pressure profiles are analyzed graphically and discussed in detail. PMID:24835274

On a class of unsteady three-dimensional Navier Stokes solutions relevant to rotating disc flows: Threshold amplitudes and finite time singularities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Philip; Balakumar, P.

1990-01-01

A class of exact steady and unsteady solutions of the Navier Stokes equations in cylindrical polar coordinates is given. The flows correspond to the motion induced by an infinite disc rotating with constant angular velocity about the z-axis in a fluid occupying a semi-infinite region which, at large distances from the disc, has velocity field proportional to (x,-y,O) with respect to a Cartesian coordinate system. It is shown that when the rate of rotation is large, Karman's exact solution for a disc rotating in an otherwise motionless fluid is recovered. In the limit of zero rotation rate a particular form of Howarth's exact solution for three-dimensional stagnation point flow is obtained. The unsteady form of the partial differential system describing this class of flow may be generalized to time-periodic equilibrium flows. In addition the unsteady equations are shown to describe a strongly nonlinear instability of Karman's rotating disc flow. It is shown that sufficiently large perturbations lead to a finite time breakdown of that flow whilst smaller disturbances decay to zero. If the stagnation point flow at infinity is sufficiently strong, the steady basic states become linearly unstable. In fact there is then a continuous spectrum of unstable eigenvalues of the stability equations but, if the initial value problem is considered, it is found that, at large values of time, the continuous spectrum leads to a velocity field growing exponentially in time with an amplitude decaying algebraically in time.

Flow pattern similarities in the near wake of three bird species suggest a common role for unsteady aerodynamic effects in lift generation

PubMed Central

Krishnan, Krishnamoorthy; Ben-Gida, Hadar; Kirchhefer, Adam J.; Kopp, Gregory A.; Guglielmo, Christopher G.

2017-01-01

Analysis of the aerodynamics of flapping wings has yielded a general understanding of how birds generate lift and thrust during flight. However, the role of unsteady aerodynamics in avian flight due to the flapping motion still holds open questions in respect to performance and efficiency. We studied the flight of three distinctive bird species: western sandpiper (Calidris mauri), European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and American robin (Turdus migratorius) using long-duration, time-resolved particle image velocimetry, to better characterize and advance our understanding of how birds use unsteady flow features to enhance their aerodynamic performances during flapping flight. We show that during transitions between downstroke and upstroke phases of the wing cycle, the near wake-flow structures vary and generate unique sets of vortices. These structures appear as quadruple layers of concentrated vorticity aligned at an angle with respect to the horizon (named ‘double branch’). They occur where the circulation gradient changes sign, which implies that the forces exerted by the flapping wings of birds are modified during the transition phases. The flow patterns are similar in (non-dimensional) size and magnitude for the different birds suggesting that there are common mechanisms operating during flapping flight across species. These flow patterns occur at the same phase where drag reduction of about 5% per cycle and lift enhancement were observed in our prior studies. We propose that these flow structures should be considered in wake flow models that seek to account for the contribution of unsteady flow to lift and drag. PMID:28163881

Three-dimensional modeling of diesel engine intake flow, combustion and emissions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reitz, R. D.; Rutland, C. J.

1992-01-01

A three-dimensional computer code (KIVA) is being modified to include state-of-the-art submodels for diesel engine flow and combustion: spray atomization, drop breakup/coalescence, multi-component fuel vaporization, spray/wall interaction, ignition and combustion, wall heat transfer, unburned HC and NOx formation, soot and radiation, and the intake flow process. Improved and/or new submodels which were completed are: wall heat transfer with unsteadiness and compressibility, laminar-turbulent characteristic time combustion with unburned HC and Zeldo'vich NOx, and spray/wall impingement with rebounding and sliding drops. Results to date show that adding the effects of unsteadiness and compressibility improves the accuracy of heat transfer predictions; spray drop rebound can occur from walls at low impingement velocities (e.g., in cold-starting); larger spray drops are formed at the nozzle due to the influence of vaporization on the atomization process; a laminar-and-turbulent characteristic time combustion model has the flexibility to match measured engine combustion data over a wide range of operating conditions; and finally, the characteristic time combustion model can also be extended to allow predictions of ignition. The accuracy of the predictions is being assessed by comparisons with available measurements. Additional supporting experiments are also described briefly. To date, comparisons with measured engine cylinder pressure and heat flux data were made for homogeneous charge, spark-ignited and compression-ignited engines. The model results are in good agreement with the experiments.

L.D.V. measurements of unsteady flow fields in radial turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabakoff, W.; Pasin, M.

1992-07-01

Detailed measurements of an unsteady flow field within the inlet guide vanes (IGV) and the rotor of a radial inflow turbine were performed using a three component Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV) system together with a rotary encoder. The mean velocity, the flow angle and the turbulence contours for IGV passages are presented at four blade-to-blade planes for different rotor positions to give three dimensional, unsteady behavior of the IGV flow field. These results are compared with the measurements obtained in the same passage in the absence of the rotor. The flow field of the IGV passage was found to be affected by the presence of the rotor. The ratio of the tangential normal stresses to the radial normal stresses at the exit of the IGV was found to be more than doubled when compared to the case without the rotor. The rotor flow field measurements are presented as relative mean velocity and turbulence stress contours at various cross section planes throughout the rotor. The cross flow and turbulence stress levels were found to be influenced by the incidence angle. Transportation of the high turbulence fluid by the cross flow was observed downstream in the rotor blade passages.

Review of the physics of enhancing vortex lift by unsteady excitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, J. Z.; Vakili, A. D.; Wu, J. M.

1991-01-01

A review aimed at providing a physical understanding of the crucial mechanisms for obtaining super lift by means of unsteady excitations is presented. Particular attention is given to physical problems, including rolled-up vortex layer instability and receptivity, wave-vortex interaction and resonance, nonlinear streaming, instability of vortices behind bluff bodies and their shedding, and vortex breakdown. A general theoretical framework suitable for handling the unsteady vortex flows is introduced. It is suggested that wings with swept and sharp leading edges, equipped with devices for unsteady excitations, could yield the first breakthrough of the unsteady separation barrier and provide super lift at post-stall angle of attack.

Partially Ventilated Transom Flow Elevations-Unsteady Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-30

family of hulls that have a common fore-body with varying after-bodies. This project expands the investigation into unsteady transom flow elevations two...incident waves on the stream wise discontinuity in hull geometry due to varying transom configurations ranging from round bilge to deep-vee sections...transom. Turbulence Stimulation Hama strips were used for turbulence stimulation on the hull . Four strips of electrical tape with a combined

Unsteady transonic flows - Introduction, current trends, applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yates, E. C., Jr.

1985-01-01

The computational treatment of unsteady transonic flows is discussed, reviewing the historical development and current techniques. The fundamental physical principles are outlined; the governing equations are introduced; three-dimensional linearized and two-dimensional linear-perturbation theories in frequency domain are described in detail; and consideration is given to frequency-domain FEMs and time-domain finite-difference and integral-equation methods. Extensive graphs and diagrams are included.

Full Equations (FEQ) model for the solution of the full, dynamic equations of motion for one-dimensional unsteady flow in open channels and through control structures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Franz, Delbert D.; Melching, Charles S.

1997-01-01

The Full EQuations (FEQ) model is a computer program for solution of the full, dynamic equations of motion for one-dimensional unsteady flow in open channels and through control structures. A stream system that is simulated by application of FEQ is subdivided into stream reaches (branches), parts of the stream system for which complete information on flow and depth are not required (dummy branches), and level-pool reservoirs. These components are connected by special features; that is, hydraulic control structures, including junctions, bridges, culverts, dams, waterfalls, spillways, weirs, side weirs, and pumps. The principles of conservation of mass and conservation of momentum are used to calculate the flow and depth throughout the stream system resulting from known initial and boundary conditions by means of an implicit finite-difference approximation at fixed points (computational nodes). The hydraulic characteristics of (1) branches including top width, area, first moment of area with respect to the water surface, conveyance, and flux coefficients and (2) special features (relations between flow and headwater and (or) tail-water elevations, including the operation of variable-geometry structures) are stored in function tables calculated in the companion program, Full EQuations UTiLities (FEQUTL). Function tables containing other information used in unsteady-flow simulation (boundary conditions, tributary inflows or outflows, gate settings, correction factors, characteristics of dummy branches and level-pool reservoirs, and wind speed and direction) are prepared by the user as detailed in this report. In the iterative solution scheme for flow and depth throughout the stream system, an interpolation of the function tables corresponding to the computational nodes throughout the stream system is done in the model. FEQ can be applied in the simulation of a wide range of stream configurations (including loops), lateral-inflow conditions, and special features. The accuracy and convergence of the numerical routines in the model are demonstrated for the case of laboratory measurements of unsteady flow in a sewer pipe. Verification of the routines in the model for field data on the Fox River in northeastern Illinois also is briefly discussed. The basic principles of unsteady-flow modeling and the relation between steady flow and unsteady flow are presented. Assumptions and the limitations of the model also are presented. The schematization of the stream system and the conversion of the physical characteristics of the stream reaches and a wide range of special features into function tables for model applications are described. The modified dynamic-wave equation used in FEQ for unsteady flow in curvilinear channels with drag on minor hydraulic structures and channel constrictions determined from an equivalent energy slope is developed. The matrix equation relating flows and depths at computational nodes throughout the stream system by the continuity (conservation of mass) and modified dynamic-wave equations is illustrated for four sequential examples. The solution of the matrix equation by Newton's method is discussed. Finally, the input for FEQ and the error messages and warnings issued are presented.

Control of unsteady separated flow associated with the dynamic pitching of airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahmed, Sajeer

1991-01-01

Although studies have been done to understand the dependence of parameters for the occurrence of deep stall, studies to control the flow for sustaining lift for a longer time has been little. To sustain the lift for a longer time, an understanding of the development of the flow over the airfoil is essential. Studies at high speed are required to study how the flow behavior is dictated by the effects of compressibility. When the airfoil is pitched up in ramp motion or during the upstroke of an oscillatory cycle, the flow development on the upper surface of the airfoil and the formation of the vortex dictates the increase in lift behavior. Vortex shedding past the training edge decreases the lift. It is not clear what is the mechanism associated with the unsteady separation and vortex formation in present unsteady environment. To develop any flow control device, to suppress the vortex formation or delay separation, it is important that this mechanism be properly understood. The research activities directed toward understanding these questions are presented and the results are summarized.

Modeling dynamic stall on wind turbine blades under rotationally augmented flow fields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guntur, S.; Schreck, S.; Sorensen, N. N.

It is well known that airfoils under unsteady flow conditions with a periodically varying angle of attack exhibit aerodynamic characteristics different from those under steady flow conditions, a phenomenon commonly known as dynamic stall. It is also well known that the steady aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils in the inboard region of a rotating blade differ from those under steady two-dimensional (2D) flow conditions, a phenomenon commonly known as rotational augmentation. This paper presents an investigation of these two phenomena together in the inboard parts of wind turbine blades. This analysis is carried out using data from three sources: (1) themore » National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase VI experimental data, including constant as well as continuously pitching blade conditions during axial operation, (2) data from unsteady Delayed Detached Eddy Simulations (DDES) carried out using the Technical University of Denmark’s in-house flow solver Ellipsys3D, and (3) data from a simplified model based on the blade element momentum method with a dynamic stall subroutine that uses rotationally augmented steady-state polars obtained from steady Phase VI experimental sequences, instead of the traditional 2D nonrotating data. The aim of this work is twofold. First, the blade loads estimated by the DDES simulations are compared to three select cases of the N sequence experimental data, which serves as a validation of the DDES method. Results show reasonable agreement between the two data in two out of three cases studied. Second, the dynamic time series of the lift and the moment polars obtained from the experiments are compared to those from the dynamic stall subroutine that uses the rotationally augmented steady polars. This allowed the differences between the stall phenomenon on the inboard parts of harmonically pitching blades on a rotating wind turbine and the classic dynamic stall representation in 2D flow to be investigated. Results from the dynamic stall subroutine indicated a good qualitative agreement between the model and the experimental data in many cases, which suggests that the current 2D dynamic stall model as used in BEM-based aeroelastic codes may provide a reasonably accurate representation of three-dimensional rotor aerodynamics when used in combination with a robust rotational augmentation model.« less

Off-design Performance Analysis of Multi-Stage Transonic Axial Compressors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, W. H.; Wu, H.; Zhang, L.

Because of the complex flow fields and component interaction in modern gas turbine engines, they require extensive experiment to validate performance and stability. The experiment process can become expensive and complex. Modeling and simulation of gas turbine engines are way to reduce experiment costs, provide fidelity and enhance the quality of essential experiment. The flow field of a transonic compressor contains all the flow aspects, which are difficult to present-boundary layer transition and separation, shock-boundary layer interactions, and large flow unsteadiness. Accurate transonic axial compressor off-design performance prediction is especially difficult, due in large part to three-dimensional blade design and the resulting flow field. Although recent advancements in computer capacity have brought computational fluid dynamics to forefront of turbomachinery design and analysis, the grid and turbulence model still limit Reynolds-average Navier-Stokes (RANS) approximations in the multi-stage transonic axial compressor flow field. Streamline curvature methods are still the dominant numerical approach as an important tool for turbomachinery to analyze and design, and it is generally accepted that streamline curvature solution techniques will provide satisfactory flow prediction as long as the losses, deviation and blockage are accurately predicted.

Time-Accurate Computations of Isolated Circular Synthetic Jets in Crossflow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, C. L.; Schaeffler, N. W.; Milanovic, I. M.; Zaman, K. B. M. Q.

2007-01-01

Results from unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computations are described for two different synthetic jet flows issuing into a turbulent boundary layer crossflow through a circular orifice. In one case the jet effect is mostly contained within the boundary layer, while in the other case the jet effect extends beyond the boundary layer edge. Both cases have momentum flux ratios less than 2. Several numerical parameters are investigated, and some lessons learned regarding the CFD methods for computing these types of flow fields are summarized. Results in both cases are compared to experiment.

Flowing Air-Water Cooled Slab Nd: Glass Laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Baida; Cai, Bangwei; Liao, Y.; Xu, Shifa; Xin, Z.

1989-03-01

A zig-zag optical path slab geometry Nd: glass laser cooled through flowing air-water is developed by us. Theoretical studies on temperature distribution of slab and rod configurations in the unsteady state clarify the advantages of the slab geometry laser. The slab design and processing are also reported. In our experiments main laser output characteristics, e. g. laser efficiency, polarization, far-field divergence angle as well as resonator misalignment are investigated. The slab phosphate glass laser in combination with a crossed Porro-prism resonator demonstrates a good laser performance.

Turbulence Model Sensitivity and Scour Gap Effect of Unsteady Flow around Pipe: A CFD Study

PubMed Central

Ali, Abbod; Sharma, R. K.; Ganesan, P.

2014-01-01

A numerical investigation of incompressible and transient flow around circular pipe has been carried out at different five gap phases. Flow equations such as Navier-Stokes and continuity equations have been solved using finite volume method. Unsteady horizontal velocity and kinetic energy square root profiles are plotted using different turbulence models and their sensitivity is checked against published experimental results. Flow parameters such as horizontal velocity under pipe, pressure coefficient, wall shear stress, drag coefficient, and lift coefficient are studied and presented graphically to investigate the flow behavior around an immovable pipe and scoured bed. PMID:25136666

An investigation of the unsteady flow associated with plume induced flow separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boggess, A. L., Jr.

1972-01-01

A wind tunnel study of the basic nature of plume induced flow separation is reported with emphasis on the unsteady aspects of the flow. Testing was conducted in a 6 inch by 6 inch blow-down supersonic wind tunnel. A cone-cylinder model with a pluming jet was used as the test model. Tests were conducted with a systematic variation in Mach number and plume pressure. Results of the tests are presented in the form of root-mean-squared surface pressure levels, power spectral densities, photographs of the flow field from which shock angles and separation lengths were taken, and time-averaged surface pressure profiles.

Courant number and unsteady flow computation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lai, Chintu; ,

1993-01-01

The Courant number C, the key to unsteady flow computation, is a ratio of physical wave velocity, ??, to computational signal-transmission velocity, ??, i.e., C = ??/??. In this way, it uniquely relates a physical quantity to a mathematical quantity. Because most unsteady open-channel flows are describable by a set of n characteristic equations along n characteristic paths, each represented by velocity ??i, i = 1,2,....,n, there exist as many as n components for the numerator of C. To develop a numerical model, a numerical integration must be made on each characteristic curve from an earlier point to a later point on the curve. Different numerical methods are available in unsteady flow computation due to the different paths along which the numerical integration is actually performed. For the denominator of C, the ?? defined as ?? = ?? 0 = ??x/??t has been customarily used; thus, the Courant number has the familiar form of C?? = ??/??0. This form will be referred to as ???common Courant number??? in this paper. The commonly used numerical criteria C?? for stability, neutral stability and instability, are imprecise or not universal in the sense that r0 does not always reflect the true maximum computational data-transmission speed of the scheme at hand, i.e., Ctau is no indication for the Courant constraint. In view of this , a new Courant number, called the ???natural Courant number???, Cn, that truly reflects the Courant constraint, has been defined. However, considering the numerous advantages inherent in the traditional C??, a useful and meaningful composite Courant number, denoted by C??* has been formulated from C??. It is hoped that the new aspects of the Courant number discussed herein afford the hydraulician a broader perspective, consistent criteria, and unified guidelines, with which to model various unsteady flows.

Code for Multiblock CFD and Heat-Transfer Computations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fabian, John C.; Heidmann, James D.; Lucci, Barbara L.; Ameri, Ali A.; Rigby, David L.; Steinthorsson, Erlendur

2006-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center General Multi-Block Navier-Stokes Convective Heat Transfer Code, Glenn-HT, has been used extensively to predict heat transfer and fluid flow for a variety of steady gas turbine engine problems. Recently, the Glenn-HT code has been completely rewritten in Fortran 90/95, a more object-oriented language that allows programmers to create code that is more modular and makes more efficient use of data structures. The new implementation takes full advantage of the capabilities of the Fortran 90/95 programming language. As a result, the Glenn-HT code now provides dynamic memory allocation, modular design, and unsteady flow capability. This allows for the heat-transfer analysis of a full turbine stage. The code has been demonstrated for an unsteady inflow condition, and gridding efforts have been initiated for a full turbine stage unsteady calculation. This analysis will be the first to simultaneously include the effects of rotation, blade interaction, film cooling, and tip clearance with recessed tip on turbine heat transfer and cooling performance. Future plans call for the application of the new Glenn-HT code to a range of gas turbine engine problems of current interest to the heat-transfer community. The new unsteady flow capability will allow researchers to predict the effect of unsteady flow phenomena upon the convective heat transfer of turbine blades and vanes. Work will also continue on the development of conjugate heat-transfer capability in the code, where simultaneous solution of convective and conductive heat-transfer domains is accomplished. Finally, advanced turbulence and fluid flow models and automatic gridding techniques are being developed that will be applied to the Glenn-HT code and solution process.

The dynamics and control of fluctuating pressure loads in the reattachment region of a supersonic free shear layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smits, A. J.

1990-01-01

The primary aim is to investigate the mechanisms which cause the unsteady wall-pressure fluctuations in shock wave turbulent shear layer interactions. The secondary aim is to find means to reduce the magnitude of the fluctuating pressure loads by controlling the unsteady shock motion. The particular flow proposed for study is the unsteady shock wave interaction formed in the reattachment zone of a separated supersonic flow. Similar flows are encountered in many practical situations, and they are associated with high levels of fluctuating wall pressure. Wall pressure fluctuations were measured in the reattachment region of the supersonic free shear layer. The free shear layer was formed by the separation of a Mach 2.9 turbulent boundary layer from a backward facing step. Reattachment occurred on a 20 deg ramp. By adjusting the position of the ramp, the base pressure was set equal to the freestream pressure, and the free shear layer formed in the absence of a separation shock. An array of flush-mounted, miniature, high-frequency pressure transducers was used to make multichannel measurements of the fluctuating wall pressure in the vicinity of the reattachment region. Contrary to previous observations of this flow, the reattachment region was found to be highly unsteady, and the pressure fluctuations were found to be significant. The overall behavior of the wall pressure loading is similar in scale and magnitude to the unsteadiness of the wall pressure field in compression ramp flows at the same Mach number. Rayleigh scattering was used to visualize the instantaneous shock structure in the streamwise and spanwise direction. Spanwise wrinkles on the order of half the boundary layer thickness were observed.

Further investigation of a finite difference procedure for analyzing the transonic flow about harmonically oscillating airfoils and wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weatherill, W. H.; Ehlers, F. E.; Yip, E.; Sebastian, J. D.

1980-01-01

Analytical and empirical studies of a finite difference method for the solution of the transonic flow about harmonically oscillating wings and airfoils are presented. The procedure is based on separating the velocity potential into steady and unsteady parts and linearizing the resulting unsteady equations for small disturbances. The steady velocity potential is obtained first from the well-known nonlinear equation for steady transonic flow. The unsteady velocity potential is then obtained from a linear differential equation in complex form with spatially varying coefficients. Since sinusoidal motion is assumed, the unsteady equation is independent of time. An out-of-core direct solution procedure was developed and applied to two-dimensional sections. Results are presented for a section of vanishing thickness in subsonic flow and an NACA 64A006 airfoil in supersonic flow. Good correlation is obtained in the first case at values of Mach number and reduced frequency of direct interest in flutter analyses. Reasonable results are obtained in the second case. Comparisons of two-dimensional finite difference solutions with exact analytic solutions indicate that the accuracy of the difference solution is dependent on the boundary conditions used on the outer boundaries. Homogeneous boundary conditions on the mesh edges that yield complex eigenvalues give the most accurate finite difference solutions. The plane outgoing wave boundary conditions meet these requirements.

Prediction of Undsteady Flows in Turbomachinery Using the Linearized Euler Equations on Deforming Grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, William S.; Hall, Kenneth C.

1994-01-01

A linearized Euler solver for calculating unsteady flows in turbomachinery blade rows due to both incident gusts and blade motion is presented. The model accounts for blade loading, blade geometry, shock motion, and wake motion. Assuming that the unsteadiness in the flow is small relative to the nonlinear mean solution, the unsteady Euler equations can be linearized about the mean flow. This yields a set of linear variable coefficient equations that describe the small amplitude harmonic motion of the fluid. These linear equations are then discretized on a computational grid and solved using standard numerical techniques. For transonic flows, however, one must use a linear discretization which is a conservative linearization of the non-linear discretized Euler equations to ensure that shock impulse loads are accurately captured. Other important features of this analysis include a continuously deforming grid which eliminates extrapolation errors and hence, increases accuracy, and a new numerically exact, nonreflecting far-field boundary condition treatment based on an eigenanalysis of the discretized equations. Computational results are presented which demonstrate the computational accuracy and efficiency of the method and demonstrate the effectiveness of the deforming grid, far-field nonreflecting boundary conditions, and shock capturing techniques. A comparison of the present unsteady flow predictions to other numerical, semi-analytical, and experimental methods shows excellent agreement. In addition, the linearized Euler method presented requires one or two orders-of-magnitude less computational time than traditional time marching techniques making the present method a viable design tool for aeroelastic analyses.

Unsteady-Pressure and Dynamic-Deflection Measurements on an Aeroelastic Supercritical Wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seidel, David A.; Sandford, Maynard C.; Eckstrom, Clinton V.

1991-01-01

Transonic steady and unsteady pressure tests were conducted on a large elastic wing. The wing has a supercritical airfoil, a full span aspect ratio of 10.3, a leading edge sweepback angle of 28.8 degrees, and two inboard and one outboard trailing edge control surfaces. Only the outboard control surface was deflected statically and dynamically to generate steady and unsteady flow over the wing. The unsteady surface pressure and dynamic deflection measurements of this elastic wing are presented to permit correlations of the experimental data with theoretical predictions.

A time-accurate algorithm for chemical non-equilibrium viscous flows at all speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuen, J.-S.; Chen, K.-H.; Choi, Y.

1992-01-01

A time-accurate, coupled solution procedure is described for the chemical nonequilibrium Navier-Stokes equations over a wide range of Mach numbers. This method employs the strong conservation form of the governing equations, but uses primitive variables as unknowns. Real gas properties and equilibrium chemistry are considered. Numerical tests include steady convergent-divergent nozzle flows with air dissociation/recombination chemistry, dump combustor flows with n-pentane-air chemistry, nonreacting flow in a model double annular combustor, and nonreacting unsteady driven cavity flows. Numerical results for both the steady and unsteady flows demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the present algorithm for Mach numbers ranging from the incompressible limit to supersonic speeds.

Performance Enhancement of Unsteady Ejectors Investigated Using a Pulsejet Driver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.

2003-01-01

Unsteady ejectors are currently under investigation for use in some pulse detonation engine (PDE) propulsion systems. This is due primarily to their potential high performance in comparison to steady ejectors of similar dimensions relative to the source or driver jet. Although some experimental work has been done in the past to study thrust augmentation with unsteady ejectors, there is no proven theory by which optimal design parameters can be selected and an effective ejector constructed for a given pulsed flow. Therefore, an experimental facility was developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center to study the correlation between ejector design and performance, and to get a better understanding of the flow phenomena that result in thrust augmentation. A commercially available pulsejet was used for the unsteady driving jet. This was paired with a basic, yet flexible, ejector design that allowed parametric evaluation of the effects that length, diameter, and inlet radius have on performance.

The Influence of Unsteadiness on the Analysis of Pressure Gain Combustion Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.; Kaemming, Tom

2013-01-01

Pressure gain combustion (PGC) has been the object of scientific study for over a century due to its promise of improved thermodynamic efficiency. In many recent application concepts PGC is utilized as a component in an otherwise continuous, normally steady flow system, such as a gas turbine or ram jet engine. However, PGC is inherently unsteady. Failure to account for the effects of this periodic unsteadiness can lead to misunderstanding and errors in performance calculations. This paper seeks to provide some clarity by presenting a consistent method of thermodynamic cycle analysis for a device utilizing PGC technology. The incorporation of the unsteady PGC process into the conservation equations for a continuous flow device is presented. Most importantly, the appropriate method for computing the conservation of momentum is presented. It will be shown that proper, consistent analysis of cyclic conservation principles produces representative performance predictions.

Survey of research on unsteady aerodynamic loading of delta wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashley, H.; Vaneck, T.; Katz, J.; Jarrah, M. A.

1991-01-01

For aeronautical applications, there has been recent interest in accurately determining the aerodynamic forces and moments experienced by low-aspect-ratio wings performing transient maneuvers which go to angles of attack as high as 90 deg. Focusing on the delta planform with sharp leading edges, the paper surveys experimental and theoretical investigations dealing with the associated unsteady flow phenomena. For maximum angles above a value between 30 and 40 deg, flow details and airloads are dominated by hysteresis in the 'bursting' instability of intense vortices which emanate from the leading edge. As examples of relevant test results, force and moment histories are presented for a model series with aspect ratios 1, 1.5 and 2. Influences of key parameters are discussed, notably those which measure unsteadiness. Comparisons are given with two theories: a paneling approximation that cannot capture bursting but clarifies other unsteady influences, and a simplified estimation scheme which uses measured bursting data.

A Basic Study on Countermeasure Against Aerodynamic Force Acting on Train Running Inside Tunnel Using Air Blowing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Masahiro; Nakade, Koji

A basic study of flow controls using air blowing was conducted to reduce unsteady aerodynamic force acting on trains running in tunnels. An air blowing device is installed around a model car in a wind tunnel. Steady and periodic blowings are examined utilizing electromagnetic valves. Pressure fluctuations are measured and the aerodynamic force acting on the car is estimated. The results are as follows: a) The air blowing allows reducing the unsteady aerodynamic force. b) It is effective to blow air horizontally at the lower side of the car facing the tunnel wall. c) The reduction rate of the unsteady aerodynamic force relates to the rate of momentum of the blowing to that of the uniform flow. d) The periodic blowing with the same frequency as the unsteady aerodynamic force reduces the aerodynamic force in a manner similar to the steady blowing.

Conical Euler solution for a highly-swept delta wing undergoing wing-rock motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Elizabeth M.; Batina, John T.

1990-01-01

Modifications to an unsteady conical Euler code for the free-to-roll analysis of highly-swept delta wings are described. The modifications involve the addition of the rolling rigid-body equation of motion for its simultaneous time-integration with the governing flow equations. The flow solver utilized in the Euler code includes a multistage Runge-Kutta time-stepping scheme which uses a finite-volume spatial discretization on an unstructured mesh made up of triangles. Steady and unsteady results are presented for a 75 deg swept delta wing at a freestream Mach number of 1.2 and an angle of attack of 30 deg. The unsteady results consist of forced harmonic and free-to-roll calculations. The free-to-roll case exhibits a wing rock response produced by unsteady aerodynamics consistent with the aerodynamics of the forced harmonic results. Similarities are shown with a wing-rock time history from a low-speed wind tunnel test.

A study of pump cavitation damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brophy, M. C.; Stinebring, D. R.; Billet, M. L.

1983-11-01

The cavitation assessment for the space shuttle main engine high pressure oxidizer turbopump is documented. A model of the flow through the pump was developed. Initially, a computational procedure was used to analyze the flow through the inlet casing including the prediction of wakes downstream of the casing vanes. From these flow calculations, cavitation patterns on the inducer blades were approximated and the damage rate estimated. The model correlates the heavy damage on the housing and over the inducer with unsteady blade surface cavitation. The unsteady blade surface cavitation is due to the large incidence changes caused by the wakes of the upstream vanes. Very high cavitation damage rates are associated with this type of cavitation. Design recommendations for reducing the unsteady cavitation include removing the set of vanes closest to the inducer and modifying the remaining vanes.

Review of Research into the Concept of the Microblowing Technique for Turbulent Skin Friction Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

A new technology for reducing turbulent skin friction, called the Microblowing Technique (MBT), is presented. Results from proof-of-concept experiments show that this technology could potentially reduce turbulent skin friction by more than 50% of the skin friction of a solid flat plate for subsonic and supersonic flow conditions. The primary purpose of this review paper is to provide readers with information on the turbulent skin friction reduction obtained from many experiments using the MBT. Although the MBT has a penalty for obtaining the microblowing air associated with it, some combinations of the MBT with suction boundary layer control methods are an attractive alternative for a real application. Several computational simulations to understand the flow physics of the MBT are also included. More experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computations are needed for the understanding of the unsteady flow nature of the MBT and the optimization of this new technology.

Harmonic Balance Computations of Fan Aeroelastic Stability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bakhle, Milind A.; Reddy, T. S. R.

2010-01-01

A harmonic balance (HB) aeroelastic analysis, which has been recently developed, was used to determine the aeroelastic stability (flutter) characteristics of an experimental fan. To assess the numerical accuracy of this HB aeroelastic analysis, a time-domain aeroelastic analysis was also used to determine the aeroelastic stability characteristics of the same fan. Both of these three-dimensional analysis codes model the unsteady flowfield due to blade vibrations using the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. In the HB analysis, the unsteady flow equations are converted to a HB form and solved using a pseudo-time marching method. In the time-domain analysis, the unsteady flow equations are solved using an implicit time-marching approach. Steady and unsteady computations for two vibration modes were carried out at two rotational speeds: 100 percent (design) and 70 percent (part-speed). The steady and unsteady results obtained from the two analysis methods compare well, thus verifying the recently developed HB aeroelastic analysis. Based on the results, the experimental fan was found to have no aeroelastic instability (flutter) at the conditions examined in this study.

A harmonic analysis method for unsteady transonic flow and its application to the flutter of airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ehlers, F. E.; Weatherill, W. H.

1982-01-01

A finite difference method for solving the unsteady transonic flow about harmonically oscillating wings is investigated. The procedure is based on separating the velocity potential into steady and unsteady parts and linearizing the resulting unsteady differential equation for small disturbances. The differential equation for the unsteady velocity potential is linear with spatially varying coefficients and with the time variable eliminated by assuming harmonic motion. A study is presented of the shock motion associated with an oscillating airfoil and its representation by the harmonic procedure. The effects of the shock motion and the resulting pressure pulse are shown to be included in the harmonic pressure distributions and the corresponding generalized forces. Analytical and experimental pressure distributions for the NACA 64A010 airfoil are compared for Mach numbers of 0.75, 0.80 and 0.842. A typical section, two-degree-of-freedom flutter analysis of a NACA 64A010 airfoil is performed. The results show a sharp transonic bucket in one case and abrupt changes in instability modes.

Rotating coherent flow structures as a source for narrowband tip clearance noise from axial fans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Tao; Lallier-Daniels, Dominic; Sanjosé, Marlène; Moreau, Stéphane; Carolus, Thomas

2018-03-01

Noise from axial fans typically increases significantly as the tip clearance is increased. In addition to the broadband tip clearance noise at the design flow rate, narrowband humps also associated with the tip flow are observed in the far-field acoustic spectra at lower flow rate. In this study, both experimental and numerical methods are used to shed more light on the noise generation mechanism of this narrowband tip clearance noise and provide a unified description of this source. Unsteady aeroacoustic predictions with the Lattice-Boltzmann Method (LBM) are successfully compared with experiment. Such a validation allows using LBM data to conduct a detailed modal analysis of the pressure field for detecting rotating coherent flow structures which might be considered as noise sources. As previously found in ring fans the narrowband humps in the far-field noise spectra are found to be related to the tip clearance noise that is generated by an interaction of coherent flow structures present in the tip region with the leading edge of the impeller blades. The visualization of the coherent structures shows that they are indeed part of the unsteady tip clearance vortex structures. They are hidden in a complex, spatially and temporally inhomogeneous flow field, but can be recovered by means of appropriate filtering techniques. Their pressure trace corresponds to the so-called rotational instability identified in previous turbomachinery studies, which brings a unified picture of this tip-noise phenomenon for the first time.

Adaptive Harmonic Balance Method for Unsteady, Nonlinear, One-Dimensional Periodic Flows

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-09-01

Design and Implemen- tation. May 1999. REF-2 23. Toro , Eleuterio F . Fiemann Solvers and Numerical Methods for Fluid Dynamics, chapter 15. New York...prominent for high-frequency unsteady-flows. Experimental Analysis of Splitting-induced Error To assess the actual effect of splitting error on a...VITA-1 vi List of Figures Figure Page 1.1. Experimental Pressure Data on Inlet Guide Vane Upstream of Transonic Rotating

Slat Cove Unsteadiness Effect of 3D Flow Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choudhari, Meelan M.; Khorrami, Mehdi R.

2006-01-01

Previous studies have indicated that 2D, time accurate computations based on a pseudo-laminar zonal model of the slat cove region (within the framework of the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations) are inadequate for predicting the full unsteady dynamics of the slat cove flow field. Even though such computations could capture the large-scale, unsteady vorticity structures in the slat cove region without requiring any external forcing, the simulated vortices were excessively strong and the recirculation zone was unduly energetic in comparison with the PIV measurements for a generic high-lift configuration. To resolve this discrepancy and to help enable physics based predictions of slat aeroacoustics, the present paper is focused on 3D simulations of the slat cove flow over a computational domain of limited spanwise extent. Maintaining the pseudo-laminar approach, current results indicate that accounting for the three-dimensionality of flow fluctuations leads to considerable improvement in the accuracy of the unsteady, nearfield solution. Analysis of simulation data points to the likely significance of turbulent fluctuations near the reattachment region toward the generation of broadband slat noise. The computed acoustic characteristics (in terms of the frequency spectrum and spatial distribution) within short distances from the slat resemble the previously reported, subscale measurements of slat noise.

A comparative study of Rosenbrock-type and implicit Runge-Kutta time integration for discontinuous Galerkin method for unsteady 3D compressible Navier-Stokes equations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Xiaodong; Xia, Yidong; Luo, Hong

A comparative study of two classes of third-order implicit time integration schemes is presented for a third-order hierarchical WENO reconstructed discontinuous Galerkin (rDG) method to solve the 3D unsteady compressible Navier-Stokes equations: — 1) the explicit first stage, single diagonally implicit Runge-Kutta (ESDIRK3) scheme, and 2) the Rosenbrock-Wanner (ROW) schemes based on the differential algebraic equations (DAEs) of Index-2. Compared with the ESDIRK3 scheme, a remarkable feature of the ROW schemes is that, they only require one approximate Jacobian matrix calculation every time step, thus considerably reducing the overall computational cost. A variety of test cases, ranging from inviscid flowsmore » to DNS of turbulent flows, are presented to assess the performance of these schemes. Here, numerical experiments demonstrate that the third-order ROW scheme for the DAEs of index-2 can not only achieve the designed formal order of temporal convergence accuracy in a benchmark test, but also require significantly less computing time than its ESDIRK3 counterpart to converge to the same level of discretization errors in all of the flow simulations in this study, indicating that the ROW methods provide an attractive alternative for the higher-order time-accurate integration of the unsteady compressible Navier-Stokes equations.« less