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An investigation has been performed of the flow in a supersonic through-flow fan blade cascade. The blade shapes are those of the baseline supersonic through-flow fan (STFF) under investigation at the NASA Lewis Research Center. Measurements were made at an inlet Mach number of 2.36 over a 15° range of incidence. Flowfield wave patterns were recorded using spark shadowgraph photography and steady-state instrumentation was used to measure blade surface pressure distributions and downstream total and static pressure distributions. A two-dimensional LDV system was used to map the downstream flowfield. From these measurements, the integrated loss coefficients are presented as a function of incidence angle along with analysis indicating the source of losses in the STFF cascade. The results are compared with calculations made using a two-dimensional, cell-centered, finite-volume, Navier-Stokes code with upwind options. Good general agreement is found at design conditions, with lesser agreement at off-design conditions. Analysis of the leading edge shock shows that the leading edge radius is a major source of losses in STFF blades. Losses from the leading edge bluntness are convected downstream into the blade wake, and are difficult to distinguish from viscous losses. Shock losses are estimated to account for 70% to 80% of the losses in the STFF cascade. / Ph. D.

A comprehensive study of the flowfield through a two-dimensional cascade of the high pressure turbine blades of a jet engine is presented. The main interest is the measurement and prediction of the mass-averaged total pressure losses. Other experiments, such as flow visualization, are aimed at the validation of the code that was used to obtain the numerical results and also to further knowledge about the details of the loss generation. The experimental studies were carried out on a cascade of eleven blades in a blow-down tunnel. Total pressure measurements were taken upstream of the cascade and also by traversing on downstream planes. The static pressures needed for the mass averaging and the probe bow shock correction were obtained by pressure taps on the cascade tunnel side wall. The static pressure was also measured on the surface of some instrumented blades. Shadowgraph pictures were taken for study of the trailing edge shock structure and for the turbulent transition location. A single-plate interferometer technique was used for density field measurements. The major goal of the numerical studies was the prediction of the mass-averaged total pressure losses, but all other measured quantities were also generated from the computed flowfield. A critical issue was the generation of a proper grid. For the studied type of flow, a non-periodic C-type grid turned out to be the most advantageous. For use in the moderately compressible attached turbulent boundary layer, a Clauser-type eddy viscosity model was developed and tested. In the trailing edge and wake region, the Baldwin-Lomax model was used. Good agreement of calculations and measurements was obtained for the blade surface and cascade tunnel side wall static pressures, the trailing edge shock structure, and the density field. The agreement between the measured and calculated total pressure drop profiles was not quite as good; however, that quantity is known to be difficult to predict accurately. The mass-averaged total pressure loss coefficient, calculated from the total pressure drop profiles, was again in good agreement with the measurements. The difference between the measured and computed total pressure drop profiles suggested that the Baldwin-Lomax model underpredicted the eddy viscosity in the trailing edge region. / Ph. D.

Pressure signals were taken on a rotor blade surface of a single-stage, low-speed axial flow compressor. The data showed unsteady, stationary pressure perturbations that correlated with the locations of five large downstream support struts. In the present work, these data are thoroughly analysed. Strut-induced pressure amplitudes as measured on the rotor are presented as a function of the downstream strut locations. Unsteady lift and moment are calculated by integrating the pressures measured by the blade-mounted transducers. In addition, a sequence of instantaneous pressure distributions on the blade surfaces presented over time shows how the rotor is influenced by the potential effect of the struts. The strut is shown to produce a significant effect on rotor flow. This effect exceeds the unsteady stator effect at design rotor-stator-strut spacing, but falls off rapidly as the struts are moved downstream. / M.S.

Yes / The estimation of Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) cutters wear has been an area of concern for the drilling industry for years now. The cutter's wear has been measured practically by pulling the bit out for evaluation at the surface. It is important to find the right time for tripping out as this helps to avoid the fishing job and reduces the operational cost significantly. The prediction of the drilling performance is based on the interaction of cutter and rock. Several authors focused on the cutter-rock interface but only a few researchers tried to model the wear of the PDC bit cutters. The aim of this research is to understand the relationships between the rate of penetration (ROP) and the drilling variables per each foot, and then determine the overall bit efficiency for the whole drilling operation. A new mathematical model is derived to predict the PDC bit performance by considering the factors that were already not taken into account. These factors include rock strength, bit design, and bit hydraulic. The model investigates the effect of these parameters to estimate the abrasive cutters wear on the inner and the outer bit cones by deriving modified equations to calculate the mechanical specific energy (MSE), torque, and depth of cut (DOC) as a function of effective blades (EB). The model is used to forecast the bit cutters wear conditions in four wells in the oil fields located in Libya, which were drilled with three different PDC's sizes. The model enables the results to be compared to the actual bit cutters wear measured for inner and outer cones. The results are found that are well in agreement with the actual field data obtained in bit records. / Financial support from ministry of higher education in Libya.

The design of a cascade wind tunnel for testing of compressor blades at high angle of attack is described. Methods to insure uniform velocity profiles and control of inlet turbulence are discussed. The problem of maintaining two-dimensional flows at high angle of attack was addressed. A tunnel capable of testing cascades of compressor blades at angles of attack up to seventy-five degrees was constructed. Performance of the tunnel was evaluated and data were acquired for flow over double-circular-arc blades with angles of attack extending into the fully-stalled region. Comparisons were made with available data in the installed flow regime. Results showed that the tunnel had adequately uniform inlet velocities and low turbulence levels, and that two-dimensional flow was maintained over the center two-thirds of the high-aspect ratio blades. / Master of Science

The finite element method is applied to an isolated and twisted wind turbine blade which is rotating in a vertical plane to determine its structural dynamic characteristics. The equations of motion are formulated for a rotating beam with flap and lead-lag degrees of freedom subjected to nonsymmetric bending. Using a variational approach, a blade finite clement is developed from these equations of motion. Additionally, expressions are formulated for the elastic strain energy and kinetic energy of a rotating wind turbine blade. Lagrange's equation is applied to these energy expressions and an isoparametric finite element based on three dimensional elasticity and quadratic interpolation functions is developed. Both sets of finite element equations are implemented in a general purpose computer program to solve the structural dynamics eigenvalue problem and results compare favorably with published data for the cases of a nontwisted cantilevered beam both at rest and while rotating. A blade finite element model of a 10KW horizontal axis wind turbine blade is presented and its lowest modes of vibration are calculated for the cases of the blade at rest and in operation at rotor speeds up to 250 RPM. / M.S.

A facility for the investigation of stall flutter in aircraft engine compressors and fans was designed. Stall flutter was achieved in the test fan and verified through sonic and photographic methods. The frequency components of the sonic output during flutter were determined using a real-time analyzer. This frequency analysis indicated a dominant peak within 7 percent of the theoretical torsional natural frequency of the blades. Photographs taken during stall flutter indicated the presence of an interblade phase angle. The effect of blade stagger angle, flow incidence angle and solidity on flutter speed was determined. / Master of Science

The influence of tip clearance and angle of attack upon the mid-span unsteady pressure response of a vibrating flat plate was investigated experimentally. Unsteady pressure measurements were taken for a variety of incidence angles, vibration frequencies and tip clearances over a Mach number range of 0.2 to 0.6. It was found that changes in tip clearance had an effect on measured pressure fluctuations at higher angles of attack and larger Mach numbers. It was also observed that the amplitude of the unsteady pressure increased as the incidence angle was increased. The plate was mechanically induced to oscillate in translation, simulating the flISt bending mode. Averaged Fast Fourier Transforms were used to determine pressure oscillation amplitudes and phase lags with respect to the plate motion. / Master of Science