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Notched spoilers may be used to suppress flow-induced cavity resonance in vehicles with open sunroofs or side windows. The notches are believed to generate streamwise vortices that break down the structure of the leading edge cross-stream vortices predominantly responsible for the cavity excitation. The objectives of the present study were to gain a better understanding of the buffeting suppression mechanisms associated with notched spoilers, and to gather data for computational model verification. To this end, experiments were performed to characterize the surface pressure field downstream of straight and notched spoilers mounted on a rigid wall to observe the effects of the notches on the static and dynamic wall pressure. Detailed flow velocity measurements were made using hot-wire anemometry. The results indicated that the presence of notches on the spoiler reduces drag, and thus tends to move the flow reattachment location closer to the spoiler.

There has always been, from the very first UAV, a need for providing cost-effective methods of deploying unmanned aircraft systems at high altitudes. Missions for UAVs at high altitudes are used to conduct atmospheric research, perform global mapping missions, collect remote sensing data, and establish long range communications networks. The team of Gevers Aircraft, Technology Management Group, and Purdue University have designed an innovative balloon launched UAV for these near space applications. A UAV (Payload Return Vehicle) with a nested morphing wing was designed in order to meet the challenges of high altitude flight, and long range and endurance without the need for descent rate control with rockets or a feathering mode.

The method of multiple reference frames is employed in the development of a state variable model for brushless DC drives with non-sinusoidal back emf waveforms. This model has the desirable features of being valid for transient and steady-state analysis as well as having state variables that are constant in the steady-state. The model facilitates both nonlinear and linear system analysis and control design. Computer simulation and experimental data are included to validate the analysis.

A track-type grapple log skidder was dynamically modeled to allow machine modification by computer to determine the effects of these modifications on the operation of the machine in the forest. The model consisted of an undercarriage, power train, log/drag force, and logging equipment (arch and grapple). This skidder had three types of logging attachments: winch, swinging boom (grapple), and single-function arch (grapple). Each was modeled and simulated under various conditions. The dynamic model of the skidder can be used to analyze its drawbar pull capability and lateral stability with various log weights and soil types on steep slopes. Validation of this model is needed later.

Swirl in Diesel engines is known to be an important parameter that affects the mixing of the fuel jets, heat release, emissions, and overall engine performance. The changes may be brought about through interactions of the swirling flow field with the spray and through modifications of the flow field. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interaction of the swirl with sprays in a Diesel engine through a computational study. A multi-dimensional model for flows, sprays, and combustion in engines is employed. Results from computations are reported with varying levels of swirl and initial turbulence in two typical Diesel engine geometries. It is shown that there is an optimal level of swirl for each geometry that results from a balance between increased jet surface area and, hence, mixing rates and utilization of air in the chamber.

The damping effect that is observed when a fibrous acoustical treatment is applied to a thin metal panel typical of automotive structures has been modeled by using three independent techniques. In the first two methods the fibrous treatment was modeled by using the limp frame formulation proposed by Bolton et al., while the third method makes use of a general poro-elastic model based on the Biot theory. All three methods have been found to provide consistent predictions that are in excellent agreement with one another. An examination of the numerical results shows that the structural damping effect results primarily from the suppression of the nearfield acoustical motion within the fibrous treatment, that motion being closely coupled with the vibration of the base panel. The observed damping effect is similar in magnitude to that provided by constrained layer dampers having the same mass per unit area as the fibrous layer.

A synchronous machine model is set forth that simultaneously incorporates magnetizing path saturation, leakage saturation, and transfer function representations of the rotor circuits. A parameter identification procedure consisting of voltage step tests as well as standstill frequency response tests is described. The model's predictions are validated using the Naval Combat Survivability Generation and Propulsion test bed.

In Diesel engines, the vapor phase of the fuel jet is known to impinge on the walls. This impingement is likely to have an effect on mixing characteristics, the structure of the diffusion flame and on pollutant formation and oxidation. These effects have not been studied in detail in the literature. In this work, the structure of a laminar wall jet that is generated from the impingement of a free laminar jet on a wall is discussed. We study the laminar jet with the belief that the local structure of the reaction zone in the turbulent reacting jet is that of a laminar flame. Results from non-reacting and reacting jets will be presented. In the case of the non-reacting jets, the focus of the inquiry is on assessing the accuracy of the computed results by comparing them with analytical results. Velocity profiles in the wall jet, growth rates of the half-width of the jet and penetration rates are presented.

One dominant “wind noise” generating mechanism in road vehicles is the interaction between turbulent flows and flexible structures which include side glass windows. In this study, the effects of seal mechanical properties on the sound generated from flow-induced vibration of side glass windows were investigated. The primary goal was to assess the influence of seal support properties on the noise generated from a plate. Two different models to calculate the optimal support stiffness of the seal that minimizes the velocity response are presented. The results show that both the velocity response and the sound radiation are strongly influenced by dissipation of vibration energy at the edges. It is demonstrate that support tuning can yield significant noise and vibration reduction.

Sound transmission through door and window sealing systems is one important contributor to vehicle interior noise. The noise generation mechanism involves the vibration of the seal due to the unsteady wall pressures associated with the turbulent flow over the vehicle. For bulb seals, sound transmission through the seal is governed by the resonance of the seal membranes and the air cavity within the bulb (the so-called mass-air-mass resonance). The objective of this study was to develop a finite element (FE) model to predict the sound transmission loss of elastomeric bulb seals. The model was then exercized to perform a parametric study of the influence of seveal seal design parameters. The results suggest that the sound transmission loss increases as the membrane thicknesses and/or the separation distance between the two seal walls are increased. The addition of additional internal “webs” was found to have adverse effects on the sound barrier performance.

A analytical technique for predicting the aerodynamic performance of propellers with tip devices (proplets) using vortex lattice method shows that the ideal efficiency of a fixed diameter propeller can be improved by 1-5%. By suitable orientation and sweep of the proplet, the noise analysis method presented predicts that propellers with tip devices will have approximately the same noise as propellers without tip devices. Therefore proplets can be added to a fixed diameter propeller to improve the efficiency with no increase in noise or the noise may be reduced by decreasing the diameter with no loss in aerodynamic efficiency.

A vortex lattice method for the aerodynamic analysis of counter-rotation propellers was developed. This model along with an unsteady Sears analysis for correcting the quasi-steady loadings that are obtained from the vortex lattice model were used to predict the performance of counter-rotation propeller systems. The method developed shows good correlation with experimental results. The investigation into the unsteady loadings on each of the propellers indicates that significant variations in loading occur due to the unsteady flow and due to the propeller blade passage. These variations were found to be as high as 17 percent of the mean value. The parametric studies that were performed indicate that reducing the rear propeller's diameter or rotational speed results in a loss of efficiency.

In the past decades, automotive structure design has sought to minimize its mass while maintaining or improving structural performance. As such, topology optimization (TO) has become an increasingly popular tool during the conceptual design stage. While the designs produced by TO methods provide significant performance-to-mass ratio improvements, they require considerable computational resources when solving large-scale problems. An alternative for large-scale problems is to decompose the design domain into multiple scales that are coupled with homogenization. The problem can then be solved with hierarchical multiscale topology optimization (MSTO). The resulting optimal, homogenized macroscales are de-homogenized to obtain a high-fidelity, physically-realizable design. Even so MSTO methods are still computationally expensive due to the combined costs of solving nested optimization problems and performing de-homogenization.

Typically, average-value models of power system components neglect harmonic information. Herein, a systematic method of including harmonic information in average-value models based on the theory of multiple reference frames is set forth. Computer simulation results show that when there is significant harmonic distortion of the ac distribution bus the models presented herein are more accurate than traditional average-value models. Furthermore, much of the computational advantage of average-value techniques over detailed modeling techniques is retained.

In this research, excitation strategies for a salient-pole wound rotor synchronous machine are explored using a magnetic equivalent circuit model that includes core loss. It is shown that the excitation obtained is considerably different than would be obtained using traditional qd-based models. However, through evaluation of the resulting ‘optimal’ excitation, a relatively straightforward field-oriented type control is developed that is consistent with a desire for efficiency yet control simplicity. Validation is achieved through hardware experiment. The usefulness/applicability of the simplified control to variable speed applications is then considered.

Accurate modeling of the transient structure of reacting diesel jets is important as transient features like autoignition, flame propagation, and flame stabilization have been shown to correlate with combustion efficiency and pollutant formation. In this work, results from Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations of flame lift-off in diesel jets are examined to provide insight into the lift-off physics. The large eddy simulation (LES) technique is also used to computationally model a lifted jet flame at conditions representative of those encountered in diesel engines. An unsteady flamelet progress variable (UFPV) model is used as the turbulent combustion model in both RANS simulations and LES. In the model, a look-up table of reaction source terms is generated as a function of mixture fraction Z, stoichiometric scalar dissipation rate Xst, and progress variable Cst by solving the unsteady flamelet equations.

The formation of ice on aircraft is a highly dynamic process during which ice will expand and contract upon freezing and undergoing changes in temperature. Finite element analysis (FEA) simulations were performed investigating the stress/strain response of an idealized ice sample bonded to an acrylic substrate subjected to a uniform temperature change. The FEA predictions were used to guide the placement of strain gages on custom-built acrylic and aluminum specimens. Tee rosettes were placed in two configurations adjacent to thermocouple sensors. The specimens were then placed in icing conditions such that ice was grown on top of the specimen. It was hypothesized that the ice would expand on freezing and contract as the temperature of the interface returned to the equilibrium conditions.

Gas engines often utilize a small-volume pre-chamber in which fuel is injected at near stoichiometric condition to produce a hot turbulent jet which then ignites the lean mixture in the main chamber. Hot jet ignition has several advantages over traditional spark ignition, e.g., more reliable ignition of extra-lean mixtures and more surface area for ignition resulting in faster burning and improved combustion burn time. Our previous experimental results show that supersonic jets could extend the lean flammability limit of fuel/air mixtures in the main chamber in comparison to subsonic jets. The present paper investigated the characteristics of supersonic hot jets generated by combustion of stoichiometric H2/air in a pre-chamber to understand the ignition mechanism of ultra-lean mixtures by supersonic hot jets.

The basic idea behind large-eddy simulation (LES) is to accurately resolve the large energy-containing scales and to use subgrid-scale (SGS) models for the smaller scales. The accuracy of LES can be significantly impacted by the numerical discretization schemes and the choice of the SGS model. This work investigates the accuracy of low-order LES codes in the simulation of a turbulent round jet which is representative of fuel jets in engines. The turbulent jet studied is isothermal with a Reynolds number of 6800. It is simulated using Converge, which is second-order accurate in space and first-order in time, and FLEDS, developed at Purdue University, which is sixth-order accurate in space and fourth-order in time. The high-order code requires the resolution of acoustic time-scales and hence is approximately 10 times more expensive than the low-order code.