\tThe Space Technology Research Grants Program will accelerate the development of "push" technologies to support the future space science and exploration needs of NASA, other government agencies and the commercial space sector. Innovative efforts with high risk and high payoff will be encouraged. The program is composed of two competitively awarded components.
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":69,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36658,"title":"Space Technology Research Grants","acronymOrTitle":"STRG"},"description":"Background: Shape morphing, high temperature, ceramic structural materials are now becoming available and can revolutionize ground testing by providing dynamic flow capabilities to wind tunnels. 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The particular design of the throat allows for both symmetric flows (where only the inviscid, variable Mach number core is important) and asymmetric flows (where boundary layer effects and shockwave interactions are important). Key Objectives: The goal of the proposed research program is to model computationally and verify experimentally the behavior of the flow through the contours and nozzle geometries associated with the shape-morphing ceramic hypersonic wind tunnel. For example, a shape morphing free jet wind tunnel might employ either a lenticular or quadricorn shaped throat to avoid sliding seals. Both symmetric and asymmetric flows will be investigated. In particular, answers to the following questions will be sought: I) How robust is the response of the flow to changes in throat shape or size, the expansion contour and the length of the expansion region? II) What is the quality of the flow structures resulting from changes in throat shape or size? III) How well do the models predict the flow properties and are there dynamic instabilities that occur due to pressure variations associated with the cusp shapes involved? IV) Is it possible to generate high quality asymmetric flows from an asymmetric opening? Methods/Techniques: The student will develop theoretical (analytical) and computational (computational fluid dynamics) models of the flow field downstream of the throat for purposes of predicting the flow field’s response to changes in throat shape and size. The emphasis will be to answer questions I, II, III and IV from a modeling standpoint. Using the hypersonic wind tunnel facilities at Princeton University, the student will experimentally validate the theoretical and computational models by measuring the flow field with laser-based quantitative velocimetry techniques. The goal will be to answer questions I, II, III and IV from an experimental standpoint. It would also be highly desirable to test the shape-morphing throat at larger scales and higher enthalpies than possible with Princeton University’s wind tunnels. This could be accomplished by testing different throat profiles in a wind tunnel such as the Arc-Heated Scramjet Test Facility at NASA LaRC. Significance: The proposed research will demonstrate the ability of a shape-morphing ceramic hypersonic wind tunnel to provide high speed, high temperature, variable Mach number, symmetric and asymmetric flow of sufficient quality to test articles. Such a wind tunnel would allow for testing of combined cycle air breathing propulsion systems through their ramjet to scramjet mode transition. Furthermore, the wind tunnel would also offer high enthalpy, variable Mach number testing capability for non-scramjet applications such as reentry capsules, delta wings and missiles. In general, the shape-morphing ceramic wind tunnel is expected to lead to enhanced capability for ground based test centers.","benefits":"The proposed research will demonstrate the ability of a shape-morphing ceramic hypersonic wind tunnel to provide high speed, high temperature, variable Mach number, symmetric and asymmetric flow of sufficient quality to test articles. Such a wind tunnel would allow for testing of combined cycle air breathing propulsion systems through their ramjet to scramjet mode transition. Furthermore, the wind tunnel would also offer high enthalpy, variable Mach number testing capability for non-scramjet applications such as reentry capsules, delta wings and missiles. 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","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":69,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36658,"title":"Space Technology Research Grants","acronymOrTitle":"STRG"},"description":"Background: Shape morphing, high temperature, ceramic structural materials are now becoming available and can revolutionize ground testing by providing dynamic flow capabilities to wind tunnels. The use of ceramic materials permits the wind tunnels to be run at high temperatures. Teledyne Scientific Company is currently developing shape-morphing ceramic hypersonic wind tunnels under an OSD Test & Evaluation/Science & Technology Program. The Applied Physics Group at Princeton University will be providing advisory support for computational modeling and technical support for experimental verification of free jet wind tunnel concepts. The NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship will fund the student’s research into the modeling and verification of flows that are characteristic of generic shapes associated with these concepts. The key technology of the wind tunnel is a shape-morphing throat made from a woven ceramic material. The shape-morphing throat allows for the area ratio and thus Mach number to be varied. The particular design of the throat allows for both symmetric flows (where only the inviscid, variable Mach number core is important) and asymmetric flows (where boundary layer effects and shockwave interactions are important). Key Objectives: The goal of the proposed research program is to model computationally and verify experimentally the behavior of the flow through the contours and nozzle geometries associated with the shape-morphing ceramic hypersonic wind tunnel. For example, a shape morphing free jet wind tunnel might employ either a lenticular or quadricorn shaped throat to avoid sliding seals. Both symmetric and asymmetric flows will be investigated. In particular, answers to the following questions will be sought: I) How robust is the response of the flow to changes in throat shape or size, the expansion contour and the length of the expansion region? II) What is the quality of the flow structures resulting from changes in throat shape or size? III) How well do the models predict the flow properties and are there dynamic instabilities that occur due to pressure variations associated with the cusp shapes involved? IV) Is it possible to generate high quality asymmetric flows from an asymmetric opening? Methods/Techniques: The student will develop theoretical (analytical) and computational (computational fluid dynamics) models of the flow field downstream of the throat for purposes of predicting the flow field’s response to changes in throat shape and size. The emphasis will be to answer questions I, II, III and IV from a modeling standpoint. Using the hypersonic wind tunnel facilities at Princeton University, the student will experimentally validate the theoretical and computational models by measuring the flow field with laser-based quantitative velocimetry techniques. The goal will be to answer questions I, II, III and IV from an experimental standpoint. It would also be highly desirable to test the shape-morphing throat at larger scales and higher enthalpies than possible with Princeton University’s wind tunnels. This could be accomplished by testing different throat profiles in a wind tunnel such as the Arc-Heated Scramjet Test Facility at NASA LaRC. Significance: The proposed research will demonstrate the ability of a shape-morphing ceramic hypersonic wind tunnel to provide high speed, high temperature, variable Mach number, symmetric and asymmetric flow of sufficient quality to test articles. Such a wind tunnel would allow for testing of combined cycle air breathing propulsion systems through their ramjet to scramjet mode transition. Furthermore, the wind tunnel would also offer high enthalpy, variable Mach number testing capability for non-scramjet applications such as reentry capsules, delta wings and missiles. 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At Princeton, under the supervision of Prof. Richard Miles, I worked on two related projects. The first project investigated the use of shapemorphing structures to control high-speed internal airflows. I upgraded a small-scale, supersonic, shape-morphing nozzle in preparation for evaluating its ability to dynamically optimize the airflow delivered to the test section in a blow-down facility. The work has ramifications for improving the reliability and performance of hypersonic propulsion systems. The second project developed a diagnostics approach for both NASA and the shape-morphing component. Together with NASA, this project sought to characterize the low-temperature performance of a laser-based method for measuring airflow velocities known as femtosecond laser electronic excitation tagging (FLEET). With additional guidance from Dr. Mikhail Shneider, I modeled the chemical processes responsible for FLEET’s fluorescent signal and performed experiments to refine the model. The effort will aid in predicting and explaining the behavior of the FLEET signal in cryogenic wind tunnels and in cold supersonic flows. At NASA Langley, under the direction of Dr. Paul Danehy, I worked on three projects related to FLEET. The first project sought to characterize the measurement precision of FLEET and tradeoffs in camera technologies in preparation for the deployment of FLEET in the NASA 0.3- Meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel. The second project employed FLEET to measure the oscillating airflow associated with a transonic flow control device, helping elucidate the physics behind its operation. The third and longest duration project involved the design and assembly of an experimental apparatus to explore the performance of FLEET and other laser-based diagnostics in low-temperature and low-pressure environments. The FLEET model developed at Princeton can be compared to data acquired in this apparatus. Furthermore, this small-scale apparatus enables rapid, low-cost testing of laser-based diagnostic methods prior to their deployment for applications in full-scale wind tunnels.","infoText":"Closed out","infoTextExtra":"Project closed out","isIndirect":false,"infusionPretty":"","isBiDirectional":false,"technologyOutcomeDateString":"Jul 2017","technologyOutcomeDateFullString":"July 2017","technologyOutcomePartnerPretty":"","technologyOutcomePathPretty":"Closed Out","technologyOutcomeRationalePretty":""}],"libraryItems":[{"files":[],"libraryItemId":363853,"title":"Kinetics model of femtosecond laser ionization in nitrogen and comparison to experiment","libraryItemType":"Link","url":"http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.5098306","projectId":91455,"isPrimary":false,"internalOnly":false,"publishedDateString":"","entryDateString":"01/28/25 02:02 AM","libraryItemTypePretty":"Link","modifiedDateString":"01/28/25 02:02 AM"},{"files":[],"libraryItemId":363852,"title":"Project Website","libraryItemType":"Link","url":"https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/home/index.html","projectId":91455,"internalOnly":false,"publishedDateString":"","entryDateString":"01/22/25 01:10 AM","libraryItemTypePretty":"Link","modifiedDateString":"10/25/24 02:23 PM"}],"states":[{"abbreviation":"NJ","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"New Jersey","stateTerritoryId":28,"isTerritory":false}],"endDateString":"Jul 2017","startDateString":"Jun 2015"}}