Esker, Barbara

NASA Technical Reports Server

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
www.nasa.gov
NASA Aeronautics
Propulsion Overview
Barbara Esker
Deputy Director, Fundamental Aeronautics Program
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
September 2012
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20120015551 2019-08-30T22:28:15+00:00Z
Outline
• NASA Aeronautics Overview & Goals
• Performance - Technical Highlights
2
NASA Aeronautics Investment Strategy
Fundamental Research
System Level Research 
“Seedling” Fund
Technology 
Transfer
Technology 
Transfer
Enabling “Game Changing” concepts and technologies
ARMD Principles
• Valuing innovation and technical excellence
• Aligning our research to ensure a strong 
relevance to national needs
• Transferring technology in a timely and robust 
manner
• Maintaining strong partnerships with other 
government agencies, industry and academia
• Inspiring the next generation of engineers & 
researchers
3
NASA Aeronautics Programs
Fundamental 
Aeronautics Program
Aviation Safety Program
Airspace Systems Program
Integrated 
Systems
Research Program
Aeronautics Test Program
Conduct fundamental research that 
will produce innovative concepts, 
tools, and technologies to enable 
revolutionary changes for vehicles 
that fly in all speed regimes.
Conduct cutting-edge research that will produce 
innovative concepts, tools, and technologies to improve 
the intrinsic safety attributes of current and future aircraft.
Directly address the fundamental ATM 
research needs for NextGen by 
developing revolutionary concepts, 
capabilities, and technologies that 
will enable significant increases 
in the capacity, efficiency and 
flexibility of the NAS.
Conduct research at an integrated 
system-level on promising concepts and 
technologies and explore/assess/demonstrate 
the benefits in a relevant environment
Preserve and promote the testing capabilities of 
one of the United States’ largest, most versatile 
and comprehensive set of flight and ground-based 
research facilities.
Providing a Vision for Aviation
2010
2015
(5 yrs)
2020
(10 yrs)
2030
(20 yrs)
Technology 
development
to enable 
design trades
Fundamental 
research
today
NASA’s Approach
• Stimulate thinking in industry and 
academia on revolutionary aircraft 
solutions
• Determine high-payoff technologies & 
research opportunities
• Address energy efficiency, environmental 
compatibility, and operations goals
• Fundamental Research portfolio robust to 
many possible futures
NASA’s Contribution
• Providing vision and focus for the 
fundamental research needed today to 
enable the far term outcomes/products, 
but with possibility of near/mid term 
impact
Challenges for Future Commercial Aircraft
Sample Technologies
• Engine ultra high bypass ratios
• Small, high efficiency core engines
• Higher aspect ratio and laminar flow wings
• Alternative energy: conventional/biofuel/hybrid electric
The Need
• Identify advanced airframe and propulsion concepts 
and enabling technologies
• Guidance for future NASA investments in fundamental 
research
Aeronautics Strategic Guidance
• National Aeronautics R&D Policy (Dec 2006) 
and Plan (Dec 2007, Feb 2010), 
– Mobility through the air is vital…
– Aviation is vital to national security and homeland 
defense
– Assuring energy availability and efficiency is 
central… and The environment must be 
protected…
• NASA Strategic Plan
– Strategic Goal 4:  Advance aeronautics research 
for societal benefit.
– Strategic Outcome 4.1: Develop innovative 
solutions and advanced technologies through a 
balanced research portfolio to improve current 
and future air transportation. 
• NextGen: The Next Generation Air 
Transportation System
– Joint Planning Development Office (JPDO), Vision 
100 (2003)
– Revolutionary transformation of the airspace, the 
vehicles that fly in it, and their operations, safety, 
and environmental impact
6
Fundamental Aeronautics Program (FY13+)
Rotary Wing (RW)
Develop and validate tools, technologies and concepts 
to overcome key barriers for rotary wing vehicles.
7
Fixed Wing (FW)
Explore and develop technologies, and concepts for 
improved energy efficiency and environmental 
compatibility of fixed wing, subsonic transports.
High Speed (HS)
Tool and technology development and validation to 
address challenges in high speed flight.
Aeronautical Sciences (AS)
Enable fast, efficient design & analysis of advanced 
aviation systems by developing physics-based tools and 
methods for cross-cutting technologies. 
Conduct fundamental research that will generate 
innovative concepts, tools, technologies and 
knowledge to enable revolutionary advances for 
a wide range of air vehicles.
Fundamental Aeronautics Program
Aviation Safety Program
Aviation Safety Program 8
Program Goal:  Proactively identify, develop, and mature tools, methods, and technologies for 
improving overall aircraft safety of new and legacy vehicles operating in NextGen
Projects
Unsafe
Unsafe
• Atmospheric Environment Safety Technologies (AEST)
“Deal with the presence of atmospheric risks”
– Investigate sources of risk and provide technology needed to help 
ensure safe flight in and around atmospheric hazards
• Vehicle Systems Safety Technologies (VSST)
“Maintain and improve vehicle safety in key areas”
– Identify risks and provide knowledge needed to avoid, detect, 
mitigate, and recover from hazardous flight conditions, and to 
maintain vehicle airworthiness and health
• System-Wide Safety and Assurance Technologies (SSAT)
“Assure system-wide safety”
– Provide knowledge, concepts, and methods to proactively manage 
increasing complexity in the design and operation of vehicles and 
the air transportation systems
Program Goal:
Pursue innovative solutions to high priority aeronautical needs 
and accelerate implementation by the aviation community 
through integrated system level research on promising concepts 
and technologies, demonstrated in a relevant environment.  
Integrated Systems Research Program
Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project
Mature technologies and study vehicle concepts that together 
can simultaneously meet the NASA Subsonic Transport 
System Level Metrics for noise, emissions and fuel burn in the 
N+2 timeframe.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration in the 
National Airspace System (NAS) Project
Capitalizing on NASA’s unique capabilities, the project will 
utilize integrated system level tests in a relevant environment 
to eliminate or reduce critical technical barriers of integrating 
Unmanned Aircraft Systems into the National Airspace System
By focusing on technologies that have already proven their merit at the fundamental 
research level, this program helps transition them more quickly to the aviation 
community, as well as inform future fundamental research needs
9Integrated Systems Research Program
10
Fundamental 
Research Partners
Industry
Academia
Non-Profit
Other 
Government
Foreign
Internal
External 
Research 
Community
Seedling 
Fund
NASA 
input
Idea Generation Internal
ARMD
Other MD
OCT
Other 
Government
Industry
Transition & 
Maturation
ARMD 
Programs
Research Partnership Examples
ERA Phase 1 FY12 Accomplishments 
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• Semi-span High Speed Ultra High Bypass 
(UHB) Integration Powered Test at the ARC 
11’x11’ Transonic Wind Tunnel first entry 
completed in January 2012. Second entry will 
begin in September.
• PW Geared Turbofan Gen 2 technology test in 
GRC 9’x15’ scheduled to begin mid-
September.
• Advanced nozzle/pylon configurations testing 
completed at the Boeing Low Speed Acoustic 
Facility in December 2011.
• Pratt & Whitney low NOx, 3-sector combustor 
hardware was delivered to GRC in March. 
Testing partially complete in the GRC 
Advanced Subsonic Combustor Rig (ASCR); 
resuming in September. Testing of GE 
hardware to follow the P&W test.
• Gen 1 and Gen 2 Open Rotor Test Campaigns 
completed. Gen 2 Aero and acoustic data with GE and 
FAA delivered week of March 12, 2012.
• First flight of X-48C was completed on August 7, 2012.
Integrated Systems Research Program
Open Rotor Propulsion System Assessment
Adv UHB 
Turbofan
Adv Open 
Rotor
Fuel Burn re 1998 
Reference Vehicle ‐27% ‐36%
Cumulative Noise 
Margin below 
Chapter 4
‐24 dB ‐13 dB
Single-aisle airplane w/rear-
mounted open rotors
System  Assessment Results -
Fuel burn v. noise level  
Problem
Open rotor propulsion systems possess the potential for dramatic 
reductions in fuel burn provided the new generation of blade geometries 
can provide an acceptable acoustic signature
Objective
Independently assess fuel burn & community noise of an open rotor 
system on an advanced, single-aisle (737-class) transport and 
compare with an ultra-high bypass (ducted) turbofan
Approach
- Joint assessment effort between NASA’s ERA and SFW
projects, in collaboration with GE Aviation
- Experimental data from ERA-sponsored scale model tests 
of GE’s modern open rotor blade geometry
- SFW systems analysts modeled/estimated fuel burn 
and noise levels, GE provided cycle data for comparison
- GE and NASA collaborated on development of a
consistent open rotor acoustic prediction methodology 
Results
Open Rotor system shows potential to be more fuel efficient 
than ducted turbofan but with less potential to reduce noise
Significance
Results provide industry and regulatory community data 
from which to make informed decisions on open rotor fuel 
efficiency and noise trade-offs
Open Rotor Propulsion Rig installed in GRC’s
8x6 (left) and 9x15 (right) Wind Tunnels 
Fundamental Aeronautics & Integrated Systems Research Programs
Fundamental Research
System Level Research 
Prior NASA, industry, university 
and NRA Phase I studies, and inlet-
only CFD/experimental research
Early JT15D Distortion (Screen)
Impact Experiments Complete FY12
Virginia Tech
Optimized BLI Inlet Aero
Design Complete TRL 1.5, FY12
Full-Wheel G4 Pre-Baseline
Distorted Inflow/Fan Analysis
Complete TRL 1, FY11
Experiment
Fab Complete
FY13
Phase I Tests
Complete
TRL 3, FY14
Phase II 
Tests
FY15-16
Significance: BLI propulsion could lead to 
substantial reduction in total aircraft fuel burn; Initial 
preparations for potential system-level research 
identified technology gaps and the need for 
additional fundamental research to increase TRL.
Objective:  Determine feasibility and benefits of 
boundary layer ingesting (BLI) propulsion, and 
advance BLI technologies through experimental 
validation of a newly-designed integrated inlet, 
distortion-tolerant fan, and exit guide vane 
combination.
Integrated BLI Inlet / Distortion
Tolerant Fan Design Complete FY13
Systems Study of “Clean 
Wing” N2A-EXTE HWB 
Aircraft with BLI Propulsion
Fundamental & System‐Level Research
BLI Inlet – Distortion‐Tolerant Fan
Fundamental Aeronautics & Integrated Systems Research Programs
AAFEX‐II Experiment Completed
CHALLENGE
Need to determine effects of synthetic alternative fuels on 
aircraft emissions
OBJECTIVE
Perform static aircraft engine testing using Hydrotreated
Renewable Jet (HRJ) and other fuels to determine effects on 
engine performance and emissions. A second objective was 
to examine methodologies for particle sampling to assist the 
SAE –E-31 Aircraft Particle Measurement Subcommittee in 
developing a standard particle sampling technique.
APPROACH
Utilize the NASA DC-8 aircraft at the Dryden Operational Facility in Palmdale, CA to perform emissions 
testing using various alternative fuels and a JP-8 reference fuel and obtain gaseous, solid, and aerosol 
samples for analysis at 1, 30, and 150 meters downstream of the aircraft engine exhaust.  
RESULTS
Over 30 hours of engine testing conducted.
Participants from NASA LaRC, DFRC, and GRC, AFRL, AEDC, MST, NAVY AESO, EPA, P&W, GE, RR, UTRC, 
PSU, as well as several particle instrument measurement companies. 
Gaseous & particulate emissions obtained for neat HRJ, HRJ/JP-8 blend, JP-8, F-T low sulfur, & F-T high sulfur 
fuels. Data obtained from E-31 Particle sampling probes that will be utilized for application to particle 
measurement standard.
SIGNIFICANCE
Results will be used for to determine effects of several alternative fuels and fuel sulfur on engine performance 
& emissions.  Particle sampling methodology experiments will directly support SAE E-31 subcommittee 
development of a standard for particulate sampling. 14
AAFEX-II Test Team
Fundamental Aeronautics Program
Variable‐Speed Power Turbine (VSPT)
• Conceptual & 3-D blade design/analysis (in-
house) completed
• Rolls-Royce and Williams Int. contracts for blade 
design & analysis completed 
• Down-selected Walters-Leylek transition model 
for RANS tools
• GRC Transonic Linear Cascade Facility (CW22 
test cell) selected and modified for VSPT 
component test; testing of incidence-tolerant 
blade set complete
• Rotordynamics evaluation complete
• Collaboration with Army Aviation Applied 
Technology Directorate (AATD); exploring 
applicability to FATE-class engines
Embedded 1.5-stages of VSPT at takeoff 
(NASA in-house)
4-stage VSPT mixing-plane 
computation at design point  
(M. Suchezky, Williams Int’l)
50%-span section
Rolls Royce Liberty Works
Incidence-tolerant blading
First entry in CW-22
Significance:  New innovative concept to 
enable efficient, wide-range turbine operation. 
Fundamental Aeronautics Program
Design and Assessment of Low Noise Nozzles
RRLW Mixer-Ejector 
Concept
Challenge
Develop tools and technologies for future supersonic cruise 
aircraft that have acceptable noise for airport community 
operations 
Objective
Validate acoustic performance of low noise nozzle concepts for 
supersonic airliners that could enter service in the 2025 timeframe 
(N+2 designs)
Accomplishment
Under the N+2 Supersonic Systems Level Validation Study, 
contract partners GE and Rolls Royce N.A. designed noise 
reduction nozzles that work with advanced, 3-stream Variable 
Cycle Engine concepts to greatly reduce jet noise.  A NASA GRC 
facility was modified, adding a third flow stream to an existing test 
rig to enable testing of the new nozzle designs. Testing measured 
nozzle acoustic characteristics using conventional test techniques 
and applied new advanced diagnostic capabilities such as phased 
array microphones and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV).
Significance
Advanced diagnostic data was used to identify internal nozzle flow 
characteristics that were responsible for neither concept meeting 
acoustic performance goals.  Armed with this new knowledge, 
researchers are confident that further design improvement, 
particularly incorporating advanced CFD techniques, will result in 
the achieving the desired noise levels.
N+2 HVC11 (later design) 
Shortfall 
Reduction by 
Inverted Velocity 
Profile (IVP) 
GE Inverted 
Velocity Profile 
Concept
Fundamental Aeronautics Program
1st Generation Off‐Nominal Engine Operation Sensing
Problem
– Ability to diagnose engine faults & off-nominal 
operation between inspections
Objective
– Correlate engine sensors and diagnostics with 
engine fault conditions. 
Approach
– Enhanced Engine Detection and Diagnostics 
enable improved understanding of engine 
health state & end of life degradation, with 
improved real-time failure prediction and 
prognosis. 
– Vehicle Integrated Propulsion Research (VIPR) 
series of tests demonstrates a range of new 
and developing technologies and correlates 
their response as an engine is tested to 
degraded failure.
– Partners: Pratt & Whitney, USAF, FAA
Results
– In VIPR-1 test, diagnostic and sensor systems 
respond as desired to induced fault conditions.
Significance
– VIPR is maturing high temperature engine 
sensor systems that directly monitor engine 
reliability  and anticipate potential critical 
failures. 17Aviation Safety Program
Self diagnostic 
accelerometer & high 
frequency vibration sensors
Emission
s
sensor
Structural 
diagnostics 
of blades, 
disks & shaft
Microwave tip 
clearance sensor
Model-based gas path 
diagnostic architecture
18
Accelerate implementation and enhance the capabilities 
of NextGen
Innovate to close critical gaps in both ATM and vehicles 
to achieve the full potential of NextGen
Lead the country with a vision and revolutionary 
capabilities for the Nation’s future aviation system
NASA Aeronautics is making tangible and compelling 
impact today in all three priorities
NASA Aeronautics’ Priorities
19
19
· • + 
~~ ':.' ~.:~~ 
+ 
Challenge
Develop tools and technologies for future supersonic cruise 
aircraft that achieve high levels of cruise efficiency while 
creating little or no sonic boom disturbance on the ground.
Objective
Validate effectiveness of a new technology (Micro Flow Control 
devices), incorporated in an advanced inlet concept, to improve 
performance and flow quality in low-boom supersonic inlets.
Milestone Accomplishments
Research effectively combined the capabilities of the NASA 
team with NRA and collaborative partners to complete an 
extensive parametric design study; fabricate a complex test 
model and conduct an extensive and efficient test program in 
GRC 8x6 Wind Tunnel. Initial design effort relied extensively on 
the application of sophisticated CFD analysis to establish the 
effectiveness of the flow control devices.  Wind tunnel tests 
provided an extensive validation database through the use of 
advanced imaging techniques. 
Significance
New design tools and approaches for supersonic propulsion 
inlets developed and proven.  Advanced flow control devices 
demonstrated to improve inlet performance and reduce 
complexity. These new capabilities are critical to enable future 
design of efficient, quiet supersonic airliners.
Advanced Inlet Design for Supersonic Aircraft
Fundamental Aeronautics Program
High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor (HECC)
• Pre-test grid-generation and URANS CFD (CC3 
reference compressor & HECC) completed; post-test 
CFD on-going
• High-response p0-probe developed
• Completed detailed mapping of HECC compressor in 
CE-18. Data collected at corrected speed lines between 
55% and 104%, at multiple impeller-to-shroud tip-gap 
settings.
(cost-shared effort with UTRC)
Flow Angle from High-Response p0 Probe Data Significance:  Knowledge gain 
will advance the SOA 
compressor technology to 
enable new lighter weight/high 
efficiency compressor needed 
to power the next generation of 
variable speed rotors.
Fundamental Aeronautics Program


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