Engineering topics

Eppler, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Eppler, R..

8 records

NASA NTRS1984

The design of sport and touring aircraft

General considerations concerning the design of a new aircraft are discussed, taking into account the objective to develop an aircraft can satisfy economically a certain spectrum of tasks. Requirements related to the design of sport and touring aircraft included in the past mainly a high cruising speed and short take-off and landing runs. Additional requirements for new aircraft are now low fuel consumption and optimal efficiency. A computer program for the computation of flight performance makes it possible to vary automatically a number of parameters, such as flight altitude, wing area, and wing span. The appropriate design characteristics are to a large extent determined by the selection of the flight altitude. Three different wing profiles are compared. Potential improvements with respect to the performance of the aircraft and its efficiency are related to the use of fiber composites, the employment of better propeller profiles, more efficient engines, and the utilization of suitable instrumentation for optimal flight conduction.

Eppler, R.↗

NASA NTRS1981

The design and analysis of low-speed airfoils

PROFILE program solves diverse and inverse airfoil-flow problems. It combines conformational mapping method for design of airfoils with prescribed velocity-distribution characteristics, panel method for potential-flow analysis, and boundary-layer method. PROFILE is written in FORTRAN IV for implementation on CDC 6000-series computer.

Eppler, R.↗

NASA NTRS1980

A computer program for the design and analysis of low-speed airfoils, supplement

Three new options were incorporated into an existing computer program for the design and analysis of low speed airfoils. These options permit the analysis of airfoils having variable chord (variable geometry), a boundary layer displacement iteration, and the analysis of the effect of single roughness elements. All three options are described in detail and are included in the FORTRAN IV computer program.

Eppler, R.↗

NASA NTRS1980

A computer program for the design and analysis of low-speed airfoils

A conformal mapping method for the design of airfoils with prescribed velocity distribution characteristics, a panel method for the analysis of the potential flow about given airfoils, and a boundary layer method have been combined. With this combined method, airfoils with prescribed boundary layer characteristics can be designed and airfoils with prescribed shapes can be analyzed. All three methods are described briefly. The program and its input options are described. A complete listing is given as an appendix.

Eppler, R.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Low speed airfoil design and analysis

A low speed airfoil design and analysis program was developed which contains several unique features. In the design mode, the velocity distribution is not specified for one but many different angles of attack. Several iteration options are included which allow the trailing edge angle to be specified while other parameters are iterated. For airfoil analysis, a panel method is available which uses third-order panels having parabolic vorticity distributions. The flow condition is satisfied at the end points of the panels. Both sharp and blunt trailing edges can be analyzed. The integral boundary layer method with its laminar separation bubble analog, empirical transition criterion, and precise turbulent boundary layer equations compares very favorably with other methods, both integral and finite difference. Comparisons with experiment for several airfoils over a very wide Reynolds number range are discussed. Applications to high lift airfoil design are also demonstrated.

Eppler, R.↗

NASA NTRS1979

The effect of disturbance on a wing

Disturbances such as flap and aileron hinges and poorly faired spoilers were simulated in a computer wind tunnel. The total drag of a single roughness element does not depend only on the size of that element. Its position on the wing has a surprisingly strong effect. In particular, a roughness element on the convex side of a deflected flap or aileron causes a very substantial increase in drag. Very few experimental data are available for comparison. Good agreement with experiment can be achieved, however, by adapting a fictive step size. The correlation between the real roughness-element size and the drag increase remains to be determined. Simple, fundamental experiments are suggested which will allow a theoretical estimation of the drag increase due to roughness elements.

Eppler, R.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Some new airfoils

A computer approach to the design and analysis of airfoils and some common problems concerning laminar separation bubbles at different lift coefficients are briefly discussed. Examples of application to ultralight airplanes, canards, and sailplanes with flaps are given.

Eppler, R.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Practical calculation of laminar and turbulent bled-off boundary layers

Bleed-off of boundary layer material is shown to be an effective means for reducing drag by conserving the laminar boundary layer and preventing separation of the turbulent boundary layer. The case in which the two effects of bleed-off overlap is examined. Empirical methods are extended to the case of bleed-off. Laminar and turbulent boundary layers are treated simultaneously and the approximation differential equations are solved without an uncertain error. The case without bleed-off is also treated.

Eppler, R.↗