Guarino, J. F. | Engineering Papers

NASA NTRS1981

Instrumentation systems for the National Transonic Facility

Instrumentation and measurement systems designs to achieve high Reynolds number test are discussed. The national transonic tunnel with its unique operational characterisics is a complex facility and represents a significant challenge to wind tunnel instrument designers. The instrument requirements imposed by the new testing environment, the instrument systems provided for facility calibration and operation, and the research and development activities directed at meeting overall instrument and measurement requirements are described.

Guarino, J. F.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Instrumentation and data acquisition systems

A comprehensive and integrated measurement system was identified and a design and development effort initiated to meet the criteria imposed by the National Transonic Facility operating environment. Specific measurement areas receiving concentrated attention include: data acquisition, force measurement, pressure instrumentation, flow visualization techniques, model attitude and model deformation measurement, and temperature measurement. The NTF instrument complex will be centered around four 32-bit, 1-microsecond-cycle-time central processing units connected in a multipoint-distributed network configuration. The principal activities to be supported by these computers are: (1) data base management and processing; (2) research measurement data acquisition and display; (3) tunnel and model control; and (4) process monitoring and communication control. The distributed network approach was chosen to modularize the functional software into definable and implementable parts by the various groups involved in the design and to permit use of similar hardware configurations to improve reliability and maintainability.

Guarino, J. F.↗