Engineering topics

Michael B. Bragg

Publications and source records attributed to Michael B. Bragg.

4 records

NASA NTRS2022

Experimental and Computational Icing Simulation for Large Swept Wings

The purpose of this final report is to summarize the key results, findings and contributions of a large, multi-organization, multi-year effort focused on swept wing icing and aerodynamics. This research effort was jointly sponsored by NASA, FAA and ONERA and was supported by Boeing and the Universities of Illinois, Virginia, and Washington. The overall goal of this research was to improve the experimental and computational simulation capability for icing on large swept wings typical of commercial transports. This research included both ice accretion and aerodynamic studies using the NASA Common Research Model (CRM) as the reference geometry. For this work, a 65% scaled version—CRM65—was used as the full-scale baseline airplane geometry. This program marks the first non-proprietary research to generate and document full-scale swept wing ice accretions in an icing tunnel and then conduct semispan wing aerodynamic testing on scaled ice accretions at high Reynolds number (i.e., up to 11.9×106). During this work, several new experimental and computational techniques were developed or documented and new knowledge about swept wing icing aerodynamics was identified. All are documented in this report.

Aircraft icing↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Ice Shape Classification for Swept Wings

An important consideration for swept-wing ice shapes is the level of geometric fidelity required to accurately capture the aerodynamics. One way to help make the task of addressing this more manageable is to organize the ice shapes into a small number of classifications. These classifications are done by grouping similar ice shape geometries that also have similar iced wing aerodynamics. Ice shape classifications for airfoils are more mature and are reviewed as an example. Swept wing ice shape classifications are based on the well-established airfoil classifications and here five classifications are proposed: leading-edge roughness, streamwise ice, 3D leading-edge horn, highly 3D leading-edge horn and spanwise ridge. Recent data on swept wing icing aerodynamics is used to develop and support this classification. The development, or suppression, of the leading-edge separation vortex on swept wings without a leading-edge device is seen to be key in the classification of the highly 3D leading-edge horn.

Aircraft icing↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Effect of Geometric Fidelity on the Aerodynamics of a Swept Wing with Glaze Ice Accretion

Aerodynamic assessment of icing effects on swept wings is an important component of a larger effort to improve three-dimensional icing simulation capabilities. An understanding of ice-shape geometric fidelity on iced-wing aerodynamics and the associated flowfield features are needed to guide the development and validation of ice-accretion simulation tools. To this end, wind-tunnel testing was carried out for 8.9% and 13.3% scale semispan wing models based upon the Common Research Model airplane configuration. Various levels of geometric fidelity of an artificial ice shape representing a glaze-ice accretion on a swept wing were investigated. The highest fidelity artificial ice shape reproduced all of the three-dimensional features associated with the glaze ice accretion. The lowest fidelity artificial ice shapes were simple, spanwise-varying horn ice geometries intended to represent the maximum ice thickness on the wing upper surface. The results presented in this paper show that the addition of grit roughness to some lower-fidelity artificial ice shapes resulted in favorable lift and pitching moment comparisons to the wing with the highest fidelity artificial ice shape. In the range of 4.3 to 7.4 deg. angle of attack, surface oil flow visualization and pressure data show that the wing with the two lower fidelity simulations clearly demonstrated a leading edge vortex dominated flowfield, referred to as type I. For the wing with the high fidelity ice shape, the flowfield at lower angles of attack was characterized by streamwise-running, counter-rotating vortical flow referred to as type II. Between 6.4 and 7.4 deg. angle of attack, the effect of the type II flow structures was significantly altered and gave way to the type I leading edge vortex. This means that for angles of attack 7.4 deg. and higher, the wing with all three configurations exhibited the same type of flowfield. This helps to explain why there is reasonably good agreement in the lift and pitching moment coefficients among these configurations.

Aircraft icing↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Effect of Geometric Fidelity on the Aerodynamics of a Swept Wing with Scalloped Ice Accretion

The effect of geometric fidelity on the aerodynamics of a swept wing with a “scallop” ice shape was studied. Three geometric fidelity versions of the ice shape were studied. The High Fidelity ice shape maintained all of the highly 3D features of the scallop shape. The 3D Smooth ice shape was smoothly lofted over the High Fidelity shape in order to eliminate all of the locally 3D feature. The third ice shape was the 3D Smooth ice shape with roughness grit attached to the surface. The two 3D Smooth versions of the ice shape exhibited a flowfield characterized by a leading edge separation bubble that rolled into spanwise running vortex. The surface pressure data showed classic leading edge separation bubbles that are observed on 2D airfoils with leading edge horn ice shapes. The High Fidelity ice shape exhibited a flowfield characterized by streamwise vortices that formed downstream of the ice shape. The streamwise vortices observed downstream of the High Fidelity ice shape appeared to reduce the size of the separation suction peak observed downstream of the 3D Smooth ice shapes. This reduced the lift for the High Fidelity ice shape, when compared to the 3D Smooth ice shapes. However, these streamwise vortices may have allowed the flow to remain attached longer and slightly increased the stall angle of attack, even though the maximum lift was lower.

Aircraft icing↗