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Pfenninger, W.

Publications and source records attributed to Pfenninger, W..

16 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Opportunities for applications of natural laminar flow technology at high-subsonic speeds

The possible profiles of high subsonic speed airfoils with extensive regions of natural laminar flow (NLF) are explored, on the bases of calculations which suggest that high subsonic Mach number NLFs are obtainable for both swept and unswept wing applications at certain Reynolds numbers. Attention is given to the transonic pressure distributions of airfoils for unswept wings at freestream Mach numbers of 0.65-0.80 and chord Reynolds numbers of up to 50 million. The case of 10-30 deg swept-wing NLF airfoils is also investigated for chord Reynolds numbers of 15-50 million.

Viken, Jeff↗
NASA NTRS1990

Supersonic laminar flow control on commercial transports

This paper provides an overview of the status of supersonic laminar flow control. Existing research into the aerodynamic problems of subsonic and supersonic laminar flow control is first reviewed to provide a prospective for subsequent discussions of recent studies to evaluate the potential performance benefits of the application of laminar flow control to supersonic transports. A flight research program to provide a realistic assessment of the technical feasibility is then described.

Wagner, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Design aspects of long range supersonic LFC airplanes with highly swept wings

Studies on supersonic long-range LFC (laminar flow control) aircraft were performed with the aim of maximizing L/D and alleviating sonic boom during supersonic cruise. It is found that configurations with highly swept LFC wings of very high structural aspect ratio, with the sweep increasing toward the wing root and braced externally by wide chord laminarized struts, appear especially promising. In the supersonic cruise design condition the wing upper surface isobars are swept such that the flow in the direction normal to them is transonic with embedded supersonic zones and practically shock-free over most of the span, with M-perpendicular equal to the two-dimensional design values of advanced SC LFC airfoils, e.g., of the X-787 or X-6 type.

Pfenninger, W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Blunt-nosed swept supercritical LFC wings without nose flaps

To simplify the design of swept supercritical (SC) Laminar Flow Control (LFC) wings and maintain satisfactory low speed characteristics, blunt-nosed swept SC LFC wings without nose flaps and lower wing loadings were studied. Their boundary layer crossflow in the leading edge area is optimally controlled (1) by compensating the boundary layer crossflow of the front acceleration zone by an opposite crossflow in a downstream pressure rise area, (2) by maintaining a neutrally stable boundary layer crossflow by suction within a narrow spanwise suction strip located close to the wing attachment line in the front acceleration zone. The required suction massflow and power are then very small, especially considering the strongly stabilizing effect of surface and streamline curvature on crossflow stability.

Pfenninger, W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Suction laminarization of highly swept supersonic laminar flow control wings

An evaluation is made of a suction-based method for the laminarization of highly-swept supersonic wings at cruise Mach numbers in the 2.0-2.5 range, in the interest of the reduction of wave drag due to lift. The laminar boundary layer development, as well as Tollmien-Schlichting and crossflow instabilities, have been analyzed for the case of an X66 supercritical airfoil at 60 and 72 deg sweep, for Mach numbers of 1.56 and 2.52, respectively. Strong suction is found to be needed at the front part of the upper surface and both the upper and lower rear pressure-rise areas.

Pfenninger, W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Analysis of wind-tunnel boundary-layer transition experiments on axisymmetric bodies at transonic speeds using compressible boundary-layer stability theory

The design of laminar flow fuselages and advanced swept wings at high-subsonic compressible speeds can benefit from a correlation of compressible transition experiments with the e exp n transition-prediction method. A computational analysis has been conducted to investigate the detailed transition measurements obtained by Boltz et al. (1956, 1960) for two bodies-of-revolution. Nonadiabatic wall conditions were included in the analysis when wall-temperature measurements were available.

Vijgen, P. M. H. W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Design of low Reynolds number airfoils. I

The low Reynolds number airfoils designated ASM-LRN-003 and -007 have been designed for high section L/D ratios using Drela's (1985) design-and-analysis code; close to 70-percent laminar flow is maintained on the upper surfaces, and 100-percent on the lower, at coefficients of lift of 1.0-1.3, assuming optimum laminar separation and transition control on the upper surface by means of suitable turbulators. If peak performance is critical, airfoils of this type with an undercut front lower surface and a correspondingly sharper leading edge may be resorted to.

Pfenninger, W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Design of low Reynolds number airfoils. II

Low Reynolds number airfoils were designed for high lift-to-drag ratios. Design considerations of low Re-airfoils are discussed and design examples are presented. It is shown that the performance of advance low Reynolds airfoils critically depends on proper laminar separation and transition control for the minimum profile drag coefficient with minimum turbulator device drag. This transition control close to the laminar separation is possible by enforcing transition on the upper surface either directly by means of spanwise rows of three-dimensional roughness elements, bleed or suction holes, or indirectly by means of destabilizing the upper surface boundary layer by means of backward facing surface steps, two-dimensional or zig-zag tapes or weak boundary layer blowing. Pneumatic turbulators are found to be advantageous because they can be adjusted to different external flow conditions better than mechanical ones.

Pfenninger, W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Boundary layer crossflow stabilization of high subsonic speed LFC transport airplanes

With a view to the elaboration of the design of Mach 0.83 and 0.97 cruise-speed long-range aircraft employing LFC, a study is conducted of the laminar flow characteristics of supercritical airfoils of blunt leading-edge X88 type, for the case of lightly loaded wings that dispense with leading-edge flaps for low-speed operations. The boundary layer crossflow in the front acceleration zone of these airfoils' upper surface is optimally stabilized by suction in the upstream portion of the zone, yielding a crossflow that is neutrally stable.

Pfenninger, W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Experimental Results for a Flapped Natural-laminar-flow Airfoil with High Lift/drag Ratio

Experimental results have been obtained for a flapped natural-laminar-flow airfoil, NLF(1)-0414F, in the Langley Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel. The tests were conducted over a Mach number range from 0.05 to 0.40 and a chord Reynolds number range from about 3.0 x 10(6) to 22.0 x 10(6). The airfoil was designed for 0.70 chord laminar flow on both surfaces at a lift coefficient of 0.40, a Reynolds number of 10.0 x 10(6), and a Mach number of 0.40. A 0.125 chord simple flap was incorporated in the design to increase the low-drag, lift-coefficient range. Results were also obtained for a 0.20 chord split-flap deflected 60 deg.

Mcghee, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Program of Research in Laminar Flow Control in the JIAFS at NASA Langley Research Center

At high Reynolds numbers, the performance of a low drag suction LFC airplane is essentially controlled by the induced drag and the turbulent friction drag of the nonlaminarized area. The question then arises as to how the airplane cruise lift to drag ratio (L/D) sub cruise) cruise increases with increasing extent of laminar flow 0 sub lam./0 sub total (0 = airplane wetted area). In particular, the question arises as to the airplane performance in the optimum case with all laminar flow over the airplane wetted area. Design approaches of all laminar flow LFC airplanes which optimize the airplane range . R = eta sub ov times (L/D) times H times lambda n(W sub 0/W sub E) are considered.

Pfenninger, W.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Design considerations of advanced supercritical low drag suction airfoils

Supercritical low drag suction laminar flow airfoils were laid out for shock-free flow at design freestream Mach = 0.76, design lift coefficient = 0.58, and t/c = 0.13. The design goals were the minimization of suction laminarization problems and the assurance of shock-free flow at freestream Mach not greater than design freestream Mach (for design lift coefficient) as well as at lift coefficient not greater than design lift coefficient (for design freestream Mach); this involved limiting the height-to-length ratio of the supersonic zone at design to 0.35. High design freestream Mach numbers result with extensive supersonic flow (over 80% of the chord) on the upper surface, with a steep Stratford-type rear pressure rise with suction, as well as by carrying lift essentially in front- and rear-loaded regions of the airfoil with high static pressures on the carved out front and rear lower surface.

Pfenninger, W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Reduction of acoustic disturbances in the test section of supersonic wind tunnels by laminarizing their nozzle and test section wall boundary layers by means of suction

The feasibility of quiet, suction laminarized, high Reynolds number (Re) supersonic wind tunnel nozzles was studied. According to nozzle wall boundary layer development and stability studies, relatively weak area suction can prevent amplified nozzle wall TS (Tollmien-Schlichting) boundary layer oscillations. Stronger suction is needed in and shortly upstream of the supersonic concave curvature nozzle area to avoid transition due to amplified TG (Taylor-Goertler) vortices. To control TG instability, moderately rapid and slow expansion nozzles require smaller total suction rates than rapid expansion nozzles, at the cost of larger nozzle length Re and increased TS disturbances. Test section mean flow irregularities can be minimized with suction through longitudinal or highly swept slots (swept behind local Mach cone) as well as finely perforated surfaces. Longitudinal slot suction is optimized when the suction-induced crossflow velocity increases linearly with surface distance from the slot attachment line toward the slot (through suitable slot geometry). Suction in supersonic blowdown tunnels may be operated by one or several individual vacuum spheres.

Pfenninger, W.↗
NASA NTRS1966

Laminar-flow research and experiments.

Critical parameters and flow characteristics of swept wings with full-chord laminar flow, noting boundary layer disturbance effects

FLOW CHARACTERISTICS↗