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Vidal, R. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Vidal, R. J..

8 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Research on self-correcting wind tunnels

The Calspan self-correcting wind tunnel is a two-dimensional facility in which the flow field in the vicinity of the walls is actively controlled, and a theoretical evaluation is used in conjunction with flow field measurements to confirm that wall interference was minimized. The facility is described, and the results of experiments with a 6 percent-blockage model are presented to show that iterative application of wall control effectively eliminates the interference. Experiments were performed at conditions where the flow at the walls was supercritical, and a new operating procedure is described for these conditions. The results of an analysis of the flow in the auxiliary suction system and test ion illustrate the tradeoffs available in the design of self-correcting wind tunnel test sections and in model sizing for such tunnels.

Vidal, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Interference-free wind-tunnel flows by adaptive-wall technology

The adaptive-wall or self-correcting wind tunnel has been proposed for such regimes as transonic and V/STOL where wall effects are large and cannot be corrected for. The power and generality of the concept are pointed out. In a two-dimensional transonic embodiment in the Calspan One-Foot Tunnel, the scheme has been shown to work at lower transonic Mach numbers. Several practical problems are cited, including instrumentation, the nature of the wall modification, and convergence of the iterative procedure. Moreover, questions of shock-wave neutralization at the wall and probable configuration of three-dimensional embodiments are discussed.

Sears, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Experiments with a self-correcting wind tunnel

The feasibility of controlling the flow actively through the walls of a transonic, porous wall wind tunnel in order to minimize wall interference effects on a test model is demonstrated. The method is based upon measuring the components of the disturbance velocity at discrete points along an imaginary surface in the flow field within the tunnel. A mathematical formulation of the flow field exterior to the surface including the boundary condition for unconfined flow, i.e., that all disturbance vanish at infinite, is used to determine if these measured velocity components are consistent with that boundary condition. If they are not, the theory provides a better approximation to the velocity component for unconfined flow, and the flow through the tunnel walls is readjusted iteratively until the measured quantities are consistent with unconfined flow. A brief review of theoretical methods is followed by a description of the Calspan self correcting wind tunnel design and operation, calibration with and without active wall control. Typical results obtained by approximating a conventional porous wall wind tunnel for an 0012 airfoil show that active wall control largely reproduces the correct shock wave position, eliminates wall interference of lift and drag, and reduces the interference effects on pitching moment to 10%.

Vidal, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Correlation parameters for the study of leeside heating on a lifting body at hypersonic speeds

Leeside heating was studied with the aim of gaining some insight into: (1) the magnitude of the leeside heating rates and (2) the methods to be used to extrapolate wind tunnel leeside heating rates to the full scale flight condition. This study was based on existing experimental data obtained in a hypersonic shock tunnel on lifting body configurations that are typical of shuttle orbiter vehicles. Heat transfer was first measured on the windward side to determine the boundary layer type. Then the leeside heating was investigated with the classified boundary layer. Correlation data are given on the windward turbulent boundary layer, the windward laminar boundary layer, and the leeside surfaces.

Vidal, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Chemical nonequilibrium effects on the inviscid flow in the windward plane of symmetry of two simplified shuttle configurations

A theoretical study was made to delineate the effects of thermochemical nonequilibrium in the inviscid flow field of a representative space shuttle orbiter configuration. The study was based on experimental pressure data which was used as an input to a stream tube computer program. The pressure data from two configurations are tabulated. Calculations were restricted to the windward plane of symmetry and the calculations covered an altitude range from 200,000 to 250,000 feet at velocities of 16,000 to 24,000 feet per second respectively. Angles of attack of 20 and 40 degrees were included. The calculations show that the nonequilibrium effects are confined largely to the entropy layer expect at the highest altitude, where significant nonequilibrium effects are observed in the entire inviscid flow field.

Lordi, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Chemical nonequilibrium effects on the flow in the windward plane of symmetry of a blunted delta orbiter

The extent, and some of the consequences, of nonequilibrium effects in the inviscid orbiter flow field are examined. Calculations have been made for the reacting flow along selected streamlines in the windward plane of symmetry of a blunted delta shape representative of a shuttle orbiter. An approximate model of the pressure field in the windward plane of symmetry of a blunted delta wing was constructed from wind tunnel measurements of the body surface pressure distribution and approximate calculations of the shock shape and streamline locations. Numerical solutions for the flow along streamlines were obtained for this pressure distribution, and solutions were obtained for both equilibrium and finite-reaction rate, nonequilibrium chemical reactions. Since the streamtube solutions are much easier to compute than fully three-dimensional, reacting flows, results were obtained for a wide range of conditions. The validity of this approach is based on the assumptions that the pressure field is insensitive to nonequilibrium effects and that the flow along streamlines is quasi-one dimensional. Numerical solutions have been used to verify this approach for other blunted slender shapes such as spherically blunted cones.

Lordi, J. A.↗