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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1976

Thin oblique airfoils at supersonic speed

Methods of thin airfoil theory have been extended to oblique or sweptback airfoils of finite aspect ratio moving at supersonic speeds. The cases considered thus far are symmetrical airfoils at zero lift having planforms bounded by straight lines. Because of the conical form of the elementary flow fields, the results are comparable in simplicity to the results of the two dimensional thin airfoil theory for subsonic speeds. In the case of untapered airfoils swept back behind the Mach cone the pressure distribution at the center section is similar to that given by the Ackeret theory for a straight airfoil. With increasing distance from the center section the distribution approaches the form given by the subsonic flow theory. The pressure drag is concentrated chiefly at the center section and or long wings a slight negative drag may appear on outboard sections.

Jones, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Leading-edge singularities in thin-airfoil theory

If the thin airfoil theory is applied to an airfoil having a rounded leading edge, a certain error will arise in the determination of the pressure distribution around the nose. It is shown that the evaluation of the drag of such a blunt nosed airfoil by the thin airfoil theory requires the addition of a leading edge force, analogous to the leading edge thrust of the lifting airfoil. The method of calculation is illustrated by application to: (1) The Joukowski airfoil in subsonic flow; and (2) the thin elliptic cone in supersonic flow. A general formula for the edge force is provided which is applicable to a variety of wing forms.

Jones, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Calculation of transonic flow over supercritical airfoil sections

Two numerical methods for calculating the transonic flow, including viscous effects over lifting airfoil sections and experimental data are compared for turbulent flow over a supercritical airfoil. In addition, results for a NACA 64A010 airfoil at nonzero angle of attack are compared to demonstrate the applicability of the numerical methods to classical, lifting airfoils. One numerical method is a solution to the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations throughout the entire flow field. The other is a hybrid method that combines inviscid, boundary-layer, and Navier-Stokes equations in appropriate regions of the flow field. Both methods adequately predict the surface pressures and flow field about the 64A010 airfoil at M = 0.8 and alpha = 2 deg when an appropriate turbulence model is used. The methods are not as successful for the supercritical airfoil.

Rose, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The prediction of two-dimensional airfoil stall progression

A generalized boundary condition potential flow calculation method was combined with a momentum integral boundary layer method and a base flow theory of separation to predict airfoil viscous-inviscid interference up to and beyond stall. The resultant program considers laminar and turbulent separation and is, therefore, applicable to thin or thick airfoil stall. The calculated flow field includes the airfoil and the separation bubble recombination region behind the airfoil. Calculated pressure distributions and equivalent airfoil shapes, including the displacement thickness of the viscous regions, are compared with flow field measurements for several airfoils. The measured displacement thicknesses and wake centerlines corroborate the calculated shape. The comparison also suggests the use of the analytical solution to evaluate the measurements.

Gross, L. W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Experimental investigation of three helicopter rotor airfoils designed analytically

Three helicopter rotor airfoils designed analytically were investigated in a wind tunnel at Mach numbers from about 0.30 to 0.90 and Reynolds from about 0.8 to 2.3 x 10 to the 6th power. The airfoils had thickness-to-chord ratios of 0.08, 0.10, and 0.12 with maximum thickness at 40 percent chord. The camber distribution of each section was the same with maximum camber at 35 percent chord. The 10-percent-thick airfoil was also investigated at Reynolds numbers from 4.8 to 9.4 x 10 to the 6th power. The drag divergence Mach number of the 10-percent-thick airfoil is about 0.83 at a normal-force coefficient of 0 and about 0.72 at a normal-force coefficient of 0.6 at Reynolds numbers near 9 x 10 to the 6th power. The maximum normal-force coefficient is slightly less than that of the NACA 0012 airfoil tested in the same facility. The results indicate that a qualitative evaluation of the drag divergence can be made at normal-force coefficients up to the onset of boundary-layer separation by analytically predicting the onset of sonic flow at the airfoil crest. The qualitative results are conservative with respect to experimental values with the experimental drag divergence Mach number up to 0.05 higher than that indicated by analysis.

Bingham, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1954

Effect of Ice Formations on Section Drag of Swept NACA 63A-009 Airfoil with Partial-Span Leading-Edge Slat for Various Modes of Thermal Ice Protection

The effects of primary and runback ice formations on the section drag of a 36 deg swept NACA 63A-009 airfoil section with a partial-span leading-edge slat were studied over a range of angles of attack from 2 to 8 deg and airspeeds up to 260 miles per hour for icing conditions with liquid-water contents ranging from 0.39 to 1.23 grams per cubic meter and datum air temperatures from 10 to 25 F. The results with slat retracted showed that glaze-ice formations caused large and rapid increases in section drag coefficient and that the rate of change in section drag coefficient for the swept 63A-009 airfoil was about 2-1 times that for an unswept 651-212 airfoil. Removal of the primary ice formations by cyclic de-icing caused the drag to return almost to the bare-airfoil drag value. A comprehensive study of the slat icing and de-icing characteristics was prevented by limitations of the heating system and wake interference caused by the slat tracks and hot-gas supply duct to the slat. In general, the studies showed that icing on a thin swept airfoil will result in more detrimental aerodynamic characteristics than on a thick unswept airfoil.

VonGlahn, Uwe H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

An experimental investigation of flow surrounding an airfoil with a jet exhausting from the lower surface

The aerodynamics of an airfoil with a rectangular jet issuing from the lower surface at seventy percent of the chord, with and without a ground plane was studied. Measurements include surface pressure on the airfoil and the total pressure profiles in the near wake. These measurements were made at jet to free stream velocity ratios ranging from 0.5 to 5.0. The measurements indicated a significant positive and negative pressure regions on the lower surface of the airfoil ahead and after the nozzle exit respectively. The extent and intensity of these regions increase with increase in velocity ratio for the range covered here. The upper surface pressure distribution with velocity ratio show no significant variation. The presence of the ground plane, for height h, greater than one chord seem to have little influence on the overall pressure distribution of the airfoil. The airfoil wake centerline moves up with velocity ratio as compared to that of the free airfoil (without the jet).

Krothapalli, A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils with ice accretions

Results of a wind tunnel test to evaluate the performance of an airfoil with simulated rime ice are presented with theoretical comparisons. A NACA 65A413 airfoil was tested in the OSU 6 x 22 inch Transonic Airfoil Wind Tunnel at a Reynolds number near three million and Mach numbers from 0.20 to 0.80. The model was tested in four configurations to determine the aero-dynamic effects of the roughness and shape of a rime ice accretion. The simulated rime ice shape was obtained analytically using a time-stepping dry ice accretion computer code. Lift, drag, moment coefficients, and pressure distributions for the clean and simulated rime ice cases are reported. The measured degradation in airfoil performance is compared to an analytical method which uses existing airfoil analysis computer codes with empirical corrections for the surface roughness. A discussion of the empirical surface roughness correction and uses of other airfoil computer methods is included.

Bragg, M. B.↗
NASA NTRS1982

An investigation of the aerodynamic characteristics of a new general aviation airfoil in flight

A low speed airfoil, the GA(W)-2, - a 13% thickness to chord ratio airfoil was evaluated. The wing of a Beech Sundowner was modified at by adding balsa ribs and covered with aluminum skin, to alter the existing airfoil shape to that of the GA(W)-2 airfoil. The aircraft was flown in a flight test program that gathered wing surface pressures and wake data from which the lift drag, and pitching moment of the airfoil could be determined. After the base line performance of the airfoil was measured, the drag due to surface irregularities such as steps, rivets and surface waviness was determined. The potential reduction of drag through the use of surface coatings such as KAPTON was also investigated.

Gregorek, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Passive shock wave/boundary layer control for transonic airfoil drag reduction

An investigation of the passive shock wave/boundary layer interaction control for reducing the drag in 12 percent thick circular arc and 14 percent thick supercritical airfoils was conducted in a 3 in. x 15.4 in. transonic wind tunnel at transonic Mach numbers. A porous surface with a cavity beneath it was positioned on the area of the airfoils, mounted on the test section bottom wall, where the shock wave occurs. The static pressure distributions over the airfoil, the wake impact pressure data for determining the profile drag, and the Schlieren photographs for porous surface airfoils are presented and compared with the results for solid surface airfoils. With the porous surface the normal shock wave for solid surface was changed to a lambda shock wave system, and the wake impact pressure data indicated an appreciable drag reduction for both airfoils with the porous surface at transonic speeds while causing little or no loss of lift. The effect of porosity and cavity size is investigated and off-design performance is discussed.

Bahi, L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Incidence angle effects on convected gust airfoil noise

An analysis is developed which predicts the influence of airfoil mean loading on noise generation due to convected gusts. The theory is based on a linearization of the exact inviscid equations about a nonuniform compressible mean flow and the solution is developed using singular perturbation techniques. The case of a flat plate airfoil, at incidence angle alpha, interacting with three-dimensional disturbances is analyzed. It is found that in the vicinity of the airfoil leading and trailing edges, local regions are present which scale on the disturbance wavelength, with the noise generation concentrated in these regions. Away from the airfoil edges, the mean flow variation is found to be slow compared to the disturbance wavelength and no significant noise generation occurs. The mean flow variation near the leading edge generates additional noise by distorting the convected gust. The cumulative effect of the airfoil mean loading in the trailing edge region produces a 0(1) phase shift between the disturbances on the upper and lower surfaces of the airfoil. A corresponding 0(1) decrease, compared to the alpha = 0 case, is found in the noise generated at the trailing edge.

Kerschen, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Transonic Airfoil Development

This lecture consists of three parts, in which discussions are presented of the current state of development of transonic or supercritical airfoils designed for fully turbulent boundary layers on the surfaces, previous research on subcritical airfoils designed to achieve laminar boundary layers on all or parts of the surfaces, and current research on supercritical airfoils designed to achieve laminar boundary layers. In the first part the use of available two dimensional computer codes in the development of supercritical airfoils and the general trends in the design of such airfoils with turbulent boundary layers are discussed. The second part provides the necessary background on laminar boundary layer phenomena. The last part, which constitutes the major portion of the lecture, covers research by NASA on supercritical airfoils utilizing both decreasing pressure gradients and surface suction for stabilizing the laminar boundary layer. An investigation of the former has been recently conducted in fight using gloves on the wing panels of the U.S. Air Force F111 TACT airplane, research on the later is currently being conducted in a transonic wind tunnel which has been modified to greatly reduce the stream turbulence and noise levels in the tests section.

Whitcomb, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A recontoured, upper surface designed to increase the maximum lift coefficient of a modified NACA 65 (0.82) (9.9) airfoil section

A recontoured upper surface was designed to increase the maximum lift coefficient of a modified NACA 65 (0.82)(9.9) airfoil section which was tested at Mach numbers of 0.3 and 0.4 and Reynolds numbers of 2.3x10(6) and 4.3x10(6). The original 6-series section was tested for comparison with the recontoured section. The recontoured profile was found to have a higher maximum lift coefficient at all test conditions than the original airfoil. The recontoured airfoil showed less drag and nearly the same pitching moment characteristics as the original 6-series airfoil at all test conditions. The improvements found for the recontoured airfoil of the present study are similar to those found during previous investigations of recontoured 6-series airfoils with less camber.

Hicks, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Porosity effect on supercritical airfoil drag reduction by shock wave/boundary layer control

An investigation of the passive shock wave/boundary layer control for reducing the drag of 14 percent-thick supercritical airfoil was conducted in the 3 in. x 15.4 in. RPI Transonic Wind Tunnel at transonic Mach numbers. Various porous surfaces with a cavity beneath it was positioned on the area of the airfoil, mounted on the test section bottom wall, where the shock wave occurs. The static pressure distributions over the airfoil, the wake impact pressure survey for determining the profile drag and the Schlieren photographs for porous surfaces are presented and compared with the results for solid surface airfoil. With a uniform porosity surface the normal shock wave for solid surface was changed to a lambda shock wave, and the wake impact pressure data indicated an appreciable drag reduction at transonic Mach numbers. For a free stream Mach number of 0.81 the profile drag coefficient for the airfoil top surface with uniform porosity was 46 percent lower than for the solid surface airfoil.

Nagamatsu, H. T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The role of airfoil geometry in minimizing the effect of insect contamination of laminar flow sections

A method has been developed to predict the contamination of an airfoil by insects and the resultant performance penalty. Insect aerodynamics have been modeled and the impingement of insects on an airfoil are solved by calculating their trajectories. Upon impact, insect rupture and the resulting height of the debris is determined based on experimental data. A boundary layer analysis is performed to determine which insects cause boundary layer transition and the resultant drag penalty. A contaminated airfoil figure of merit is presented to be used to compare airfoil susceptibility. Results show that the insect contamination effects depend on accretion conditions, airfoil angle of attack and Reynolds number. The importance of the stagnation region to designing airfoils for minimum drag penalties is discussed.

Maresh, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Synthesized airfoil data method for prediction of dynamic stall and unsteady airloads

A detailed analysis of dynamic stall experiments has led to a set of relatively compact analytical expressions, called synthesized unsteady airfoil data, which accurately describe in the time-domain the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of stalled airfoils. An analytical research program was conducted to expand and improve this synthesized unsteady airfoil data method using additional available sets of unsteady airfoil data. The primary objectives were to reduce these data to synthesized form for use in rotor airload prediction analyses and to generalize the results. Unsteady drag data were synthesized which provided the basis for successful expansion of the formulation to include computation of the unsteady pressure drag of airfoils and rotor blades. Also, an improved prediction model for airfoil flow reattachment was incorporated in the method. Application of this improved unsteady aerodynamics model has resulted in an improved correlation between analytic predictions and measured full scale helicopter blade loads and stress data.

Gangwani, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

High Reynolds number tests of a NASA SC(3)-0712(B) airfoil in the Langley 0.3-meter transonic cryogenic tunnel

A wind tunnel investigation of a NASA 12-percent-thick, advanced-technology supercritical airfoil was conducted in the Langley 0.3-Meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel (TCT). This investigation represents another in the series of NASA/U.S. industry two-dimensional airfoil studies to be completed in the Advanced Technology Airfoil Tests program. Test temperature was varied from 220 K to 96 K at pressures ranging from 1.2 to 4.3 atm. Mach number was varied from 0.60 to 0.80. These variables provided a Reynolds number range from 4,400,000 to 40,000,000 based on a 15.24-cm (6.0-in.) airfoil chord. This investigation was designed to test a NASA advanced-technology airfoil from low to flight-equivalent Reynolds numbers, provide experience in cryogenic wind tunnel model design and testing techniques, and demonstrate the suitability of the 0.3-m TCT as an airfoil test facility. The aerodynamic results are presented as integrated force and moment coefficients and pressure distributions. Data are included which demonstrate the effects of fixed transition, Mach number, and Reynolds number on the aerodynamic characteristics. Also included are remarks on the model design, the model structural integrity, and the overall test experience.

Johnson, W. G., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Pressure distribution from high Reynolds number tests of a NASA SC(3)-0712(B) airfoil in the Langley 0.3-meter transonic cryogenic tunnel

A wind tunnel investigation of a NASA 12-percent-thick, advanced-technology supercritical airfoil was conducted in the Langley 0.3-Meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel (TCT). This investigation represents another in the series of NASA/U.S. industry two-dimensional airfoil studies to be completed in the Advanced Technology Airfoil Tests program. Test temperature was varied from 220 K to 96 K at pressures ranging from 1.2 to 4.3 atm. Mach number was varied from 0.50 to 0.80. This investigation was designed to: (1) test a NASA advanced-technology airfoil from low to flight equivalent Reynolds numbers, (2) provide experience in cryogenic wind-tunnel model design and testing techniques, and (3) demonstrate the suitability of the 0.3-m TCT as an airfoil test facility. All the test objectives were met. The pressure data are presented without analysis in tabulated format and as plots of pressure coefficient versus position on the airfoil. This report was prepared for use in conjunction with the aerodynamic coefficient data published in NASA-TM-86371. Data are included which demonstrate the effects of fixed transition. Also included are remarks on the model design and fabrication.

Johnson, W. G., Jr.↗