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At least 181 records · Page 10

Flow-Field Investigation of Gear-Flap Interaction on a Gulfstream Aircraft Model

Off-surface flow measurements of a high-fidelity 18% scale Gulfstream aircraft model in landing configuration with the main landing gear deployed are presented. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Laser Velocimetry (LV) were used to measure instantaneous velocities in the immediate vicinity of the main landing gear and its wake and near the inboard tip of the flap. These measurements were made during the third entry of a series of tests conducted in the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel (14 x 22) to obtain a comprehensive set of aeroacoustic measurements consisting of both aerodynamic and acoustic data. The majority of the off-body measurements were obtained at a freestream Mach number of 0.2, angle of attack of 3 degrees, and flap deflection angle of 39 degrees with the landing gear on. A limited amount of data was acquired with the landing gear off. LV was used to measure the velocity field in two planes upstream of the landing gear and to measure two velocity profiles in the landing gear wake. Stereo and 2-D PIV were used to measure the velocity field over a region extending from upstream of the landing gear to downstream of the flap trailing edge. Using a special traverse system installed under the tunnel floor, the velocity field was measured at 92 locations to obtain a comprehensive picture of the pertinent flow features and characteristics. The results clearly show distinct structures in the wake that can be associated with specific components on the landing gear and give insight into how the wake is entrained by the vortex at the inboard tip of the flap.

Yao, Chung-Sheng↗

Hybrid Gear

A hybrid gear consisting of metallic outer rim with gear teeth and metallic hub in combination with a composite lay up between the shaft interface (hub) and gear tooth rim is described. The composite lay-up lightens the gear member while having similar torque carrying capability and it attenuates the impact loading driven noise/vibration that is typical in gear systems. The gear has the same operational capability with respect to shaft speed, torque, and temperature as an all-metallic gear as used in aerospace gear design.

Handschuh, Robert F.↗

Potential for Landing Gear Noise Reduction on Advanced Aircraft Configurations

The potential of significantly reducing aircraft landing gear noise is explored for aircraft configurations with engines installed above the wings or the fuselage. An innovative concept is studied that does not alter the main gear assembly itself but does shorten the main strut and integrates the gear in pods whose interior surfaces are treated with acoustic liner. The concept is meant to achieve maximum noise reduction so that main landing gears can be eliminated as a major source of airframe noise. By applying this concept to an aircraft configuration with 2025 entry-into-service technology levels, it is shown that compared to noise levels of current technology, the main gear noise can be reduced by 10 EPNL dB, bringing the main gear noise close to a floor established by other components such as the nose gear. The assessment of the noise reduction potential accounts for design features for the advanced aircraft configuration and includes the effects of local flow velocity in and around the pods, gear noise reflection from the airframe, and reflection and attenuation from acoustic liner treatment on pod surfaces and doors. A technical roadmap for maturing this concept is discussed, and the possible drag increase at cruise due to the addition of the pods is identified as a challenge, which needs to be quantified and minimized possibly with the combination of detailed design and application of drag reduction technologies.

Thomas, Russell H.↗

Design of a Magnetic Gear for NASA's Vertical Lift Quadrotor Concept Vehicle

Magnetic gears are an attractive alternative to mechanical gears for electrified aircraft drive systems due to their ability to transmit torque without mechanical tooth contact. Consequently, magnetic gears enable electrified aircraft to take advantage of the benefits of gearing without introducing most of the contact-related reliability concerns associated with mechanical gearing. Magnetic gears however, have not been shown to match the specific torque (torque/mass) and efficiency of their mechanical counterparts in an aerospace application to date. In this paper, the design of a concentric magnetic gear for a personal air transport NASA reference vehicle is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of a magnetic gear for aerospace applications.

Tallerico, Thomas F.↗

Design of a Magnetic Gear for NASA's Vertical Lift Quadrotor Reference Vehicle

Magnetic gears are an attractive alternative to mechanical gears for electrified aircraft drive systems due to their ability to transmit torque without mechanical tooth contact. Consequently, magnetic gears enable electrified aircraft to take advantage of the benefits of gearing without introducing most of the contact-related reliability concerns associated with mechanical gearing. Magnetic gears however, have not been shown to match the specific torque (torque/mass) and efficiency of their mechanical counterparts in an aerospace application to date. In this paper, the design of a concentric magnetic gear for a personal air transport NASA reference vehicle is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of a magnetic gear for aerospace applications.

Tallerico, Thomas↗

Transmission mounted electrical charging system PTO gear arrangement

A system includes a planetary gear assembly having a ring gear, a plurality of planet gears coupled to a carrier, and a sun gear coupled to a main shaft. The system further includes a driven gear coupled to the carrier, a countershaft gear coupled to the driven gear, a motor/generator coupled to the main shaft, and an actuator structured to change a coupling of the ring gear based on a position of the actuator.

Stoltz, Thomas Joseph↗

Correlation of Gear Surface Fatigue Lives to Lambda Ratio (Specific Film Thickness)

The effect of the lubrication regime on gear performance has been recognized, qualitatively, for decades. Often the lubrication regime is characterized by the specific film thickness being the ratio of lubricant film thickness to the composite surface roughness. Three studies done at NASA to investigate gearing pitting life are revisited in this work. All tests were done at a common load. In one study, ground gears were tested using a variety of lubricants that included a range of viscosities, and therefore the gears operated with differing film thicknesses. In a second and third study, the performance of gears with ground teeth and superfinished teeth were assessed. Thicker oil films provided longer lives as did improved surface finish. These datasets were combined into a common dataset using the concept of specific film thickness. This unique dataset of more 258 tests provides gear designers with some qualitative information to make gear design decisions.

gear↗

Baseline Experimental Results on the Effect of Oil Temperature on Shrouded Meshed Spur Gear Windage Power Loss

Rotorcraft gearbox efficiencies are reduced at increased surface speeds due to viscous and impingement drag on the gear teeth. This windage power loss can affect overall mission range, payload, and frequency of transmission maintenance. Experimental and analytical studies on shrouding for single gears have shown it be potentially effective in mitigating windage power loss. Efficiency studies on unshrouded meshed gears have shown the effect of speed, oil viscosity, temperature, load, lubrication scheme, etc. on gear windage power loss. The open literature does not cite data on shrouded meshed spur gears. Gear windage power loss test results are presented on shrouded meshed spur gears at elevated oil inlet temperatures and constant oil pressure both with and without shrouding. Shroud effectiveness is compared at four oil inlet temperatures. The results are compared to the available literature and follow-up work is outlined.

windage↗

Hybrid Gear Performance Under Loss-of-Lubrication Conditions

Hybrid composite gear technology is being investigated to increase power density in rotorcraft drive systems. These gears differ from conventional steel gears in that the structural web material is replaced with a lightweight carbon fiber composite. Past studies have focused on performance of this technology under normal operating conditions, however, for this technology to be viable it must also withstand adverse conditions. The study presented here evaluates the performance of hybrid gears under loss-of-lubrication conditions in NASA Glenn Research Centers Contact Fatigue Test Facility. Two experiments are presented using small-scale 3.5 inch (8.9 cm) pitch diameter hybrid gears and compared to a baseline steel gear pair. Results of these tests show that there are limitations to the use of a hexagonal interlock pattern between the steel and composite. There is also evidence that the presence of polymer in the gear during an oil out event has a potential to increase time to failure. Further studies are planned to expand on these initial findings.

Gearbox↗

Hybrid Gear Performance Under Loss-of-Lubrication Conditions

Hybrid composite gear technology is being investigated to increase power density in rotorcraft drive systems. These gears differ from conventional steel gears in that the structural web material is replaced with a lightweight carbon fiber composite. Past studies have focused on performance of this technology under normal operating conditions, however, for this technology to be viable it must also withstand adverse conditions. The study presented here evaluates the performance of hybrid gears under loss-of-lubrication conditions in NASA Glenn Research Centers Contact Fatigue Test Facility. Two experiments are presented using small-scale 3.5 inch (8.9 cm) pitch diameter hybrid gears and compared to a baseline steel gear pair. Results of these tests show that there are limitations to the use of a hexagonal interlock pattern between the steel and composite. There is also evidence that the presence of polymer in the gear during an oil out event has a potential to increase time to failure. Further studies are planned to expand on these initial findings.

Gearbox↗

Baseline Experimental Results on the Effect of Oil Temperature on Shrouded Meshed Spur Gear Windage Power Loss

Rotorcraft gearbox efficiencies are reduced at increased surface speeds due to viscous and impingement drag on the gear teeth. This windage power loss can affect overall mission range, payload, and frequency of transmission maintenance. Experimental and analytical studies on shrouding for single gears have shown it to be potentially effective in mitigating windage power loss. Efficiency studies on unshrouded meshed gears have shown the effect of speed, oil viscosity, temperature, load, lubrication scheme, etc. on gear windage power loss. The open literature does not contain experimental test data on shrouded meshed spur gears. Gear windage power loss test results are presented on shrouded meshed spur gears at elevated oil inlet temperatures and constant oil pressure both with and without shrouding. Shroud effectiveness is compared at four oil inlet temperatures. The results are compared to the available literature and follow-up work is outlined.

gear↗

NASA's Magnetic Gearing Research for Electrified Aircraft Propulsion

This paper presents an overview of the magnetic gearing research being conducted at NASA. First, the research is motivated through an in-depth discussion of the Agency-level aeronautics vision, the benefit of geared drivetrains, the barriers to applying mechanical gears in future aircraft concepts with electrified aircraft propulsion, and the characteristics of magnetic gears that allow them to overcome said barriers. Next, the principles of operation and current limitations of magnetic gears are discussed in the context of future electrified aircraft. Then, the authors' vision for the magnetic gearing research that will be needed to enable the next generation of electrified aircraft is presented. Lastly, the recent and ongoing magnetic gearing research at NASA is described, with a focus on the development and capabilities of a new rotating test rig and new static measurements of an in-house prototype. Results and lessons learned thus far are summarized.

geared motors↗

NASA's Magnetic Gearing Research for Electrified Aircraft Propulsion

This paper presents an overview of the magnetic gearing research being conducted at NASA. First, the research is motivated through an in-depth discussion of the Agency-level aeronautics vision, the benefit of geared drivetrains, the barriers to applying mechanical gears in future aircraft concepts with electrified aircraft propulsion, and the characteristics of magnetic gears that allow them to overcome said barriers. Next, the principles of operation and current limitations of magnetic gears are discussed in the context of future electrified aircraft. Then, the authors' vision for the magnetic gearing research that will be needed to enable the next generation of electrified aircraft is presented. Lastly, the recent and ongoing magnetic gearing research at NASA is described, with a focus on the development and capabilities of a new rotating test rig and new static measurements of an in-house prototype. Results and lessons learned thus far are summarized.

drive systems↗

Effect of Geometric Granularity on the Noise Signature of a Full-Scale Large Civil Transport Nose Landing Gear

Results from a comprehensive simulation campaign focused on characterizing the air-frame noise signature of a full-scale Boeing 777-300ER nose landing gear are presented. The as-flown, installed nose gear geometry was used to assess how accurately the selected computational methodology can predict far-field noise before extending the simulation approach to the complete B777-300ER aircraft in landing configuration. To facilitate direct comparisons with experimental data, the simulations were conducted for conditions matching those recorded for a flyby of the same aircraft over the ground-based phased microphone array used during the 2005 Quiet Technology Demonstrator II test. The far-field acoustic footprint of the nose landing gear was computed via a Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings integral approach, with pressures on the model solid surface or flow quantities on a permeable data surface enclosing the gear used as input. A grid refinement study performed for the baseline gear con-figuration to establish the convergence behavior of the far-field spectrum indicated that the sound pressure levels had converged at frequencies slightly beyond 5 kHz for the finest spatial resolution attempted. To ascertain the effects of geometric granularity on far-field noise, simulations of a defeatured version of the nose gear were undertaken. Comparisons with fully-dressed gear results indicated that finer geometric details add 2–4 dB to the sound pressure levels at mid- to high-frequencies (800 Hz to 5 kHz), suggesting that for accurate noise prediction such details cannot be neglected.

airframe noise↗

Comparison of Boeing 777 Landing Gear Noise Simulations with Flight Test Data

Acoustic phased microphone array measurements of aircraft flyover noise acquired during the 2005 Quiet Technology Demonstrator II test were used to assess the accuracy of high-fidelity, full-scale simulations of landing gear noise produced by a large civilian aircraft. The simulations, conducted with the lattice Boltzmann solver PowerFLOW®, used a highly accurate digital model of a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with the nose and main landing gear components replicating the full-scale geometries. The simulations were performed for aircraft parameters that matched those recorded during the flyover test conditions. For benchmarking purposes, several aircraft configurations were simulated: a) nose landing gear deployed with main landing gear and wing high-lift devices stowed, b) nose and main landing gear deployed with wing high-lift devices stowed and c) nose and main landing gear with wing high-lift devices deployed. To facilitate direct comparison with measured data, the simulated data sets were used to generate synthetic pressure records at the same array microphone locations as those used during the flight test. Broadly self-consistent beamforming techniques and procedures were used to process the synthetic pressure records and the measured data. Integration of select regions of the beamform maps containing the nose or main landing gear yielded good agreement between predicted and measured integrated far-field spectra for forward directivity angles where airframe noise is more prominent.

airframe noise↗

Effect of tip relief on endurance characteristics of super nitralloy and AISI M-50 spur gears

Tests were conducted with two groups of 8.89-centimeter (3.5-in.) pitch diameter spur gears with standard 20 deg involute profile with tip relief made of CVM Super-Nitralloy (5Ni-2Al) and CVM AISI M-50 at a temperature of 350 K (170 F). Super-Nitralloy gears with tip relief had a life 150 percent that of gears without tip relief. An increased scoring phenomenon was noted with the Super-Nitralloy gears with tip relief. Through-hardened AISI M-50 gears with tip relief failed due to tooth fracture. AISI M-50 gears without tip relief had a life approximately 40 times greater than the AISI M-50 gears with tip relief.

Townsend, D. P.↗

An experimental simulation study of four crosswind landing gear concepts

An experimental investigation was conducted in order to evaluate several crosswind landing-gear concepts which have a potential application to tricycle-gear-configured, short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft landing at crab or heading angles up to 30 deg. In this investigation, the landing gears were installed on a dynamic model which had a scaled mass distribution and gear spacing but no aerodynamic similarities when compared with a typical STOL aircraft. The model was operated as a free body with radio-control steering and was launched onto a runway sloped laterally in order to provide a simulated crosswind side force. During the landing rollout, the gear forces and the model trajectory were measured and the various concepts were compared with each other. Within the test limitations, the landing gear system, in which the gears were alined by the pilot and locked in the direction of motion prior to touchdown, gave the smoothest runout behavior with the vehicle maintaining its crab angle throughout the landing runout.

Stubbs, S. M.↗

A mathematical model of an active control landing gear for load control during impact and roll-out

A mathematical model of an active control landing gear (ACOLAG) was developed and programmed for operation on a digital computer. The mathematical model includes theoretical subsonic aerodynamics; first-mode wing bending and torsional characteristics; oleo-pneumatic shock strut with fit and binding friction; closed-loop, series-hydraulic control; empirical tire force-deflection characteristics; antiskid braking; and sinusoidal or random runway roughness. The mathematical model was used to compute the loads and motions for a simulated vertical drop test and a simulated landing impact of a conventional (passive) main landing gear designed for a 2268-kg (5000-lbm) class airplane. Computations were also made for a simply modified version of the passive gear including a series-hydraulic active control system. Comparison of computed results for the passive gear with experimental data shows that the active control landing gear analysis is valid for predicting the loads and motions of an airplane during a symmetrical landing. Computed results for the series-hydraulic active control in conjunction with the simply modified passive gear show that 20- to 30-percent reductions in wing force, relative to those occurring with the modified passive gear, can be obtained during the impact phase of the landing. These reductions in wing force could result in substantial increases in fatigue life of the structure.

Mcgehee, J. R.↗