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At least 199 records · Page 11

An updated history of NACA/NASA rotary-wing aircraft research 1915-1984

Highlights are drawn from 'A History of NACA/NASA Rotating-Wing Aircraft Research, 1915-1970' by F. Gustafson to build an historical base upon which to build an extension from 1970-1984. Fundamental changes in how NASA conducted rotary-wing research in the early 1970s included an increasing level of contract research and closer ties with research conducted by the U.S. Army. The work done at the Army Research Laboratories at Ames, Langley, and Lewis Research Centers during 1970-1976 is briefly reviewed. In 1976 the Ames Research Center was assigned the Lead Center responsibility for helicopter research, though Langley retained research roles in structures, noise, dynamics, and aeroelasticity in support of rotorcraft. By 1984, NASA Rotorcraft Program Funding reached $35 million per year.

Ward, J.↗

Development of large rotorcraft transmissions

The U.S. Army Heavy Lift Helicopter (HLH) represents a large rotorcraft which was developed by an American aerospace company. In the early 1970's with the HLH Advanced Technology Components (ATC) program, the development of large rotorcraft transmission and drive systems was started. Failures in the spiral bevel gearing were experienced in tests because the employed method of analysis had not considered the effect of rim bending. Consequently, new gears with strengthened rims were designed and fabricated. For a more accurate prediction of the load capacity of the gears, an extensive Finite Element Method (FEM) system was developed. The U.S. Army's XCH-62 HLH aft rotor transmission was finally successfully tested at full design torque and speed. A description of the test program is provided, and the analytical program is discussed. The analytical phase includes the development of a preprocessing program which aids in the review of calculated FEM stresses.

Samanich, N. E.↗

Application of the Hardman methodology to the Single Channel Ground-Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS)

The HARDMAN methodology was applied to the various configurations of employment for an emerging Army multipurpose communications system. The methodology was used to analyze the manpower, personnel and training (MPT) requirements and associated costs, of the system concepts responsive to the Army's requirement for the Single Channel Ground-Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS). The scope of the application includes the analysis of two conceptual designs Cincinnati Electronics and ITT Aerospace/Optical Division for operating and maintenance support addressed through the general support maintenance echelon.

Source record↗

Review and critical analysis: Rolling-element bearings for system life and reliability

A ball and cylindrical roller bearing technical specification which incorporates the latest state-of-the-art advancements was prepared for the purpose of improving bearing reliability in U.S. Army aircraft. The current U.S. Army aviation bearing designs and applications, including life analyses, were analyzed. A bearing restoration and refurbishment specification was prepared to improve bearing availability.

Irwin, A. S.↗

Spatial analysis in recreation resource management for the Berlin Lake Reservoir Project

Spatial analysis of geographic information systems and the acquisition and use of remotely-sensed data within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is an emerging Technology Work units have been developed under te Remote Sensing Research and Development Program, which are most relevant to the productive needs of the Corps in both the military and civil works missions. Corps participation in the SPOT simulation champaign is one such example of this research. This paper describes the application of spatial analysis and remote sensing in recreation resource managmaster planning at the Berlin Lake Reservoir Project within the Pittsburgh District. SPOT simulator data was acquired over Berlin Lake, Site No. 10, on July 8, 1983. The first part of this paper describes the background of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Berlin Lake project, the geographic information system being developed, and the planned use of SPOT and similar data. The remainder of the paper describes the results on an analysis of the simulated SPOT data conducted at the NASA Goddard Institut for Space Studies.

Edwardo, H. A.↗

Applications of computational modeling in ballistics

The development of the technology of ballistics as applied to gun launched Army weapon systems is the main objective of research at the U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL). The primary research programs at the BRL consist of three major ballistic disciplines: exterior, interior, and terminal. The work done at the BRL in these areas was traditionally highly dependent on experimental testing. A considerable emphasis was placed on the development of computational modeling to augment the experimental testing in the development cycle; however, the impact of the computational modeling to this date is modest. With the availability of supercomputer computational resources recently installed at the BRL, a new emphasis on the application of computational modeling to ballistics technology is taking place. The major application areas are outlined which are receiving considerable attention at the BRL at present and to indicate the modeling approaches involved. An attempt was made to give some information as to the degree of success achieved and indicate the areas of greatest need.

Sturek, Walter B.↗

Integrated voice and visual systems research topics

A series of studies was performed to investigate factors of helicopter speech and visual system design and measure the effects of these factors on human performance, both for pilots and non-pilots. The findings and conclusions of these studies were applied by the U.S. Army to the design of the Army's next generation threat warning system for helicopters and to the linguistic functional requirements for a joint Army/NASA flightworthy, experimental speech generation and recognition system.

Williams, Douglas H.↗

NASA/Army Rotorcraft Technology. Volume 1: Aerodynamics, and Dynamics and Aeroelasticity

The Conference Proceedings is a compilation of over 30 technical papers presented at this milestone event which reported on the advances in rotorcraft technical knowledge resulting from NASA, Army, and industry rotorcraft research programs over the last 5 to 10 years. The Conference brought together over 230 government, industry, and allied nation conferees to exchange technical information and hear invited technical papers by prominent NASA, Army, and industry researchers covering technology topics which included: aerodynamics, dynamics and elasticity, propulsion and drive systems, flight dynamics and control, acoustics, systems integration, and research aircraft.

Source record↗

Structures technology for a new generation of rotorcraft

This paper presents an overview of structures research at the U. S. Army Aerostructures Directorate. The objectives of this research are to investigate, explore, and demonstrate emerging technologies that will provide lighter, safer, more survivable, and more cost-effective structures for rotorcraft in the 1990s and beyond. The emphasis of today's R&D is to contribute proven structures technology to the U. S. rotorcraft industry and Army aviation that directly impacts tomorrow's fleet readiness and mission capabilities. The primary contributor toward meeting these challenges is the development of high-strength and durable composites to minimize structural weight while maximizing cost effectiveness. Special aviation issues such as delamination of dynamic components, impact damage to thin skins, crashworthiness, and affordable manufacturing need to be resolved before the full potential of composites technology can be realized. To that end, this paper highlights research into composites structural integrity, crashworthiness, and materials applications which addresses these issues.

Bartlett, Felton D., Jr.↗

Impact of domain analysis on reuse methods

The SPS is performing a study for the U.S. Army CECOM on the impact of domain analysis on reuse methods. Domain analysis is the first activity that should be performed in the development of reusable software. It identifies the commonalities between systems within a given problem (such as navigation systems or database management). In the software arena these commonalities are implemented as software components that can be reused by new systems within that application domain. The objectives of the study are to develop an approach that makes domain analysis practical and effective for the Army, to reinforce the importance of domain analysis for software reuse programs, and to summarize and coalesce domain analysis information into a single reference source. Existing methods and tools are being analyzed, critical issues identified, and key automation issues addressed. Based on these, a methodology and set of guidelines for domain analysis are being developed. Potential automated tools will be identified for each activity in the methodology.

Gilroy, Kathy↗

Gear noise, vibration, and diagnostic studies at NASA Lewis Research Center

The NASA Lewis Research Center and the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command are involved in a joint research program to advance the technology of rotorcraft transmissions. This program consists of analytical as well as experimental efforts to achieve the overall goals of reducing weight, noise, and vibration, while increasing life and reliability. Recent analytical activities are highlighted in the areas of gear noise, vibration, and diagnostics performed in-house and through NASA and U.S. Army sponsored grants and contracts. These activities include studies of gear tooth profiles to reduce transmission error and vibration as well as gear housing and rotordynamic modeling to reduce structural vibration transmission and noise radiation, and basic research into current gear failure diagnostic methodologies. Results of these activities are presented along with an overview of near term research plans in the gear noise, vibration, and diagnostics area.

Zakrajsek, James J.↗

Evaluation of speech recognizers for use in advanced combat helicopter crew station research and development

The U.S. Army Crew Station Research and Development Facility uses vintage 1984 speech recognizers. An evaluation was performed of newer off-the-shelf speech recognition devices to determine whether newer technology performance and capabilities are substantially better than that of the Army's current speech recognizers. The Phonetic Discrimination (PD-100) Test was used to compare recognizer performance in two ambient noise conditions: quiet office and helicopter noise. Test tokens were spoken by males and females and in isolated-word and connected-work mode. Better overall recognition accuracy was obtained from the newer recognizers. Recognizer capabilities needed to support the development of human factors design requirements for speech command systems in advanced combat helicopters are listed.

Simpson, Carol A.↗

Probabilistic fatigue methodology for six nines reliability

Fleet readiness and flight safety strongly depend on the degree of reliability that can be designed into rotorcraft flight critical components. The current U.S. Army fatigue life specification for new rotorcraft is the so-called six nines reliability, or a probability of failure of one in a million. The progress of a round robin which was established by the American Helicopter Society (AHS) Subcommittee for Fatigue and Damage Tolerance is reviewed to investigate reliability-based fatigue methodology. The participants in this cooperative effort are in the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command (AVSCOM) and the rotorcraft industry. One phase of the joint activity examined fatigue reliability under uniquely defined conditions for which only one answer was correct. The other phases were set up to learn how the different industry methods in defining fatigue strength affected the mean fatigue life and reliability calculations. Hence, constant amplitude and spectrum fatigue test data were provided so that each participant could perform their standard fatigue life analysis. As a result of this round robin, the probabilistic logic which includes both fatigue strength and spectrum loading variability in developing a consistant reliability analysis was established. In this first study, the reliability analysis was limited to the linear cumulative damage approach. However, it is expected that superior fatigue life prediction methods will ultimately be developed through this open AHS forum. To that end, these preliminary results were useful in identifying some topics for additional study.

Everett, R. A., Jr.↗

The effect of global visual flow on simulator sickness

Simulator-induced sickness is investigated in experiments performed at the NASA Ames Army Crew Station Research Facility using the fixed-base helmet-mounted-display flight simulator described by Lypaczewski et al. (1986). The focus of the tests was on the possible roles of (1) global visual flow, as defined by Warren et al. (1982), and (2) maneuvering intensity (in the conflict hypothesis of Reason and Brand, 1975). The results, based on subjective evaluations, physiological measurements, and physical tests on 19 Army helicopter pilots performing a 40-min river-valley following task, are presented in extensive tables and graphs and discussed. The data are found to be in agreement with (1) and inconsistent with (2), indicating more sickness at lower altitude instead of with increased maneuvering. Shorter simulator sessions and postponement of low-altitude work until later in the training period are recommended.

Sharkey, Thomas J.↗

Gear noise, vibration, and diagnostic studies at NASA Lewis Research Center

The NASA Lewis Research Center and the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command are involved in a joint research program to advance the technology of rotorcraft transmissions. This program consists of analytical as well as experimental efforts to achieve the overall goals of reducing weight, noise, and vibration, while increasing life and reliability. Recent analytical activities are highlighted in the areas of gear noise, vibration, and diagnostics performed in-house and through NASA and U.S. Army sponsored grants and contracts. These activities include studies of gear tooth profiles to reduce transmission error and vibration as well as gear housing and rotordynamic modeling to reduce structural vibration and transmission and noise radiation, and basic research into current gear failure diagnostic methodologies. Results of these activities are presented along with an overview of near-term research plans in the gear noise, vibration, and diagnostics area.

Zakrajsek, J. J.↗

Rotorcraft In-Flight Simulation Research at NASA Ames Research Center: A Review of the 1980's and plans for the 1990's

A new flight research vehicle, the Rotorcraft-Aircrew System Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL), is being developed by the U.S. Army and NASA at ARC. The requirements for this new facility stem from a perception of rotorcraft system technology requirements for the next decade together with operational experience with the Boeing Vertol CH-47B research helicopter that was operated as an in-flight simulator at ARC during the past 10 years. Accordingly, both the principal design features of the CH-47B variable-stability system and the flight-control and cockpit-display programs that were conducted using this aircraft at ARC are reviewed. Another U.S Army helicopter, a Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk, was selected as the baseline vehicle for the RASCAL. The research programs that influence the design of the RASCAL are summarized, and the resultant requirements for the RASCAL research system are described. These research programs include investigations of advanced, integrated control concepts for achieving high levels of agility and maneuverability, and guidance technologies, employing computer/sensor-aiding, designed to assist the pilot during low-altitude flight in conditions of limited visibility. The approach to the development of the new facility is presented and selected plans for the preliminary design of the RASCAL are described.

Aiken, Edwin W.↗

A review of recent programs and future plans for rotorcraft in-flight simulation at Ames Research Center

A new flight research vehicle, the Rotorcraft-Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL), is being developed by the U.S. Army and NASA at Ames Research Center. The requirements for this new facility stem from a perception of rotorcraft system technology requirements for the next decade together with operational experience with the CH-47B research helicopter that was operated as an in-flight simulator at Ames during the past 10 years. Accordingly, both the principal design features of the CH-47B variable-stability system and the flight-control and cockpit-display programs that were conducted using this aircraft at Ames are reviewed. Another U.S. Army helicopter, a UH-60A Black Hawk, has been selected as the baseline vehicle for the RASCAL. The research programs that influence the design of the RASCAL are summarized, and the resultant requirements for the RASCAL research system are described. These research programs include investigations of advanced, integrated control concepts for achieving high levels of agility and maneuverability, and guidance technologies, employing computer/sensor-aiding, designed to assist the pilot during low-altitude flight in conditions of limited visibility. The approach to the development of the new facility is presented and selected plans for the preliminary design of the RASCAL are described.

Eshow, Michelle M.↗

High Speed Solid State Circuit Breaker

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Fort Monmouth, NJ, has developed and is installing two 3.3 MW high speed solid state circuit breakers at the Army's Pulse Power Center. These circuit breakers will interrupt 4160V three phase power mains in no more than 300 microseconds, two orders of magnitude faster than conventional mechanical contact type circuit breakers. These circuit breakers utilize Gate Turnoff Thyristors (GTO's) and are currently utility type devices using air cooling in an air conditioned enclosure. Future refinements include liquid cooling, either water or two phase organic coolant, and more advanced semiconductors. Each of these refinements promises a more compact, more reliable unit.

Podlesak, Thomas F.↗