Results for “Attack surface analysis” — Page 14

NASA NTRS2002

Durability Issues for the Protection of Materials from Atomic Oxygen Attack in Low Earth Orbit

Low Earth orbital atomic oxygen is capable of eroding most polymeric materials typically used on spacecraft. Solar array blankets, thermal control polymers, and carbon fiber matrix composites are readily oxidized to become thinner and less capable of supporting the loads imposed upon them. Protective coatings have been developed that are durable to atomic oxygen to prevent oxidative erosion of the underlying polymers. However, the details of the surface roughness, coating defect density, and coating configuration can play a significant role as to whether or not the coating provides long duration atomic oxygen protection. Identical coatings on different surface roughness surfaces can have drastically different durability results. Examples and analysis of the causes of resultant differences in atomic oxygen protection are presented. Implications based on in-space experiences, ground laboratory testing, and computational modeling indicate that thin film vacuum-deposited aluminum protective coatings offer much less atomic oxygen protection than sputter-deposited silicon dioxide coatings.

Banks, Bruce↗

NASA NTRS1992

Improvements to the missile aerodynamic prediction code DEMON3

The computer program DEMON3 was developed for the aerodynamic analysis of nonconventional supersonic configurations comprising a body with noncircular cross section and up to two wing or fin sections. Within a wing or fin section, the lifting surfaces may be cruciform, triform, planar, or low profile layouts; the planforms of the lifting surfaces allow for breaks in sweep. The body and fin sections are modeled by triplet and constant u-velocity panels, respectively, accounting for mutual body-fin interference. Fin thickness effects are included for the use of supersonic planar source panels. One of the unique features of DEMON3 is the modeling of high angle of attack vortical effects associated with the lifting surfaces and the body. In addition, shock expansion and Newtonian pressure calculation methods can be optionally engaged. These two dimensional nonlinear methods are augmented by aerodynamic interference determined from the linear panel methods. Depending on the geometric details of the body, the DEMON3 program can be used to analyze nonconventional configurations at angles of attack up to 25 degrees for Mach numbers from 1.1 to 6. Calculative results and comparisons with experimental data demonstrate the capabilities of DEMON3. Limitations and deficiencies are listed.

Dillenius, Marnix F. E.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Evaluation of F/A-18A HARV inlet flow analysis with flight data

The F/A-18A aircraft has experienced engine stalls at high angles-of-attack and yaw flight conditions which were outside of its flight envelope. Future aircraft may be designed to operate routinely in this flight regime. Therefore, it is essential that an understanding of the inlet flow field at these flight conditions be obtained. Due to the complex interactions of the fuselage and inlet flow fields, a study of the flow within the inlet must also include external effects. Full Navier-Stokes (FNS) calculations on the F/A-18A High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) inlet for several angles-of-attack with sideslip and free stream Mach numbers have been obtained. The predicted forebody/fuselage surface static pressures agreed well with flight data. The surface static pressures along the inlet lip are in good agreement with the numerical predictions. The major departure in agreement is along the bottom of the lip at 30 deg and 60 deg angle-of-attack where a possible streamwise flow separation is not being predicted by the code. The circumferential pressure distributions at the engine face are in very good agreement with the numerical results. The variation in surface static pressure in the circumferential direction is very small with the exception of 60 angle-of-attack. Although the simulation does not include the effect of the engine, it appears that this omission has a second order effect on the circumferential pressure distribution. An examination of the unsteady flight test data base has shown that the secondary vortex migrates a significant distance with time. In fact, the extent of this migration increases with angle-of-attack with increasing levels of distortion. The effects of the engine on this vortex movement is unknown. This implies that the level of flow unsteadiness increases with increasing distortion. Since the computational results represent an asymptotic solution driven by steady boundary conditions, these numerical results may represent an arbitrary point in time. A comparison of the predicted total pressure contours with flight data indicates that the numerical results are within the excursion range of the unsteady data which is the best the calculations can attain unless an unsteady simulation is performed.

Smith, C. Frederic↗

NASA NTRS1999

X-33 (Rev-F) Aeroheating Results of Test 6770 in NASA Langley 20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel

Aeroheating characteristics of the X-33 Rev-F configuration have been experimentally examined in the Langley 20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel (Test 6770). Global surface heat transfer distributions, surface streamline patterns, and shock shapes were measured on a 0.013-scale model at Mach 6 in air. Parametric variations include angles-of-attack of 20-deg, 30-deg, and 40-deg; Reynolds numbers based on model length of 0.9 to 4.9 million; and body-flap deflections of 10-deg and 20-deg. The effects of discrete roughness elements on boundary layer transition, which included trip height, size, and location, both on and off the windward centerline, were investigated. This document is intended to serve as a quick release of preliminary data to the X-33 program; analysis is limited to observations of the experimental trends in order to expedite dissemination.

Berry, Scott A.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Experimental and theoretical aerodynamic heating and flow field analysis of a space shuttle orbiter

The results of work on the McDonnell Douglas delta wing orbiter are summarized and compared to other data and theories where applicable. The tests were conducted in the continuous hypersonic Tunnel B at Mach 8 and in the hypervelocity hotshot Tunnel F at Mach 10.5. Photographic data are used to illustrate the regions of peak heating on the lee-side and to show the vortical nature of the flow. Windward centerline data include measurements of shock angle, surface pressure, flow field pitot pressure and total temperature, and heat transfer rate coefficient distributions. Shock angles, surface pressures, and local Mach number distributions are compared with tangent cone theory over an angle of attack range from 10 to 60 deg. The measured heat transfer rate coefficient distributions are compared to both laminar and turbulent theories and boundary layer transition data are compared to the McDonnell Douglas criteria.

Matthews, R. K.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Analysis and Results from a Flush Airdata Sensing (FADS) System in Close Proximity to Firing Rocket Nozzles

This presentation presents information regarding the nose-cap flush airdata sensing (FADS) system on Orion's Pad Abort 1 (PA-1) vehicle. The purpose of the nose-cap FADS system was to test whether or not useful data could be obtained from a FADS system if it was placed in close proximity to firing rockets nozzles like the attitude control motor (ACM) nozzles on the PA-1 launch abort system (LAS). The nose-cap FADS systems use pressure measurements from a series of pressure ports which are arranged in a cruciform pattern and flush with the surface of the vehicle to estimate values of angle of attack, angle of side-slip, Mach number, impact pressure and free-stream static pressure.

Pad Abort 1↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Separation and Transition on the ROTEX-T Cone-Flare

As part of NATO STO AVT-346 “Predicting Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Transition on Complex Geometries,” coordinated experimental and computational studies were conducted on the ROTEX-T, a cone-flare geometry used in a successful flight-test experiment. At the as-flown conditions, a separation bubble existed at the compression corner. Separation, reattachment, and the multifaceted linear instability paths leading this bubble to transition to turbulence are challenging to predict, but have significant impact on surface pressure and heat flux. High-resolution background-oriented schlieren and infrared thermography measurements were made in the AFOSR–Notre Dame Large Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel at freestream unit Reynolds numbers from 5.8×10(exp 6) to 12.2×10(exp 6) m-1and nominally zero angle of attack. High-speed self-aligned focusing schlieren, infrared thermography, and focused laser differential interferometry measurements were made in the AFRL Mach-6 Ludwieg Tube from 2.2×10(exp 6) to 24.7×10(exp 6) m-1and nominally zero degrees angle of attack. The surface heat-flux and Stanton number distributions were computed. Separation and reattachment locations, as well as the flow state at each, were determined from the combination of surface and off-wall measurements. The convective and global boundary-layer instabilities of the axisymmetric laminar flow at the experimental conditions were investigated computationally. Amplification of Mack’s first and second modes were observed to have logarithmic amplification factors between 5 to 7.5 at the separation location, depending on conditions. The flow was found to be globally unstable to stationary three-dimensional disturbances concentrated in the reattachment region. Previous analysis of the ROTEX-T flight data had not assessed reattachment location or the flow state upon reattachment. Thanks to the insights gained from the coordinated, on- and off-wall ground-test measurements, these evaluations have now been made. The separation location indicated by laminar simulations is consistently numerically predicted to be upstream of the experimentally observed location for a transitional separation bubble. The cause of this difference is understood to lie in the steady-state and axisymmetric assumptions made by both solvers employed to compute the basic states analyzed, as flow topology considerations assert that unsteady two-dimensional or axisymmetric separation bubbles are structurally unstable and will become three-dimensional. Computed laminar heating rates prior to separation agreed well with experiment; transitional heating rates after reattachment were between laminar and turbulent computations.

CFD Validation↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Separation and Transition on the ROTEX-T Cone-Flare

As part of NATO STO AVT-346 “Predicting Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Transition on Complex Geometries,” coordinated experimental and computational studies were conducted on the ROTEX-T, a cone-flare geometry used in a successful flight-test experiment. At the as-flown conditions, a separation bubble existed at the compression corner. Separation, reattachment, and the multifaceted linear instability paths leading this bubble to transition to turbulence are challenging to predict, but have significant impact on surface pressure and heat flux. High-resolution background-oriented schlieren and infrared thermography measurements were made in the AFOSR–Notre Dame Large Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel at freestream unit Reynolds numbers from 5.8×10(exp 6) to 12.2×10(exp 6) m-1and nominally zero angle of attack. High-speed self-aligned focusing schlieren, infrared thermography, and focused laser differential interferometry measurements were made in the AFRL Mach-6 Ludwieg Tube from 2.2×10(exp 6) to 24.7×10(exp 6) m-1and nominally zero degrees angle of attack. The surface heat-flux and Stanton number distributions were computed. Separation and reattachment locations, as well as the flow state at each, were determined from the combination of surface and off-wall measurements. The convective and global boundary-layer instabilities of the axisymmetric laminar flow at the experimental conditions were investigated computationally. Amplification of Mack’s first and second modes were observed to have logarithmic amplification factors between 5 to 7.5 at the separation location, depending on conditions. The flow was found to be globally unstable to stationary three-dimensional disturbances concentrated in the reattachment region. Previous analysis of the ROTEX-T flight data had not assessed reattachment location or the flow state upon reattachment. Thanks to the insights gained from the coordinated, on- and off-wall ground-test measurements, these evaluations have now been made. The separation location indicated by laminar simulations is consistently numerically predicted to be upstream of the experimentally observed location for a transitional separation bubble. The cause of this difference is understood to lie in the steady-state and axisymmetric assumptions made by both solvers employed to compute the basic states analyzed, as flow topology considerations assert that unsteady two-dimensional or axisymmetric separation bubbles are structurally unstable and will become three-dimensional. Computed laminar heating rates prior to separation agreed well with experiment; transitional heating rates after reattachment were between laminar and turbulent computations.

CFD Validation↗

NASA NTRS1974

Results of tests OA26 and IA16 in the NASA/ARC 3.5-foot hypersonic wind tunnel on an 0.015-scale model (36-OTS) of the space shuttle configuration 140A/B to obtain pressures for venting analysis

Tests were conducted, from November 15 to December 4, 1973, to obtain surface pressure data on an 0.015-scale replica of the Space Shuttle Vehicle 4. Data were obtained at Mach numbers of 5.3, 7.4, and 10.3, to support the venting analysis for both launch and entry conditions. These tests were the final tests in a series covering a Mach number range from 0.6 to 10.3. The model was instrumented with pressure orifices in the vicinity of the cargo bay door hinge and parting lines, and on the side of the fuselage at the crew compartment, and below the orbital maneuvering system pods at the aft compartment. The model was tested at angles of attack and sideslip consistent with expected divergencies from the nominal trajectory.

Spangler, R. H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Numerical investigation of the effects of icing on fixed and rotary wing aircraft

A 2-D multi-element airfoil code was modified to study the effects of icing on the aerodynamic characteristics of high lift systems. In each zone of the flow field, the solver numerically integrates the 2-D compressible Navier-Stokes equations using a time marching scheme. The surface pressure distribution is generated over a GAW 130 airfoil/flap combination for a flap setting of 25 degrees, and an angle of attack equal to 5 degrees, at a freestream Mach number equal to 0.3. A series of calculations were performed to determine the effects of small scale ice build up on the high lift characteristics of this arifoil/flap combination. The appendix summarizes this progress. Joint studies on correlation of a 3-D iced wing code with experimental data reviewed new measured laser Doppler velocimeter data in the separated region behind the leading edge ice shape. A version of the iced wing analysis using the Roe scheme was developed to evaluate the poor correlation between the computed and measured velocities in the separated region. Work on the extension of the wing-alone analysis to wing body configuration began with modifications to the 3-D iced wing analyses to accept externally generated grids and multi-block grids.

Sankar, L. N.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Active Control of F/A-18 Vertical Tail Buffeting using Piezoelectric Actuators

Vertical tail buffeting is a serious multidisciplinary problem that limits the performance of twin-tail fighter aircraft. The buffet problem occurs at high angles of attack when the vortical flow breaks down ahead of the vertical tails resulting in unsteady and unbalanced pressure loads on the vertical tails. This paper describes a multidisciplinary computational investigation for buffet load alleviation of full F/A-18 aircraft using distributed piezoelectric actuators. The inboard and outboard surfaces of the vertical tail are equipped with piezoelectric actuators to control the buffet responses in the first bending and torsion modes. The electrodynamics of the smart structure are expressed with a three-dimensional finite element model. A single-input-single-output controller is designed to drive the active piezoelectric actuators. High-fidelity multidisciplinary analysis modules for the fluid dynamics, structure dynamics, electrodynamics of the piezoelectric actuators, fluid-structure interfacing, and grid motion are integrated into a multidisciplinary computing environment that controls the temporal synchronization of the analysis modules. Peak values of the power spectral density of tail tip acceleration are reduced by as much as 22% in the first bending mode and by as much as 82% in the first torsion mode. RMS values of tip acceleration are reduced by as much as 12%.

Sheta, Essam F.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Natural flow wing

The invention is a natural flow wing and a method for constructing the same. The method comprises contouring a three-dimensional upper surface and a three-dimensional lower surface of the natural flow wing independently of one another into a prescribed shape. Experimental data and theoretical analysis show that flow and pressure-loading over an upper surface of a wing tend to be conical about an apex of the wing, producing favorable and unfavorable regions of performance based on drag. The method reduces these unfavorable regions by shaping the upper surface such that the maximum thickness near a tip of the natural flow wing moves aft, thereby, contouring the wing to coincide more closely with the conical nature of the flow on the upper surface. Nearly constant compressive loading characterizes the flow field over a lower surface of the conventional wing. Magnitude of these compressive pressures on the lower surface depends on angle of attack and on a streamwise curvature of the lower surface of the wing and not on a cross-sectional spanwise curvature. The method, thereby, shapes the lower surface to create an area as large as possible with negative slopes. Any type of swept wing may be used to obtain the final, shaped geometry of the upper and lower surfaces of the natural flow wing.

Wood, Richard M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Full-Scale Wind Tunnel Studies of F/A-18 Tail Buffet

Tail buffet studies were conducted on a full-scale, production, F/A-18, fighter aircraft in the 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. The F/A-18 was tested over an angle-of-attack range of 18deg to 50deg, a side-slip range of -15deg to 15deg, and at wind speeds of up to 100 knots. The maximum speed corresponds to a Reynolds number of 12.3 x 10(exp 6) based on mean aerodynamic chord and a Mach number of 0.15. The port, vertical tail fin was instrumented with thirty-two surface pressure transducers, arranged in four by four arrays on both sides on the fin. The aircraft was also equipped with a removable Leading Edge eXtension (LEX) fence that is used on F/A-18 aircraft to reduce tail buffet loads. Time-averaged, power-spectral analysis results are presented for the tail fin bending moment derived from the integrated pressure field. The results are only for the zero side-slip condition, both with and without the LEX fence. The LEX fence significantly reduces the magnitude of the root-mean-square pressures and bending moments. Scaling issues are addressed by comparing full-scale results for pressures at the 60%-span and 45%-chord location with published results of small-scale, F/A-18 tail-buffet tests. The comparison shows that the tail buffet frequency scales very well with length and velocity. Root-mean-square pressures and power spectra do not scale as well. The LEX fence is shown to reduce tail buffet loads at all model scales.

Meyn, Larry A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Comparison of Aerodynamic Analysis Tools Applied to a Propeller-Blown Wing

This paper describes initial results from an ongoing activity comparing two aerodynamic analysis tools: OVERFLOW, a Navier-Stokes flow solver, and FlightStream, a viscous surface-vorticity, unstructured panel method flow solver. Both tools are applied to analyses of an unblown wing and a propeller-blown wing, and then comparisons are performed between the predicted aerodynamic loads and moments from each tool. Computational performance and efficiencies of each tool and their usability in conceptual and preliminary air vehicle design are also discussed. A description of the workflow, underlying theoretical foundations, and best practices are provided. In comparing FlightStream and OVERFLOW, reasonable agreement between predicted performance is observed for flow regimes of interest at high angle of attack prior to stall, including blown wing aero-propulsive effects on lift augmentation and stall delay. In the post-stall regions, FlightStream appears to underestimate the effects of turbulent flow separation that contribute heavily to drag. However, as expected for a high-fidelity, time-accurate solver, the setup and computation time are substantially greater for OVERFLOW than for FlightStream.

Vivek Ahuja↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Comparison of Aerodynamic Analysis Tools Applied to a Propeller-Blown Wing

This paper describes initial results from an ongoing activity comparing two aerodynamic analysis tools: OVERFLOW, a Navier-Stokes flow solver, and FlightStream, a viscous surface-vorticity, unstructured panel method flow solver. Both tools are applied to analyses of an unblown wing and a propeller-blown wing, and then comparisons are performed between the predicted aerodynamic loads and moments from each tool. Computational performance and efficiencies of each tool and their usability in conceptual and preliminary air vehicle design are also discussed. A description of the workflow, underlying theoretical foundations, and best practices are provided. In comparing FlightStream and OVERFLOW, reasonable agreement between predicted performance is observed for flow regimes of interest at high angle of attack prior to stall, including blown wing aero-propulsive effects on lift augmentation and stall delay. In the post-stall regions, FlightStream appears to underestimate the effects of turbulent flow separation that contribute heavily to drag. However, as expected for a high-fidelity, time-accurate solver, the setup and computation time are substantially greater for OVERFLOW than for FlightStream.

Vivek Ahuja↗

NASA NTRS1959

An Investigation of a 0.05-Scale Model of the XSM-64A Navaho Missile and Booster: Force Study at Mach Numbers from 1.77 to 3.51 - Part 1

An investigation has been conducted in the Langley Unitary Plan wind tunnel to determine the aerodynamic loads and the static longitudinal and lateral stability of a 0.05-scale model of the XSM-64A Navaho missile and booster and its various components. Tests were conducted through a Mach number range of 1.77 to 3.51 with a corresponding Reynolds number range of 2.4 x 10(exp 6) to 2.9 x 10(exp 6). Results are presented for an angle-of-attack range of -8 deg to 4 deg for the missile-booster combination and -10 deg to 10 deg for the missile-alone configuration. Tests for both configurations were conducted through an angle-of-sideslip range of -8 deg to 8 deg. Also presented are some effects on the model characteristics of the deflection of various components including canard, tip aileron, vertical stabilizer, speed brakes, and booster pitch and yaw thrust chambers. The various components on which loads were measured include the wing, tip aileron, rudder, booster, booster separating surface, booster fin, and booster yaw and pitch thrust chambers. These data are presented without analysis.

Church, James D.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of a wing-winglet model designed at M = 0.8, C sub L = 0.4 using linear aerodynamic theory

Wind tunnel test results have been presented herein for a subsonic transport type wing fitted with winglets. Wind planform was chosen to be representative of wings used on current jet transport aircraft, while wing and winglet camber surfaces were designed using two different linear aerodynamic design methods. The purpose of the wind tunnel investigation was to determine the effectiveness of these linear aerodynamic design computer codes in designing a non-planar transport configuration which would cruise efficiently. The design lift coefficient was chosen to be 0.4, at a design Mach number of 0.8. Force and limited pressure data were obtained for the basic wing, and for the wing fitted with the two different winglet designs, at Mach numbers of 0.60, 0.70, 0.75 and 0.80 over an angle of attack range of -2 to +6 degrees, at zero sideslip. The data have been presented without analysis to expedite publication.

Kuhlman, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Construction, wind tunnel testing and data analysis for a 1/5 scale ultra-light wing model

This report documents the construction, wind tunnel testing, and data analysis of a 1/5 scale ultra-light wing section. Wind tunnel testing provided accurate and meaningful lift, drag, and pitching moment data. This data was processed and graphically presented as follows: C(sub L) vs. gamma; C(sub D) vs. gamma; C(sub M) vs. gamma; and C(sub L) vs. C(sub D). The wing fabric flexure was found to be significant and its possible effects on aerodynamic data was discussed. The fabric flexure is directly related to wing angle of attack and airspeed. Different wing section shapes created by fabric flexure are presented with explanations of the types of pressures that act upon the wing surface. This report provides conclusive aerodynamic data for ultra-light wings.

James, Michael D.↗