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At least 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

High performance forward swept wing aircraft

A high performance aircraft capable of subsonic, transonic and supersonic speeds employs a forward swept wing planform and at least one first and second solution ejector located on the inboard section of the wing. A high degree of flow control on the inboard sections of the wing is achieved along with improved maneuverability and control of pitch, roll and yaw. Lift loss is delayed to higher angles of attack than in conventional aircraft. In one embodiment the ejectors may be advantageously positioned spanwise on the wing while the ductwork is kept to a minimum.

Koenig, David G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Flight simulator platform motion and air transport pilot training

The effect of a flight simulator platform motion on the performance and training of a pilot was evaluated using subjective ratings and objective performance data obtained on experienced B-727 pilots and pilots with no prior heavy aircraft flying experience flying B-727-200 aircraft simulator used by the FAA in the upgrade and transition training for air carrier operations. The results on experienced pilots did not reveal any reliable effects of wide variations in platform motion design. On the other hand, motion variations significantly affected the behavior of pilots without heavy-aircraft experience. The effect was limited to pitch attitude control inputs during the early phase of landing training.

Lee, Alfred T.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Evaluation of Four Advanced Nozzle Concepts for Short Takeoff and Landing Performance

Four advanced nozzle concepts were tested on a canard-wing fighter in the Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel. The four vectoring-nozzle concepts were as follows: (1) an axisymmetric nozzle (AXI); (2) an asymmetric, load balanced exhaust nozzle (ALBEN); (3) a low aspect ratio, single expansion ramp nozzle (LASERN); and (4) a high aspect ratio, single expansion ramp nozzle (HASERN). The investigation was conducted to determine the most suitable nozzle concept for short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance. The criterion for the best STOL performance was a takeoff ground roll of less than 1000 ft. At approach, the criteria were high lift and sufficient drag to maintain a glide slope of -3 to -6 deg with enough pitching-moment control from the canards. The test was performed at a dynamic pressure of 45 lb/sq ft and an angle-of-attack range of 0 to 20 deg. The nozzle pressure ratio was varied from 1.0 to 4.3 at both dry power and after burning nozzle configurations with nozzle vectoring to 60 deg. In addition, the model was tested in and out of ground effects. The ALBEN concept was the best of the four nozzle concepts tested for STOL performance.

Quinto, P. Frank↗
NASA NTRS2000

Computational Investigation of the Aerodynamic Effects on Fluidic Thrust Vectoring

A computational investigation of the aerodynamic effects on fluidic thrust vectoring has been conducted. Three-dimensional simulations of a two-dimensional, convergent-divergent (2DCD) nozzle with fluidic injection for pitch vector control were run with the computational fluid dynamics code PAB using turbulence closure and linear Reynolds stress modeling. Simulations were computed with static freestream conditions (M=0.05) and at Mach numbers from M=0.3 to 1.2, with scheduled nozzle pressure ratios (from 3.6 to 7.2) and secondary to primary total pressure ratios of p(sub t,s)/p(sub t,p)=0.6 and 1.0. Results indicate that the freestream flow decreases vectoring performance and thrust efficiency compared with static (wind-off) conditions. The aerodynamic penalty to thrust vector angle ranged from 1.5 degrees at a nozzle pressure ratio of 6 with M=0.9 freestream conditions to 2.9 degrees at a nozzle pressure ratio of 5.2 with M=0.7 freestream conditions, compared to the same nozzle pressure ratios with static freestream conditions. The aerodynamic penalty to thrust ratio decreased from 4 percent to 0.8 percent as nozzle pressure ratio increased from 3.6 to 7.2. As expected, the freestream flow had little influence on discharge coefficient.

Deere, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS1947

High-Speed Wind-Tunnel Tests of a Model of the Lockheed YP-80A Airplane Including Correlation with Flight Tests and Tests of Dive-Recovery Flaps

This report contains the results of tests of a 1/3-scale model of the Lockheed YP-90A "Shooting Star" airplane and a comparison of drag, maximum lift coefficient, and elevator angle required for level flight as measured in the wind tunnel and in flight. Included in the report are the general aerodynamic characteristics of the model and of two types of dive-recovery flaps, one at several positions along the chord on the lower surface of the wing and the other on the lower surface of the fuselage. The results show good agreement between the flight and wind-tunnel measurements at all Mach numbers. The results indicate that the YP-80A is controllable in pitch by the elevators to a Mach number of at least 0.85. The fuselage dive-recovery flaps are effective for producing a climbing moment and increasing the drag at Mach numbers up to at least 0.8. The wing dive-recovery flaps are most effective for producing a climbing moment at 0.75 Mach number. At 0.85 Mach number, their effectiveness is approximately 50 percent of the maximum. The optimum position for the wing dive-recovery flaps to produce a climbing moment is at approximately 35 percent of the chord.

Cleary, Joseph W.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Emergency flight control system using one engine and fuel transfer

A system for emergency aircraft control uses at least one engine and lateral fuel transfer that allows a pilot to regain control over an aircraft under emergency conditions. Where aircraft propulsion is available only through engines on one side of the aircraft, lateral fuel transfer provides means by which the center of gravity of the aircraft can be moved over to the wing associated with the operating engine, thus inducing a moment that balances the moment from the remaining engine, allowing the pilot to regain control over the aircraft. By implementing the present invention in flight control programming associated with a flight control computer (FCC), control of the aircraft under emergency conditions can be linked to the yoke or autopilot knob of the aircraft. Additionally, the center of gravity of the aircraft can be shifted in order to effect maneuvers and turns by spacing such center of gravity either closer to or farther away from the propelling engine or engines. In an alternative embodiment, aircraft having a third engine associated with the tail section or otherwise are accommodated and implemented by the present invention by appropriately shifting the center of gravity of the aircraft. Alternatively, where a four-engine aircraft has suffered loss of engine control on one side of the plane, the lateral fuel transfer may deliver the center of gravity closer to the two remaining engines. Differential thrust between the two can then control the pitch and roll of the aircraft in conjunction with lateral fuel transfer.

Burcham, Jr., Frank W.↗
NASA NTRS2013

UltraSail CubeSat Solar Sail Flight Experiment

UltraSail is a next-generation, highrisk, high-payoff sail system for the launch, deployment, stabilization, and control of very large (km2 class) solar sails enabling high payload mass fractions for interplanetary and deep space spacecraft. UltraSail is a non-traditional approach to propulsion technology achieved by combining propulsion and control systems developed for formation- flying microsatellites with an innovative solar sail architecture to achieve controllable sail areas approaching 1 km2, sail subsystem area densities approaching 1 g/m2, and thrust levels many times those of ion thrusters used for comparable deep space missions. UltraSail can achieve outer planetary rendezvous, a deep-space capability now reserved for high-mass nuclear and chemical systems. There is a twofold rationale behind the UltraSail concept for advanced solar sail systems. The first is that sail-andboom systems are inherently size-limited. The boom mass must be kept small, and column buckling limits the boom length to a few hundred meters. By eliminating the boom, UltraSail not only offers larger sail area, but also lower areal density, allowing larger payloads and shorter mission transit times. The second rationale for UltraSail is that sail films present deployment handling difficulties as the film thickness approaches one micrometer. The square sail requires that the film be folded in two directions for launch, and similarly unfolded for deployment. The film is stressed at the intersection of two folds, and this stress varies inversely with the film thickness. This stress can cause the film to yield, forming a permanent crease, or worse, to perforate. By rolling the film as UltraSail does, creases are prevented. Because the film is so thin, the roll thickness is small. Dynamic structural analysis of UltraSail coupled with dynamic control analysis shows that the system can be designed to eliminate longitudinal torsional waves created while controlling the pitch of the blades, while using solar photon pressure to slew the spin axis. Vacuum tests have also verified that electrostatic and molecular adhesion forces can substantially be eliminated by making the film electrically conductive, reducing the peel force of the film off the storage roll to levels of 100s of micro-N. The innovation demonstrated the capability of deploying a six-micron aluminum- coated film from a reel through a slit in vacuum. The innovation also demonstrated a spin-stabilized method for deploying a long reel of solar sail film using solar pressure to spin-up and orbit raise the satellite, and also a gravity gradient method for deploying a long reel of solar sail film using solar pressure to orbit raise the satellite. The solar sail mass fraction of 25% is consistent with high specific impulse ion systems, but without the added weight and cost of a power source and processing unit. The large sail area, coupled with low film density, is giving UltraSail a high payload fraction. The UltraSail deployment scheme unrolls a micrometerscale reflection-coated polyimide film from a storage mandrel to a maximum length of several kilometers with the aid of a blade tip satellite.

Carroll, David↗
NASA NTRS2015

In-Flight Suppression of a De-Stabilized F/A-18 Structural Mode Using the Space Launch System Adaptive Augmenting Control System

Adaptive Augmenting Control (AAC) has been developed for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) family of launch vehicles and implemented as a baseline part of its flight control system (FCS). To raise the technical readiness level of the SLS AAC algorithm, the Launch Vehicle Adaptive Control (LVAC) flight test program was conducted in which the SLS FCS prototype software was employed to control the pitch axis of Dryden's specially outfitted F/A-18, the Full Scale Advanced Systems Test Bed (FAST). This presentation focuses on a set of special test cases which demonstrate the successful mitigation of the unstable coupling of an F/A-18 airframe structural mode with the SLS FCS.

Wall, John↗
NASA NTRS2019

Technology Development and Infusion by NASA's Entry Systems Modeling Project

This paper describes recent development of modeling and simulation technologies for entry systems and their infusion into NASA's exploration missions. Technology development is organized and prioritized using a system-level perspective, resulting in four broad technical areas of investment: (1) Thermal protection material modeling, (2) Shock layer kinetics and radiation, (3) Computational and experimental aerosciences, and (4) Guidance, navigation, and control. The paper will highlight key contributions from each of these areas, their impacts from a spacecraft and mission design perspective, and discuss planned future investment. Aspects of each technical area are only briefly summarized here. Thermal protection material modeling is geared toward high-fidelity, predictive models capable of optimizing design performance, post-flight reconstruction, and quantifying thermal protection system reliability. New computational tools and experimental techniques have been applied to Orion, MSL/Mars 2020, Mars InSight, and Mars Sample Return missions. Research and development in the area of shock layer kinetics has focused on air and CO2-based atmospheres. In both cases, substantial improvements in model uncertainty have directly impacted the development of mission margin policies, flight instrumentation design and analysis (Orion and Mars 2020), and have even revealed the importance of neglected phenomena like mid-wave infrared radiation of CO2. Aerosciences is a very broad area of interest in entry systems, yet a number of important challenges are being addressed: Coupled fluid-structure simulations of parachute inflation and dynamics affecting Orion, Commercial Crew, and Mars programs; Experimental and computational studies of vehicle dynamics; Multi-phase flow with dust particles to simulate augmentation of aerothermal environments at Mars during dust storms; and studies of roughness-induced heating augmentation relevant to tiled (Orion, Mars 2020) and woven (Mars Sample Return) thermal protection systems. Guidance and control in the context of entry systems has focused on development of methods for multi-axis control (i.e. pitch and yaw, rather than bank angle alone) of spacecraft during entry and descent, with precision landing requirements driven by Mars human exploration goals.

Barnhardt, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

OVERFLOW Analysis of Supersonic Retropropulsion Testing on a Blunt Mars Entry Vehicle Concept

Supersonic retropropulsion (SRP) flow over a Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) blunt-body vehicle was simulated using the Overflow Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver. Two nozzle configurations were tested (1E and 1F) as a subset of the seven total configurations in the Descent System Study (DSS) testing campaign. A generalized, Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) shock capturing and plume refinement technique was developed and calibrated for producing automatic and unique grid systems optimized for any given testing condition. Solution independence from grid resolution was determined by successively increasing grid refinement until asymptotic convergence of the mean aerodynamic loads was observed. Overflow Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solutions produced realistic SRP flow phenomena, including Mach disk normal shocks contained in high-thrust plumes and bow shock triple-points. Solutions for the 1E nozzle configuration were steady. Conversely, a subset of the 1F test conditions were unsteady and exhibited periodic, non-sinusoidal expansions and contractions of the streamwise-oriented plume, resulting in unsteady aerodynamic loads on the vehicle. Initial investigations into the effect of turbulence modeling fidelity demonstrated significant differences between the aerodynamic loads simulated with RANS and Detached Eddy Simulation (DES). Multiple flow mechanisms were identified as root causes of these differences, including bow shock shape augmentation and reduced entrainment due to reduced turbulence in the DES simulations. Initial comparisons of pitching moment control authority and aerodynamic drag performance between the tested nozzle configurations demonstrated that the 1E configuration may be more advantageous for the Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) task.

Supersonic Retropropulsion↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

OVERFLOW Analysis of Supersonic Retropropulsion Testing on a Blunt Mars Entry Vehicle Concept

Supersonic retropropulsion (SRP) flow over a Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) blunt-body vehicle was simulated using the Overflow Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver. Two nozzle configurations were tested (1E and 1F) as a subset of the seven total configurations in the Descent System Study (DSS) testing campaign. A generalized, Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) shock capturing and plume refinement technique was developed and calibrated for producing automatic and unique grid systems optimized for any given testing condition. Solution independence from grid resolution was determined by successively increasing grid refinement until asymptotic convergence of the mean aerodynamic loads was observed. Overflow Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solutions produced realistic SRP flow phenomena, including Mach disk normal shocks contained in high-thrust plumes and bow shock triple-points. Solutions for the 1E nozzle configuration were steady. Conversely, a subset of the 1F test conditions were unsteady and exhibited periodic, non-sinusoidal expansions and contractions of the streamwise-oriented plume, resulting in unsteady aerodynamic loads on the vehicle. Initial investigations into the effect of turbulence modeling fidelity demonstrated significant differences between the aerodynamic loads simulated with RANS and Detached Eddy Simulation (DES). Multiple flow mechanisms were identified as root causes of these differences, including bow shock shape augmentation and reduced entrainment due to reduced turbulence in the DES simulations. Initial comparisons of pitching moment control authority and aerodynamic drag performance between the tested nozzle configurations demonstrated that the 1E configuration may be more advantageous for the Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) task.

Supersonic Retropropulsion↗
NASA NTRS1986

Multivariable control of a forward swept wing aircraft

The impact of independent canard and flaperon control of the longitudinal axis of a generic forward swept wing aircraft is examined. The Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG)/Loop Transfer Recovery (LTR) method is used to design three compensators: two single-input-single-output (SISO) systems, one with angle of attack as output and canard as control, the other with pitch attitude as output and canard as control, and a two-input-two-output system with both canard and flaperon controlling both the pitch attitude and angle of attack. The performances of the three systems are compared showing the addition of flaperon control allows the aircraft to perform in the precision control modes with very little loss of command following accuracy.

Quinn, W. W.↗