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A DVD highlights the research activities of the Dryden Flight Research Center. The video includes coverage of space-based communication, intelligent flight controls, autonomous refueling demonstration, QuietSpike, sonic boom tests, G-III radar pod, X-48B blended wing body, Altair fire mission, Ikhana UAV, STS-117 Atlantis, and SOFIA Telescope research efforts.
Multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization using a genetic algorithm is being developed at the National Aeronautics and Space A dministration Dryden Flight Research Center to automate analysis and design process by leveraging existing tools such as NASTRAN, ZAERO a nd CFD codes to enable true multidisciplinary optimization in the pr eliminary design stage of subsonic, transonic, supersonic, and hypers onic aircraft. This is a promising technology, but faces many challe nges in large-scale, real-world application. This paper describes cur rent approaches, recent results, and challenges for MDAO as demonstr ated by our experience with the Ikhana fire pod design.
Two state of the art technologies have been developed for External Fuel Tank foam inspections. Results of POD tests have shown Backscatter Radiography and Terahertz imaging detect critical defects with no false positive issue. These techniques are currently in use on the External Tank program as one component in the foam quality assurance program.
The NanoSail-D mission is currently scheduled for launch onboard a Falcon Launch Vehicle in the late June 2008 timeframe. The NanoSail-D, a CubeSat-class satellite, will consist of a sail subsystem stowed in a Cubesat 2U volume integrated with a CubeSat 1U volume bus provided by the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). Shortly after deployment of the NanoSail-D from a Poly Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD) ejection system, the solar sail will deploy and mission operations will commence. This demonstration flight has two primary mission objectives: 1) to successfully stow and deploy the sail and 2) to demonstrate de-orbit functionality. Given a nearterm opportunity for launch, the project was met with the challenge of delivering the flight hardware in approximately six months, which required a significant constraint on flight system functionality. As a consequence, passive attitude stabilization will be achieved using permanent magnets to de-tumble and orient the body with the magnetic field lines and then rely on atmospheric drag to passively stabilize the sailcraft in an essentially maximum drag attitude. This paper will present an introduction to solar sail propulsion systems, overview the NanoSail-D spacecraft, describe the performance analysis for the passive attitude stabilization, and present a prediction of flight data results from the mission.
The NASA Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) program is developing a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for ground measurements. A key element for the success of this program is a Platform Precision Autopilot (PPA). An interim vehicle (NASA C-20AJGlll) was selected to carry the radar pod and develop the PPA. The PPA interfaces with the C- 20AIG Ill aircraft by imitating the output of an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach. This technique retains the safeguards in the aircraft's autopilot. The PPA entered initial flight testing in early 2007. The PPA uses a Kalman filter to generate a real-time position solution with information from the C-20AIGIII and a real-time differential GPS unit designed by JPL. The real-time navigation solution is used to compute commands (Guidance and Control subsystems) which in turn drive two modified ILS testers. The ILS tester units produce modulated RF signals fed to the onboard navigation receiver. These correction signals allow the C-20NGIII autopilot to fly a simulated ILS approach that meets the PPA requirements for UAVSAR applications. The PPA requirement is to make repeat pass flights within a ten meter tube over a 200 kilometer course in conditions of cairn to light turbulence. Flight test results are expected to be available at the time of the NASA Science Technology Conference 2007
Multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization using a genetic algorithm is being developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) to automate analysis and design process by leveraging existing tools to enable true multidisciplinary optimization in the preliminary design stage of subsonic, transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic aircraft. This is a promising technology, but faces many challenges in large-scale, real-world application. This report describes current approaches, recent results, and challenges for multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization as demonstrated by experience with the Ikhana fire pod design.!
Worldwide concerns of air quality and climate change have made environmental protection one of the most critical issues in aviation today. NASA's current Fundamental Aeronautics research program is directed at three generations of aircraft in the near, mid and far term, with initial operating capability around 2015, 2020, and 2030, respectively. Each generation has associated goals for fuel burn, NOx, noise, and field-length reductions relative to today's aircrafts. The research for the 2020 generation is directed at enabling a hybrid wing body (HWB) aircraft to meet NASA's aggressive technology goals. This paper presents the conceptual cycle and mechanical designs of the two engine concepts, podded and embedded systems, which were proposed for a HWB cargo freighter. They are expected to offer significant benefits in noise reductions without compromising the fuel burn.
Selected research and technology activities at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center are summarized. These following activities exemplify the Center's varied and productive research efforts: Developing a Requirements Development Guide for an Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System; Digital Terrain Data Compression and Rendering for Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance Systems; Nonlinear Flutter/Limit Cycle Oscillations Prediction Tool; Nonlinear System Identification Using Orthonormal Bases: Application to Aeroelastic/Aeroservoelastic Systems; Critical Aerodynamic Flow Feature Indicators: Towards Application with the Aerostructures Test Wing; Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization Tool Development Using a Genetic Algorithm; Structural Model Tuning Capability in an Object-Oriented Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization Tool; Extension of Ko Straight-Beam Displacement Theory to the Deformed Shape Predictions of Curved Structures; F-15B with Phoenix Missile and Pylon Assembly--Drag Force Estimation; Mass Property Testing of Phoenix Missile Hypersonic Testbed Hardware; ARMD Hypersonics Project Materials and Structures: Testing of Scramjet Thermal Protection System Concepts; High-Temperature Modal Survey of the Ruddervator Subcomponent Test Article; ARMD Hypersonics Project Materials and Structures: C/SiC Ruddervator Subcomponent Test and Analysis Task; Ground Vibration Testing and Model Correlation of the Phoenix Missile Hypersonic Testbed; Phoenix Missile Hypersonic Testbed: Performance Design and Analysis; Crew Exploration Vehicle Launch Abort System-Pad Abort-1 (PA-1) Flight Test; Testing the Orion (Crew Exploration Vehicle) Launch Abort System-Ascent Abort-1 (AA-1) Flight Test; SOFIA Flight-Test Flutter Prediction Methodology; SOFIA Closed-Door Aerodynamic Analyses; SOFIA Handling Qualities Evaluation for Closed-Door Operations; C-17 Support of IRAC Engine Model Development; Current Capabilities and Future Upgrade Plans of the C-17 Data Rack; Intelligent Data Mining Capabilities as Applied to Integrated Vehicle Health Management; STARS Flight Demonstration No. 2 IP Data Formatter; Space-Based Telemetry and Range Safety (STARS) Flight Demonstration No. 2 Range User Flight Test Results; Aerodynamic Effects of the Quiet Spike(tm) on an F-15B Aircraft; F-15 Intelligent Flight Controls-Increased Destabilization Failure; F-15 Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control (IRAC) Improved Adaptive Controller; Aeroelastic Analysis of the Ikhana/Fire Pod System; Ikhana: Western States Fire Missions Utilizing the Ames Research Center Fire Sensor; Ikhana: Fiber-Optic Wing Shape Sensors; Ikhana: ARTS III; SOFIA Closed-Door Flutter Envelope Flight Testing; F-15B Quiet Spike(TM) Aeroservoelastic Flight Test Data Analysis; and UAVSAR Platform Precision Autopilot Flight Results.
The focus of design efforts in the near future will be on the primary Lunar mission. We are currently just beginning to integrate the design functions from the various centers for this mission. We appreciate all thoughts and ideas for different ways to use the Ares V platform. The Ares V can support an order of magnitude more science instrumentation for outer planetary exploration missions. It can also reach outer planets such as Neptune and other high energy insertion destinations. Current Ares V Point-of-Departure (51.00.48) exceeds Saturn mass capability by approx.40%. Ares V Lunar Capabilities Concept Review analysis focused on meeting lunar requirements and developing margin. Ares V is sensitive to Loiter, Attitude, Power, and Altitude requirements in addition to payload performance. LCCR-approved 51.00.48 POD 5.5-segment steel case booster/6 engine core) Ares V can meet current Human Lunar Return requirements with approx.6 mT of Margin. LCCR-approved 51.00.47 option maintained (5 segment HTPB composite case booster/6 engine core) can meet HLR requirement with more than 9 mT Margin. Ares V team is actively reaching out to external organizations during this early concept phase to ensure that the Ares V vehicle can be leveraged for national security, scientific and commercial development needs.
NASA/JPL has developed a new airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) which has become available for use by the scientific community in January, 2009. Pod mounted, the UAVSAR was designed to be portable among a variety of aircraft, including unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The instrument operates in the L-Band, has a resolution under 2m from a GPS altitude of 12Km and a swath width of approximately 20Km. UAVSAR currently flies on a modified Gulfstream-III aircraft, operated by NASA s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, California. The G-III platform enables repeat-pass interferometric measurements, by using a modified autopilot and precise kinematic differential GPS to repeatedly fly the aircraft within a specified 10m tube. The antenna is electronically steered along track to assure that the antenna beam can be directed independently, regardless of speed and wind direction. The instrument can be controlled remotely, AS AN OPTION, using the Research Environment for Vehicle Embedded Analysis on Linux (REVEAL). This allows simulation of the telepresence environment necessary for flight on UAS. Potential earth science research and applications include surface deformation, volcano studies, ice sheet dynamics, and vegetation structure.
An investigation of the aerodynamic characteristics of an 0.025-scale model of the MX-1712 configuration has been conducted in the Langley 4- by 4-foot supersonic pressure tunnel. The tests were performed at Mach numbers of 1.41 and 2.01 at a Reynolds number of approximately 2.6 x 10(exp 6) based on the wing mean aerodynamic chord The MX-1712 is a proposed swept-wing, jet-powered supersonic bomber aircraft. The wing is of aspect ratio 3.5, taper ratio 0.2, and thickness ratio 5.5 percent (streamwise) and has 47deg sweep of the quarter-chord line. The longitudinal and lateral force characteristics of the model and various combinations of its components, including several nacelle installations, were investigated. The effects of a modified wing, two horizontal tail positions, and a shortened fuselage were also studied. The results obtained from these investigations are presented in this report. The aerodynamic investigation of this model disclosed no unusual stability characteristics or Mach number effects. The choice of nacelle installations appears to be a major decision, one greatly affecting the performance of the airplane, At M = 1.41 and C(sub L) = 0.1, the buried nacelles increased the drag of the basic model by 9 percent, while the best pod nacelles increased the drag of the basic model by 27 percent.
Overall Goals: 1. Build on the lightning jump framework set through previous studies. 2. Understand what typically occurs in nonsevere convection with respect to increases in lightning. 3. Ultimately develop a lightning jump algorithm for use on the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). 4 Lightning jump algorithm configurations were developed (2(sigma), 3(sigma), Threshold 10 and Threshold 8). 5 algorithms were tested on a population of 47 nonsevere and 38 severe thunderstorms. Results indicate that the 2(sigma) algorithm performed best over the entire thunderstorm sample set with a POD of 87%, a far of 35%, a CSI of 59% and a HSS of 75%.
Worldwide concerns of air quality and climate change have made environmental protection one of the most critical issues in aviation today. NASA s current Fundamental Aeronautics Research program is directed at three generations of aircraft in the near, mid and far term, with initial operating capability around 2015, 2020, and 2030, respectively. Each generation has associated goals for fuel burn, NOx, noise, and field-length reductions relative to today s aircrafts. The research for the 2020 generation is directed at enabling a hybrid wing body (HWB) aircraft to meet NASA s aggressive technology goals. This paper presents the conceptual cycle and mechanical designs of the two engine concepts, podded and embedded systems, which were proposed for a HWB cargo freighter. They are expected to offer significant benefits in noise reductions without compromising the fuel burn.
NASA's Ares V heavy-lift cargo launch vehicle is being designed send more crew and cargo to more places on the lunar surface than the 1960s-era Apollo program and provide ongoing support to a permanent lunar outpost. In addition to that role, however, its unmatched mass and volume capability represent a global asset for exploration, science, and commerce. The Ares V also is an enabler of a large class of space missions not thought possible by scientists and engineers since the Saturn V program ended over 30 years ago. Compared to current systems, it will offer approximately 5 times the mass and volume to most orbits and locations. This should allow prospective mission planners to build robust payloads with margins that are 3 to 5 times the industry norm. The space inside the planned payload shroud has enough usable volume to launch the volumetric equivalent of approximately 10 Apollo Lunar Excursion Modules or approximately 5 equivalent Hubble Space Telescopes. This mass and volume capability to Low Earth Orbit enables a host of new scientific and observation platforms, such as telescopes, satellites, planetary and solar missions, as well as being able to provide the lift for future large in-space infrastructure missions, such as space based power and mining, Earth asteroid defense, propellant depots, etc. The Ares V team is engaging the potential payload community now, 2-3 years before System Requirements Review, in order to better understand the potential limitations and or additional requirements that could be added to the Ares V from the mission planning community. If a viable mission is determined and added to the Ares V as a design case, tradeoffs will be conducted to determine if other mission design requirements can be included in the system. Multiple shroud options for the Ares V have been analyzed to identify their impact on performance. Ares V is in a conceptual design stage prior to a formal design phase. The initial concept for the cargo launch vehicle (CaLV) that would later be dubbed "Ares V" was produced by the Exploration Systems Architecture Study in 2005. Since then, it has evolved through hundreds of concepts. The current point-of-departure (POD) concept was approved during the Lunar Capabilities Concept Review/Ares V Mission Concept Review in June 2008. This reference concept serves as a starting point for a renewed set of design trades and detailed analysis into its interaction with the other components of the Constellation architecture and existing launch infrastructure. This paper will discuss the Ares V design evolution, the most recent point-of-departure concept, and its capabilities to support future science missions.
Topics covered include; Wirelessly Interrogated Position or Displacement Sensors; Ka-Band Radar Terminal Descent Sensor; Metal/Metal Oxide Differential Electrode pH Sensors; Improved Sensing Coils for SQUIDs; Inductive Linear-Position Sensor/Limit-Sensor Units; Hilbert-Curve Fractal Antenna With Radiation- Pattern Diversity; Single-Camera Panoramic-Imaging Systems; Interface Electronic Circuitry for an Electronic Tongue; Inexpensive Clock for Displaying Planetary or Sidereal Time; Efficient Switching Arrangement for (N + 1)/N Redundancy; Lightweight Reflectarray Antenna for 7.115 and 32 GHz; Opto-Electronic Oscillator Using Suppressed Phase Modulation; Alternative Controller for a Fiber-Optic Switch; Strong, Lightweight, Porous Materials; Nanowicks; Lightweight Thermal Protection System for Atmospheric Entry; Rapid and Quiet Drill; Hydrogen Peroxide Concentrator; MMIC Amplifiers for 90 to 130 GHz; Robot Would Climb Steep Terrain; Measuring Dynamic Transfer Functions of Cavitating Pumps; Advanced Resistive Exercise Device; Rapid Engineering of Three-Dimensional, Multicellular Tissues With Polymeric Scaffolds; Resonant Tunneling Spin Pump; Enhancing Spin Filters by Use of Bulk Inversion Asymmetry; Optical Magnetometer Incorporating Photonic Crystals; WGM-Resonator/Tapered-Waveguide White-Light Sensor Optics; Raman-Suppressing Coupling for Optical Parametric Oscillator; CO2-Reduction Primary Cell for Use on Venus; Cold Atom Source Containing Multiple Magneto- Optical Traps; POD Model Reconstruction for Gray-Box Fault Detection; System for Estimating Horizontal Velocity During Descent; Software Framework for Peer Data-Management Services; Autogen Version 2.0; Tracking-Data-Conversion Tool; NASA Enterprise Visual Analysis; Advanced Reference Counting Pointers for Better Performance; C Namelist Facility; and Efficient Mosaicking of Spitzer Space Telescope Images.
Methodology similar to that used for our closed-loop control of Separation over NACA 0012 Airfoil (Pinier et al, AIAA Journal 2007) Synthetic Jet Actuators, Miniature Pressure Transducers Split POD with and without Actuations Flow state estimation from Pressure signature
Structural skeleton of high Reynolds number flow gives insight into smooth and rough walls. (modeling implications not yet clear) Dynamic roughness as a model of "designer" roughness: a) Impose length scale(s) and dominant frequency. b) Irregular roughness well-represented by first "few" POD modes (Christensen, 2009). Experiments and simple model demonstrate: a) Harmonics associated with forcing (and w) important. b) Change to the mean profile (skin friction).
digital video camera system has been qualified for use in flight on the NASA supersonic F-15B Research Testbed aircraft. This system is capable of very-high-speed color digital imaging at flight speeds up to Mach 2. The components of this system have been ruggedized and shock-mounted in the aircraft to survive the severe pressure, temperature, and vibration of the flight environment. The system includes two synchronized camera subsystems installed in fuselage-mounted camera pods (see Figure 1). Each camera subsystem comprises a camera controller/recorder unit and a camera head. The two camera subsystems are synchronized by use of an MHub(TradeMark) synchronization unit. Each camera subsystem is capable of recording at a rate up to 10,000 pictures per second (pps). A state-of-the-art complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) sensor in the camera head has a maximum resolution of 1,280 1,024 pixels at 1,000 pps. Exposure times of the electronic shutter of the camera range from 1/200,000 of a second to full open. The recorded images are captured in a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and can be downloaded directly to a personal computer or saved on a compact flash memory card. In addition to the high-rate recording of images, the system can display images in real time at 30 pps. Inter Range Instrumentation Group (IRIG) time code can be inserted into the individual camera controllers or into the M-Hub unit. The video data could also be used to obtain quantitative, three-dimensional trajectory information. The first use of this system was in support of the Space Shuttle Return to Flight effort. Data were needed to help in understanding how thermally insulating foam is shed from a space shuttle external fuel tank during launch. The cameras captured images of simulated external tank debris ejected from a fixture mounted under the centerline of the F-15B aircraft. Digital video was obtained at subsonic and supersonic flight conditions, including speeds up to Mach 2 and altitudes up to 50,000 ft (15.24 km). The digital video was used to determine the structural survivability of the debris in a real flight environment and quantify the aerodynamic trajectories of the debris.