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At least 451 records · Page 25

Wind-tunnel measurements of the chordwise pressure distribution and profile drag of a research airplane model incorporating a 17-percent-thick supercritical wing

The Langley 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel to determine the wing chordwise pressure distribution for a 0.09-scale model of a research airplane incorporating a 17-percent-thick supercritical wing. Airfoil profile drag was determined from wake pressure measurements at the 42-percent-semispan wing station. The investigation was conducted at Mach numbers from 0.30 to 0.80 over an angle-of-attack range sufficient to include buffet onset. The Reynolds number based on the mean geometric chord varied from 2 x 10 to the 6th power at Mach number 0.30 to 3.33 x 10 to the 6th power at Mach number 0.65 and was maintained at a constant value of 3.86 x 10 to the 6th power at Mach numbers from 0.70 to 0.80. Pressure coefficients for four wing semispan stations and wing-section normal-force and pitching-moment coefficients for two semispan stations are presented in tabular form over the Mach number range from 0.30 to 0.80. Plotted chordwise pressure distributions and wake profiles are given for a selected range of section normal-force coefficients over the same Mach number range.

Ferris, J. C.↗

Measurements of Mean Static Pressure and Far Field Acoustics of Shock Containing Supersonic Jets

The far field acoustic data base generated in studies of broadband shock noise from supersonic jets is presented. Both conical and contoured nozzles of exit Mach numbers 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 were tested using unheated air at pressure ratios ranging from 1.9 to 14. Tests were performed both with and without screech suppression tabs. Overall sound pressure variations and representative 1/3-octave and narrowband spectra are presented. The mean static pressure measured within these jets is also surveyed.

Norum, T. D.↗

Pressure Transducer Measurement Variability in Deep Wells Screened Across the Water Table

Abstract Automated water level measurements collected using vented pressure transducers in deep wells screened across the water table may exhibit a greater response to barometric pressure changes than the true water level. The cause was hypothesized to be disequilibrium in barometric pressure between the wellbores and land surface due to air exchange with the deep vadose zone. In this study, vented and nonvented pressure transducers were installed and operated simultaneously in two deep wells screened across the water table. A vent tube open to the atmosphere at land surface allowed for barometric compensation of the vented transducers. Two nonvented transducers were installed in each well, one submerged in the water and one above the water surface. The difference in readings allowed for barometric compensation. Manual measurements were also collected. It was confirmed that measurements from the vented transducers exhibited greater variability in response to barometric pressure changes than the nonvented transducers and manual measurements. Comparison of the downhole barometric pressure measurements to values from a nearby meteorology station showed the response in the wells to changes in barometric pressure was time‐lagged and attenuated. Thus, the reference pressure from land surface supplied to the vented transducers was not representative of the air pressure within the wells. This caused fluctuations of the transducer readings in response to barometric pressure changes to be greater than the true water level change. This issue can be resolved by the use of nonvented pressure transducers.

McDonald, John P.↗

Transition Modeling Based on the Dual N-factor Method for the CRM-NLF Wind Tunnel Configuration

The dual N-factor method is used to model the boundary-layer transition over the common research model with natural laminar flow (CRM-NLF) aircraft configuration. The flow conditions match selected test conditions from a wind tunnel experiment in the National Transonic Facility at the NASA Langley Research Center. The paper presents a systematic methodology for transition prediction in the presence of a dual shock system and extends the prior capability for iteratively coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions to incorporate three-dimensional, transonic wings. The method employs stability computations based on the linear parabolized stability equations (PSE), along with a dual N-factor criterion. The iterative process begins with the fully turbulent Reynolds-averaged-Navier-Stokes (RANS) mean flow solution. For the first iteration, a mean flow solution is calculated with an imposed transition front that aligns with the shock front from the fully turbulent solution. Subsequently, stability computations are performed along a set of streamlines across the wing to calculate the amplification of planar Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) and stationary crossflow (CF) modes. The transition criterion based on the dual N-factor method is used to infer the updated transition front and the process is successively repeated until convergence of the solution. Within three iterations, the predicted fronts for angles of attack of 1.45, 1.98, 2.46 and 2.94 degrees and a mean-aerodynamic-chord Reynolds number equal to 15 million, approach visual convergence in most regions of the studied cases, and the resulting predictions are in good agreement with the transition fronts deduced from measurements of temperature-sensitive paint. Even though surface pressure measurements based on fully-turbulent flow agree well with the measured pressure coefficient distributions, strong viscous-inviscid interaction effects cause significant shifts in the shock locations based on the imposed transition front, underscoring the intrusive nature of static pressure measurements using surface mounted ports on the CRM-NLF configuration.

Boundary Layer Transition↗

Method for Standardizing Sonic-Boom Model Pressure Signatures Measured at Several Wind-Tunnel Facilities

Low-boom model pressure signatures are often measured at two or more wind-tunnel facilities. Preliminary measurements are made at small separation distances in a wind tunnel close at hand, and a second set of pressure signatures is measured at larger separation distances in a wind-tunnel facility with a larger test section. In this report, a method for correcting and standardizing the wind-tunnel-measured pressure signatures obtained in different wind tunnel facilities is presented and discussed.

Mack, Robert J.↗

Flight Measurements of Base Pressure on Bodies of Revolution with and Without Simulated Rocket Chambers

Base pressures were measured on fin-stabilized bodies of revolution with and without rocket chambers and with and without a converging afterbody. At Mach numbers between 0.7 and 1.2, the results show that the presence of a "cold" rocket chamber increased the pressure (less suction) over the center portion of the bases. The effects of rocket chambers on pressures near the edge of the bases were not as consistent throughout the Mach number range nor as appreciable at most speeds as were the effects of pressures measured on the center line.

Peck, Robert F↗

Pressure-Distribution Measurements on O-2H Airplane in Flight

Results are given of pressure-distribution measurements made over two different horizontal tail surfaces and the right wing cellule, including the slipstream area, of an observation-type biplane. Measurements were also taken of air speed, control-surface positions, control-stick forces, angular velocities, and accelerations during various abrupt maneuvers. These maneuvers consisted of push-downs and pull-ups from level flight, dive pull-outs, and aileron rolls with various thrust conditions. The results from the pressure-distribution measurements over the wing cellule are given on charts showing the variation of individual rib coefficients with wing coefficients; the data from the tail-surface pressure-distribution measurements are given mainly as total loads and moments. These data are supplemented by time histories of the measured quantities and isometric views of the rib pressure distributions occurring in abrupt maneuvers.

Pearson, H A↗

Force, Surface Pressure, and Flowfield Measurements on a Slender Missile Configuration with Square Cross-Section at Supersonic Speeds

A wind-tunnel investigation of a square cross-section missile configuration has been conducted to obtain force and moment measurements, surface pressure measurements, and vapor screen flow visualization photographs for comparison with computational fluid dynamics studies conducted under the auspices of The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP). Tests were conducted on three configurations which included: (1) body alone, (2) body plus tail fins mounted on the missile corners, and (3) body plus tail fins mounted on the missile side. This test was conducted in test section #2 of the NASA Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at Mach numbers of 2.50 and 4.50 and at a Reynolds number of 4 million per ft. The data were obtained over an angle of attack range from -4 deg. to 24 deg. and roll angles from 0 deg. to 45 deg., i.e., from a diamond shape (as viewed from the rear) at a roll angle of 0 deg. to a square shape at 45 deg.

Wilcox, Floyd J., Jr.↗

Development of a Pressure Sensitive Paint System for Measuring Global Surface Pressures on Rotorcraft Blades

This paper will describe the results from a proof of concept test to examine the feasibility of using Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP) to measure global surface pressures on rotorcraft blades in hover. The test was performed using the U.S. Army 2-meter Rotor Test Stand (2MRTS) and 15% scale swept rotor blades. Data were collected from five blades using both the intensity- and lifetime-based approaches. This paper will also outline several modifications and improvements that are underway to develop a system capable of measuring pressure distributions on up to four blades simultaneously at hover and forward flight conditions.

Watkins, A. Neal↗

Mechanism of rapid suppression of cell expansion in cucumber hypocotyls after blue-light irradiation

Rapid suppression of hypocotyl elongation by blue light in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) was studied to examine possible hydraulic and wall changes responsible for diminished growth. Cell-sap osmotic pressure, measured by vapor-pressure osmometry, was not decreased by blue light; turgor pressure, measured by the pressure-probe technique, remained constant during the growth inhibition; and stem hydraulic conductance, measured by dynamic and static methods, was likewise unaffected by blue light. Wall yielding properties were assessed by the pressure-block technique for in-vivo stress relaxation. Blue light reduced the initial rate of relaxation by 77%, but had little effect on the final amount of relaxation. The results demonstrate that blue irradiation acts to decrease the wall yielding coefficient, but not the yield threshold. Stress-strain (Instron) analysis showed that irradiation of the seedlings had little effect on the mechanical extensibilities of the isolated wall. The results indicate that blue light can reduce cell-wall loosening without affecting bulk viscoelastic properties, and indicate a chemorheological mechanism of cell-wall expansion.

NASA Discipline Number 40-30↗

Coupled Inertial Navigation and Flush Air Data Sensing Algorithm for Atmosphere Estimation

This paper describes an algorithm for atmospheric state estimation that is based on a coupling between inertial navigation and flush air data sensing pressure measurements. In this approach, the full navigation state is used in the atmospheric estimation algorithm along with the pressure measurements and a model of the surface pressure distribution to directly estimate atmospheric winds and density using a nonlinear weighted least-squares algorithm. The approach uses a high fidelity model of atmosphere stored in table-look-up form, along with simplified models of that are propagated along the trajectory within the algorithm to provide prior estimates and covariances to aid the air data state solution. Thus, the method is essentially a reduced-order Kalman filter in which the inertial states are taken from the navigation solution and atmospheric states are estimated in the filter. The algorithm is applied to data from the Mars Science Laboratory entry, descent, and landing from August 2012. Reasonable estimates of the atmosphere and winds are produced by the algorithm. The observability of winds along the trajectory are examined using an index based on the discrete-time observability Gramian and the pressure measurement sensitivity matrix. The results indicate that bank reversals are responsible for adding information content to the system. The algorithm is then applied to the design of the pressure measurement system for the Mars 2020 mission. The pressure port layout is optimized to maximize the observability of atmospheric states along the trajectory. Linear covariance analysis is performed to assess estimator performance for a given pressure measurement uncertainty. The results indicate that the new tightly-coupled estimator can produce enhanced estimates of atmospheric states when compared with existing algorithms.

Karlgaard, Christopher D.↗

Measurements of pressures on the tail and aft fuselage of an airplane model during rotary motions at spin attitudes

An investigation was conducted in the Langley Spin Tunnel to measure the pressures on the surface of the horizontal and vertical tail and the aft fuselage of an aircraft model. The pressures were measured on a model of a proposed Australian Primary Trainer airplane configuration while the model was rotating at spinning attitudes. The test results indicate that the presence of the horizontal tail adversely modifies the surface pressure on the vertical tail. The presence of the wing also adversely modifies the pressures on the horizontal and vertical tails.

Bowman, James S., Jr.↗

Near-Field and Far-Field Noise Surveys of Solid-Fuel Rocket Engines for a Range of Nozzle Exit Pressures

Measurements of near- and far-field noise pressures are presented for a 1,500-pound-thrust engine and for several 5,000-pound-thrust engines for which the nozzle exit pressure was changed systematically in order to study its effects on the noise level and spectra. Near-field surveys indicated that the highest noise pressure occurred at about 20 exit diameters downstream if the nozzle near the transition from super-sonic to subsonic flow. The acoustical power radiated from all engines averaged about 0.5 percent of the mechanical power of the exhaust stream, the least noise being radiated by the nozzle having an exit pressure less than atmospheric. The rocket engines of these tests radiate more power per cycle at the lower frequencies than arte reported for subsonic jets in other related studies.

Mayes, William H.↗

Force- and Pressure-Distribution Measurements on Eight Fuselages

The present report deals with force- and pressure-distribution measurements on a number of fuselage forms of varying slenderness ratio, varying rearward position of maximum thickness, and varying nose ratio. The effect of these parameters on the force and moment coefficients was determined. The linearity of the difference between the theoretical and experimental fuselage moments with the friction lift made it possible to indicate a neutral point and its travel with the different parameters. The pressure-distribution measurements yielded absolute values for the increase of velocity. A comparison with the theory indicated good agreement at small angles of attack, but considerable differences at greater angles of attack, where potential flow could no longer be assumed.

Lange, G.↗