A wind-tunnel investigation of the carry loads and mutual interference effects of 1/40-scale models of the x-15 and b-52 airplanes in com- bination
Wind tunnel data of X-15 and B-52 aircraft models carry loads and mutual interference
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Wind tunnel data of X-15 and B-52 aircraft models carry loads and mutual interference
A family of nacelle-mounted high-angle boattail nozzles was tested to investigate Reynolds number effects on drag. The nozzles were flown on a modified F-106B and mounted on scale models of an F-106 in a wind tunnel. A 19-to-1 range of Reynolds number was covered as a result of the large size differences between models and by flying over a range of altitude. In flight the nozzles were mounted behind J-85 turbojet engines. Jet boundary simulators and a powered turbojet engine simulator were used on the wind tunnel models. Data were taken at Mach numbers of 0.6 and 0.9. Boattail drag was found to be affected by Reynolds number. The effect is a complex relationship dependent upon boundary layer thickness and nozzle boattail shape. As Reynolds number was increased from the lowest values obtained with scale models, boattail drag first increased to a maximum at the lowest flight Reynolds number and then decreased.
Preliminary analytical considerations and the experimental investigation of the flow field for the desired configurations in the absence of wind effects are discussed. A wind tunnel test program to determine the effect of different wind conditions on ice suppression system (ISS) performance is also discussed.
In a recent improvement upon In(x)Ga(1-x)As/InP semiconductor lasers of the bipolar cascade type, quantum wells are added to Esaki tunnel junctions, which are standard parts of such lasers. The energy depths and the geometric locations and thicknesses of the wells are tailored to exploit quantum tunneling such that, as described below, electrical resistances of junctions and concentrations of dopants can be reduced while laser performances can be improved. In(x)Ga(1-x)As/InP bipolar cascade lasers have been investigated as sources of near-infrared radiation (specifically, at wavelengths of about 980 and 1,550 nm) for photonic communication systems. The Esaki tunnel junctions in these lasers have been used to connect adjacent cascade stages and to enable transport of charge carriers between them. Typically, large concentrations of both n (electron-donor) and p (electron-acceptor) dopants have been necessary to impart low electrical resistances to Esaki tunnel junctions. Unfortunately, high doping contributes free-carrier absorption, thereby contributing to optical loss and thereby, further, degrading laser performance. In accordance with the present innovation, quantum wells are incorporated into the Esaki tunnel junctions so that the effective heights of barriers to quantum tunneling are reduced (see figure).
As extensive experimental campaign was performed to study the aeroacoustic installation effects of an open rotor with respect to both a conventional tube and wing type airframe and an unconventional hybrid wing body airframe. The open rotor rig had two counter rotating rows of blades each with eight blades of a design originally flight tested in the 1980s. The aeroacoustic installation effects measured in an aeroacoustic wind tunnel included those from flow effects due to inflow distortion or wake interaction and acoustic propagation effects such as shielding and reflection. The objective of the test campaign was to quantify the installation effects for a wide range of parameters and configurations derived from the two airframe types. For the conventional airframe, the open rotor was positioned in increments in front of and then over the main wing and then in positions representative of tail mounted aircraft with a conventional tail, a T-tail and a U-tail. The interaction of the wake of the open rotor as well as acoustic scattering results in an increase of about 10 dB when the rotor is positioned in front of the main wing. When positioned over the main wing a substantial amount of noise reduction is obtained and this is also observed for tail-mounted installations with a large U-tail. For the hybrid wing body airframe, the open rotor was positioned over the airframe along the centerline as well as off-center representing a twin engine location. A primary result was the documentation of the noise reduction from shielding as a function of the location of the open rotor upstream of the trailing edge of the hybrid wing body. The effects from vertical surfaces and elevon deflection were also measured. Acoustic lining was specially designed and inserted flush with the elevon and airframe surface, the result was an additional reduction in open rotor noise propagating to the far field microphones. Even with the older blade design used, the experiment provided quantification of the aeroacoustic installation effects for a wide range of open rotor and airframe configurations and can be used with data processing methods to evaluate the aeroacoustic installation effects for open rotors with modern blade designs.
The AEDC 10-Deg Cone Program stands as a historical tunnel/flight correlation program in which a simple standard calibration body (a sharp, smooth, slender 10-deg included-angle cone) was used for correlation of wind tunnel flow quality and Reynolds number effects in 23 major wind tunnels. The investigation, initiated by the USAF at AEDC, was conducted in the 1970’s and included participation by NASA, the Navy, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Industry. The flight test was performed at NASA/DFRC (now AFRC) at Edwards AFB on a NASA F-15 A aircraft to Mach 2.0. Testing in the wind tunnels was from Mach 0.2 to 5.5. This program produced an extensive database.
An investigation to determine the effect of forward speed on the exhaust noise from a conical ejector nozzle and three suppressor nozzles mounted behind a J85 engine was performed in a 40- by 80-foot wind tunnel. The nozzles were tested at three engine power settings and at wind tunnel forward speeds up to 91 m/sec (300 ft/sec). In addition, outdoor static tests were conducted to determine (1) the differences between near field and far field measurements, (2) the effect of an airframe on the far field directivity of each nozzle, and (3) the relative suppression of each nozzle with respect to the baseline conical ejector nozzle. It was found that corrections to near field data are necessary to extrapolate to far field data and that the presence of the airframe changed the far field directivity as measured statically. The results show that the effect of forward speed was to reduce the noise from each nozzle more in the area of peak noise, but the change in forward quadrant noise was small or negligible. A comparison of wind tunnel data with available flight test data shows good agreement.
Tests to determine the flow disturbances effects of four ejectors located in the corners just downstream of the diffuser in the Calspan wind tunnel are described. The flow quality in the nonejector mode is employed as the base-line configuration, and operating parameters are compared with data from other wind tunnels. During tests with the ejectors working, fluctuation levels increased between Mach 0.4-0.6, while temperature and vorticity levels remained constant. The ejector exhibited broad spectrum noise typical of free jet noise, yet static pressure measurements revealed only a slight increase in the broadband rms levels with the ejectors on, indicating negligible disturbances upstream caused by the ejectors. Choking the diffuser eliminated the jet noise, and the use of ejectors in the Mach range considered is concluded to cause no significant degradation in the Calspan tunnel flow quality.
A combined experimental and numerical study was performed to include wind-tunnel wall interference effects in calculations for airfoil flows at transonic speeds. Pressure-survey-tube and laser-Doppler velocimeter measurements were made in the flow field about an airfoil in the 2- by 2-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel at Ames Research Center. The results were then used as boundary data in a Navier-Stokes code modified by incorporating a pressure condition on the upper and lower computational boundaries. Comparison of calculated results and experimental data obtained from the surface of the airfoil indicates that the pressure-boundary condition is particularly effective in moving the shock to a position near that observed experimentally when the flow remains attached. For flows with large separation, shock position and viscous-layer properties are not well predicted, principally because of the inadequacies of the algebraic turbulence models employed with the method.
A study of the Weber Number effects on droplets in the NASA Icing Research Tunnel is described. The work focuses on examining the droplet Weber Number effects observed for droplets accelerated by air flow in the contraction section of the Icing Research Tunnel to the test section. These results will aid in Supercooled Large Drop facility design studies. Measurements acquired with the Phase Doppler Interferometer and High Speed Imaging Dual Range Flight Probes at a series of locations through the contraction are presented alongside a 1D numerical model developed during this study to aid interpretation of the experimental results. An estimate of the maximum Weber Number observed in the Icing Research Tunnel for varying drop sizes up to 1000 m is presented and provided for incorporation into future design studies. Finally, experimental results coupled with a numerical model indicate that breakup of drops up to 1000 m is not occurring in the NASA Icing Research Tunnel up to 129 m/s.
A study of the Weber Number effects on droplets in the NASA Icing Research Tunnel is described. The work focuses on examining the droplet Weber Number effects observed for droplets accelerated by air flow in the contraction section of the Icing Research Tunnel to the test section. These results will aid in Supercooled Large Drop facility design studies. Measurements acquired with the Phase Doppler Interferometer and High Speed Imaging Dual Range Flight Probes at a series of locations through the contraction are presented alongside a 1D numerical model developed during this study to aid interpretation of the experimental results. An estimate of the maximum Weber Number observed in the Icing Research Tunnel for varying drop sizes up to 1000 μm is presented and provided for incorporation into future design studies. Finally, experimental results coupled with a numerical model indicate that breakup of drops up to 1000 μm is not occurring in the NASA Icing Research Tunnel up to 129 m/s.
Tests have been conducted in the Langley high-speed 7- by 10-foot tunnel over a Mach number range from 0.40 to 0.91 to determine the stability and control characteristics of an 0.08-scale model of the Chance Vought XF7U-1 airplane. The wing-alone tests and the effect of the various vertical-fin modifications, speed-brake modifications, and fuselage modifications on the aerodynamic characteristics in pitch and yaw are presented in the present paper with a limited analysis of the results. Also included are tuft studies of the flow for some of the modifications tested.
An analytical investigation of incompressible flow about wedges was made to determine effects of tunnel-wedge ratio and wedge angle on the wedge pressure distributions. The region of applicability of infinite wedge-type velocity distribution was examined for finite wedges. Theoretical and experimental pressure coefficients for various tunnel-wedge ratios, wedge angles, and subsonic Mach numbers were compared.
The secondary effects in turbulent combustion instabilities leading to flashback are investigated, including those due to buoyancy and contraction at the combustor outlet. Experiments were conducted in an oblong, rectangular cross-section combustion tunnel, where the effects of a bluff-body flames holder were generated by a rear-facing step behind a streamlined inlet nozzle. The results of experiments leading to flashback with the step mounted at the bottom of the combustion chamber were compared to those of experiments in which it was located at the top. Irrespective of the flow obstructions introduced downstream, the critical equivalence ratio for flashback was consistently lower with the step at the bottom, indicating that buoyancy was enhancing the growth of the recirculation zone that pushed the flame upstream and caused flashback. The contraction at the end of the combustion chamber had a promoting influence on the process of vortex pairing, re-enforcing the influence of the trailing vortices over that of the recirculation vortex system, and thereby curbing the tendency to flashback. Provided that the flow velocity was low, however, the characteristic features of combustion instabilities leading to flashback in the absence of contraction could still be established in its presence.
Tests of a prototype skin friction gauge at Mach 3.2 in a small free piston shock tunnel demonstrate the effectiveness of the design concept and the calibration against theoretical skin friction values in a simple flow. The gauge has a rise time of about 20 microsec, sufficiently short for most shock tunnel applications and approaching the rise times needed for expansion tube applications.
An anechoic wind tunnel experiment was conducted to determine the effects of simulated flight on the noise characteristics of a high throat Mach number fan inlet. Comparisons were made with the performance of a conventional low throat Mach number inlet with the same 50.8 cm fan noise source. Simulated forward velocity of 41 m/sec reduced perceived noise levels for both inlets, the largest effect being more than 3 db for the high throat Mach number inlet. The high throat Mach number inlet was as much as 7.5 db quieter than the low throat Mach number inlet with tunnel airflow and about 6 db quieter without tunnel airflow. Effects of inlet flow angles up to 30 deg were seemingly irregular and difficult to characterize because of the complex flow fields and generally small noise variations. Some modifications of tones and directivity at blade passage harmonics resulting from inlet flow angle variation were noted.
Previous studies have shown that spray cooling heat flux enhancement may be attained by using enhanced surface structures. However, most enhanced surface spray cooling studies have been limited to extended surfaces relative to the base surface. In this study, experiments were conducted to study the effects of pore size on spray cooling heat flux when using porous tunnels. The porous tunnels where placed sub-surface relative to the top of the heater block. Pores of varying size were machined in the top of the heater block leading into the sub-surface tunnels. Pore diameters varied between 0.25 mm and 1.0 mm. Each copper block had a projected cross-sectional area of 2.0 cm(sup 2). Measurements were also obtained on a heater block with a flat surface for baseline comparison purposes. A 2x2 nozzle array was used with PF-5060 as the working fluid. Thermal performance data was obtained under nominally degassed (chamber pressure of 41.4 kPa) conditions with a bulk fluid temperature of 20.5 "C. Results for both the study show that the highest critical heat flux (CHF) attained was 141 w/cm2 using pores 1.0 mm in diameter. This gave an enhancement of 75% relative to the flat surface case under nominally degassed conditions.
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