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At least 649 records · Page 36

Calibration of Instruments for Measuring Wind Velocity and Direction

Signal Corps wind equipment AN/GMQ-1 consisting of a 3-cup anemometer and wind vane was calibrated for wind velocities from 1 to 200 miles per hour. Cup-shaft failure prevented calibration at higher wind velocities. The action of the wind vane was checked and found to have very poor directional accuracy below a velocity of 8 miles per hour. After shaft failure was reported to the Signal Corps, the cup rotors were redesigned by strengthening the shafts for better operation at high velocities. The anemometer with the redesigned cup rotors was recalibrated, but cup-shaft failure occurred again at a wind velocity of approximately 220 miles per hour. In the course of this calibration two standard generators were checked for signal output variation, and a wind-speed meter was calibrated for use with each of the redesigned cup rotors. The variation of pressure coefficient with air-flow direction at four orifices on a disk-shaped pitot head was obtained for wind velocities of 37.79 53.6, and 98.9 miles per hour. A pitot-static tube mounted in the nose of a vane was calibrated up to a dynamic pressure of 155 pounds per square foot, or approximately 256 miles per hour,

Vogler, Raymond D.↗

The development of an elastic reverse gradient garment to be used as a countermeasure for cardiovascular deconditioning

Using a new Nomex-Lycra elastic fabric and individualized garment engineering techniques, reverse gradient garments (RGG's) were designed, constructed, and tested for effectiveness as a countermeasure against cardiovascular deconditioning. By combining torso-compensated positive pressure breathing with a distally diminishing gradient of counterpressure supplied by the elastic fabric on the limbs, the RGG acts to pool blood in the extremities of recumbent persons much as though they were standing erect in 1 g. It was theorized that through the use of a dynamic pressurization scheme, the RGG would stress the vasculature in a fashion similar to that experienced by the noramlly active man, hence preventing or limiting the development of post-weightlessness orthostatic intolerance and related conditions. Four male, college-age subjects received daily treatments with the RGG during a 15-day bedrest study. Four additional subjects also underwent the bedrest, but received no treatments; they served as controls. The design and construction of the garments are described, and results of the treatment related measurements are given.

Annis, J. F.↗

Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Model of an Inflatable-Sphere Launching Vehicle under Simulated Conditions of Mach Number and Altitude

An investigation has been conducted in the Langley 4- by 4-foot supersonic pressure tunnel to determine the aerodynamic characteristics in pitch of a two-stage-rocket model configuration which simulated the last two stages of the launching vehicle for an inflatable sphere. Tests were made through an angle-of-attack range from -6 deg to 18 deg at dynamic pressures of 102 and 255 pounds per square foot with corresponding Mach numbers of 1.89 and 1.98 for the model both with and without a bumper arrangement designed to protect the rocket casing from the outer shell of the vehicle.

Robinson, Ross B.↗

Structural tailoring of high-speed turbine blades (SSME/STAEBL)

Space shuttle main engine (SSME) blades are subject to severe thermal, pressure, and forced vibration environments. Structural optimization provides an automated alternative to time consuming iterations. Any number of analyses, design variables, and constraints can be incorporated in a structural optimization computer code. This idea was applied to develop the code SSME/STAEBL, which is a stand alone code suitable for automated design of SSME turbopump blades. Additions and modifications of STAEBL included in SSME/STAEBL include the following: (1) thermal stress analysis, (2) gas dynamic (pressure) loads, (3) temperature-dependent material and thermal properties, (4) forced vibrations, (5) tip displacement constraints, (6) single crystal material analysis, (7) blade cross-section stacking offsets, and (8) direct time integration algorithm for transient dynamic response.

Rubinstein, Robert↗

High-Speed Experiments on Combustion-Powered Actuation for Dynamic Stall Suppression

This work documents high-speed wind tunnel experiments conducted on a pitching airfoil equipped with an array of combustion-powered actuators (COMPACT). The main objective of these experiments was to demonstrate the stall-suppression capability of COMPACT on a high-lift rotorcraft airfoil, the VR-12, at relevant Mach numbers. Through dynamic pressure measurements at the airfoil surface it was shown that COMPACT can positively affect the stall behavior of the VR-12 at Mach numbers up to 0.4. Static airfoil results demonstrated 25% and 50% increases in post-stall lift at Mach numbers of 0.4 and 0.3, respectively. Deep dynamic stall results showed cycle-averaged lift coefficient increases up to 11% at Mach 0.4. Furthermore, it was shown that these benefits could be achieved with relatively few pulses during down-stroke and with no need to pre-anticipate the stall event. The flow mechanisms responsible for stall suppression were investigated using particle image velocimetry.

Matalanis, Claude↗

A Factorial Data Rate and Dwell Time Experiment in the National Transonic Facility

This report is an introductory tutorial on the application of formal experiment design methods to wind tunnel testing, for the benefit of aeronautical engineers with little formal experiment design training. It also describes the results of a Study to determine whether increases in the sample rate and dwell time of the National Transonic Facility data system Would result in significant changes in force and moment data. Increases in sample rate from 10 samples per second to 50 samples per second were examined, as were changes in dwell time from one second per data point to two seconds. These changes were examined for a representative aircraft model in a range of tunnel operating conditions defined by angles of attack from 0 deg to 3.8 degrees, total pressure from 15.0 psi to 24.1 psi, and Mach numbers from 0.52 to 0.82. No statistically significant effect was associated with the change in sample rate. The change in dwell time from one second to two seconds affected axial force measurements, and to a lesser degree normal force measurements. This dwell effect comprises a "rectification error" caused by incomplete cancellation of the positive and negative elements of certain low frequency dynamic components that are not rejected by the one-Hz low-pass filters of the data system. These low frequency effects may be due to tunnel circuit phenomena and other sources. The magnitude of the dwell effect depends on dynamic pressure, with angle of attack and Mach number influencing the strength of this dependence. An analysis is presented which suggests that the magnitude of the rectification error depends on the ratio of measurement dwell time to the period of the low-frequency dynamics, as well as the amplitude of the dynamics The essential conclusion of this analysis is that extending the dwell time (or, equivalently, replicating short-dwell data points) reduces the rectification error.

DeLoach, R.↗

Effects of reaction control system jet flow field interactions on the aerodynamic characteristics of a 0.010-scale space shuttle orbiter model in the Langley Research Center 31 inch CFHT (OA85)

An experimental investigation was conducted to obtain detailed effects on supersonic vehicle hypersonic aerodynamic and stability and control characteristics of reaction control system jet flow field interactions with the local vehicle flow field. A 0.010-scale model was used. Six-component force data and wing, elevon, and body flap surface pressure data were obtained through an angle-of-attack range of -10 to +35 degrees with 0 deg angle of sideslip. The test was conducted with yaw, pitch and roll jet simulation at a free-stream Mach number of 10.3 and reaction control system plume simulation of flight dynamic pressures of 5, 10 and 20 PSF.

Daileda, J. J.↗

A Design Method for Low-Pressure Venturi Nozzles

The purpose of this work is to provide empirical design models for low-pressure, subsonic Venturi nozzles. Experimentally validated simulations were used to determine the effect of nozzle geometry and operating conditions on the suction ratio (ratio of suction mass flow rate to motive mass flow rate) of low-pressure, subsonic Venturi nozzles, over a wide range of geometries and operating conditions, through a parametric study. The results of the parametric study were used to develop seven empirical models, each with a different range of applicability or calculating a different indicator of nozzle performance (i.e., suction ratio, momentum ratio, or dynamic pressure ratio), of the Venturi nozzles using a constrained multi-variable global optimization method. Of the seven empirical models, the best models were found to be those for low- (less than one) and high-suction ratios (greater than one), with mean absolute percentage errors of 5% and 18%, respectively. These empirical models provide a design tool for subsonic, low-pressure Venturi nozzles that is more than an order of magnitude more accurate than a governing equation approach or conventional flow head calculations. These newly-developed empirical models can be applied for initial nozzle design when precise suction ratios are required.

O’Hern, Hannah↗

Analysis of validation tests of the Langley pilot transonic cryogenic tunnel

A pilot transonic cryogenic pressure tunnel has recently been developed and proof tested at the NASA Langley Research Center. In addition to providing an attractive method for obtaining high Reynolds number results at moderate aerodynamic loadings and tunnel power, this unique tunnel allows the independent determination of the effects of Reynolds number, Mach number, and dynamic pressure (aeroelasticity) on the aerodynamic characteristics of the model under test. The proof of concept experimental and theoretical studies are briefly reviewed. Experimental results obtained on both two- and three-dimensional models have substantiated that cryogenic test conditions can be set accurately and that cryogenic gaseous nitrogen is a valid test medium.

Ray, E. J.↗

Aerothermal evaluation of a spherically blunted body with a trapezoidal cross section in the Langley 8-foot high-temperature tunnel

A model to be used in the flow studies and curved Thermal Protection System (TPS) evaluations was tested in the Langley 8 Foot High-Temperature Tunnel at a nominal Mach number of 6.8. The purpose of the study was to define the surface pressure and heating rates at high angles of attack (in support of curved metallic TPS studies) and to determine the conditions for which the model would be suitable as a test bed for aerothermal load studies. The present study was conducted at a nominal total temperature of 2400 and 3300 R, dynamic pressures from 2.3 to 10.9 psia, and free-stream Reynolds numbers from 4000,000 to 1,700,000/ft. The measurements consisted primarily of surface pressure and cold-wall (530 R) heating rates. Qualitative comparisons between predictions and data show that for this configuration, aerothermal tests should be limited to angles of attack between 10 and -10 degrees. Outside this range, the effects of free-stream flow nonuniformity appear in the data, as a result of the long length of the model. However, for TPS testing, this is not a concern and tests can be performed at angles of attack ranging from 20 to -20 degrees. Laminar and naturally turbulent boundary layers are available over limited ranges of conditions.

Albertson, Cindy W.↗

The gas kinetics of very high flight speeds

The aerodynamic forces on bodies of arbitrary shape were investigated under conditions such that the mean free path of the air molecule is greater than the dimensions of the body. Air pressures and friction forces were calculated from gas kinetic theory for surfaces facing both toward and away from the air stream at any angle. Air forces for an atmosphere of definite composition (molecular hydrogen) were calculated as a function of the flight velocity. The results indicate that the friction stresses between the air and the body surface are of the same magnitude as the dynamic pressure and as the air pressures normal to the surface. The application of the general method to the specific cases such as thin airfoils and projectiles leads to high drag coefficients and poor glide ratios even for the theoretically best wing sections.

AIR FLOW VELOCITY - MOLECULAR ENERGIES↗

National Transonic Facility Model and Tunnel Vibrations

Since coming online in 1984, the National Transonic Facility (NTF) cryogenic wind tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center has provided unique high Reynolds number testing capability. While turbulence levels in the tunnel, expressed in terms of percent dynamic pressure, are typical of other transonic wind tunnels, the significantly increased load levels utilized to achieve flight Reynolds numbers, in conjunction with the unique structural design requirements for cryogenic operation, have brought forward the issue of model and model support structure vibrations. This paper reports new experimental measurements documenting aerodynamic and structural dynamics processes involved in such vibrations experienced in the NTF. In particular, evidence of local un-steady airloads developed about the model support strut is shown and related to well documented acoustic features known as "Parker" modes. Two-dimensional unsteady viscous computations illustrate this model support structure loading mechanism.

Edwards, John W.↗

Development of Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Application on NASA Space Launch System

The key measurement to acquire for understanding unsteady flow is surface pressure. Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) is an emerging optical technique used in wind tunnel testing to measure fluctuating surface pressures. Recently, tests were conducted on NASA’s Space Launch System in NASA Ames Research Center’s Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel to determine the aeroacoustics environment and assist in developing the buffet forcing functions. Unsteady PSP data was collected during this test campaign. Steady state PSP data, infrared thermography, shadowgraph, accelerometer data, and dynamic pressure transducer data were also collected. In all 50 TB of data were collected during the three days of testing. During these three days of testing, a repeating transonic and supersonic alpha sweep condition was acquired. This paper presents these two wind tunnel conditions and examines how the temperature influences the PSP data. In the first large demonstration of uPSP in 2015 on an NESC-, AETC-sponsored wind tunnel test, lifetime PSP results highlighted the influence the model temperature had on the PSP data. A best practice of heat soaking the model before acquiring calibration images was followed during the test campaign presented in this paper. An infrared thermography camera and thermocouples were installed in the model to collect more details of the model surface temperature. Data processing schemes for uPSP are still in development but will be briefly presented here as well.

Roozeboom, Nettie H.↗

Development of Dynamic Flow Field Pressure Probes Suitable for Use in Large Scale Supersonic Wind Tunnels

A series of dynamic flow field pressure probes were developed for use in large-scale supersonic wind tunnels at NASA Glenn Research Center. These flow field probes include pitot, static, and five-hole conical pressure probes that are capable of capturing fast acting flow field pressure transients that occur on a millisecond time scale. The pitot and static probes can be used to determine local Mach number time histories during a transient event. The five-hole conical pressure probes are used primarily to determine local flow angularity, but can also determine local Mach number. These probes were designed, developed, and tested at the NASA Glenn Research Center. They were also used in a NASA Glenn 10-by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) test program where they successfully acquired flow field pressure data in the vicinity of a propulsion system during an engine compressor staff and inlet unstart transient event. Details of the design, development, and subsequent use of these probes are discussed in this report.

Porro, A. Robert↗

Automatic control of cryogenic wind tunnels

Inadequate Reynolds number similarity in testing of scaled models affects the quality of aerodynamic data from wind tunnels. This is due to scale effects of boundary-layer shock wave interaction which is likely to be severe at transonic speeds. The idea of operation of wind tunnels using test gas cooled to cryogenic temperatures has yielded a quantrum jump in the ability to realize full scale Reynolds number flow similarity in small transonic tunnels. In such tunnels, the basic flow control problem consists of obtaining and maintaining the desired test section flow parameters. Mach number, Reynolds number, and dynamic pressure are the three flow parameters that are usually required to be kept constant during the period of model aerodynamic data acquisition. The series of activity involved in modeling, control law development, mechanization of the control laws on a microcomputer, and the performance of a globally stable automatic control system for the 0.3-m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel (TCT) are discussed. A lumped multi-variable nonlinear dynamic model of the cryogenic tunnel, generation of a set of linear control laws for small perturbation, and nonlinear control strategy for large set point changes including tunnel trajectory control are described. The details of mechanization of the control laws on a 16 bit microcomputer system, the software features, operator interface, the display and safety are discussed. The controller is shown to provide globally stable and reliable temperature control to + or - 0.2 K, pressure to + or - 0.07 psi and Mach number to + or - 0.002 of the set point value. This performance is obtained both during large set point commands as for a tunnel cooldown, and during aerodynamic data acquisition with intrusive activity like geometrical changes in the test section such as angle of attack changes, drag rake movements, wall adaptation and sidewall boundary-layer removal. Feasibility of the use of an automatic Reynolds number control mode with fixed Mach number control is demonstrated.

Balakrishna, S.↗

Observations in the sheath region ahead of a magnetic cloud and in the dayside magnetosheath during magnetic cloud passage

We present magnetic field and particle (protons and electrons) observations in the sheath region behind an interplanetary shock driven by a magnetic cloud, and in the magnetic cloud itself. We also discuss observations in the dayside terrestrial magnetosheath during cloud passage. We find that the region ahead of the cloud is in pressure balance. Further, throughout its extent (greater than 0.06 AU), the magnetic field strength is anticorrelated with the plasma density, with the latter decreasing steadily as the cloud is approached. This behavior is indicative of magnetic forces influencing the flow topology and highlights a large-scale breakdown of predictions based solely on gas dynamical considerations. We also study density structures inside the cloud which result in an undulating dynamic pressure being applied to the magnetopause causing it to oscillate with amplitudes of approximately 1-3 Re and period approximately 2h.

Farrugia, C. J.↗

Inflight thermodynamic properties

The inflight thermodynamic parameters (temperature, pressure, and density) of the atmosphere are presented. Mean and extreme values of the thermodynamic parameters given here can be used in application of many aerospace problems, such as: (1) research and planning and engineering design of remote earth sensing systems; (2) vehicle design and development; and (3) vehicle trajectory analysis, dealing with vehicle thrust, dynamic pressure, aerodynamic drag, aerodynamic heating, vibration, structural and guidance limitations, and reentry analysis. Atmospheric density plays a very important role in most of the above problems. A subsection on reentry is presented, giving atmospheric models to be used for reentry heating, trajectory, etc., analysis.

Brown, S. C.↗

Aerodynamic Loading Characteristics at Mach Numbers from 0.80 to 1.20 of a 1/10-Scale Three-Stage Scout Model

Aerodynamic loads results have been obtained in the Langley 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel at Mach numbers from 0.80 to 1.20 for a 1/10-scale model of the upper three stages of the Scout vehicle. Tests were conducted through an angle-of-attack range from -8 deg to 8 deg at an average test Reynolds number per foot of about 4.0 x 10(exp 6). Results indicated that the peak negative pressures associated with expansion corners at the nose and transition flare exhibit sizeable variations which occur over a relatively small Mach number range. The magnitude of the variations may cause the critical local loading condition for the full-scale vehicle to occur at a Mach number considerably lower than that at which the maximum dynamic pressure occurs in flight. The addition of protuberances simulating antennas and wiring conduits had slight, localized effects. The lift carryover from the nose and transition flare on the cylindrical portions of the model generally increased with an increase in Mach number.

Kelly, Thomas C.↗