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At least 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1953

Impingement of water droplets on wedges and diamond airfoils at supersonic speeds

An analytical solution has been obtained for the equations of motion of water droplets impinging on a wedge in a two-dimensional supersonic flow field with a shock wave attached to the wedge. The closed-form solution yields analytical expressions for the equation of the droplet trajectory, the local rate of impingement and the impingement velocity at any point on the wedge surface, and the total rate of impingement. The analytical expressions are utilized to determine the impingement on the forward surfaces of diamond airfoils in supersonic flow fields with attached shock waves. The results presented include the following conditions: droplet diameters from 2 to 100 microns, pressure altitudes from sea level to 30,000 feet, free-stream static temperatures from 420 degrees to 460 degrees R. Also, free-stream Mach numbers from 1.1 to 2.0, semi-apex angles for the wedge from 1.14 degrees to 7.97 degrees, thickness-to-chord ratios for the diamond airfoil from 0.02 to 0.14, chord lengths from 1 to 20 feet, and angles of attack from zero to the inverse tangent of the airfoil thickness-to-chord ratio.

SURFACE CONDITIONS - WING SECTIONS↗
NASA NTRS1958

Theoretical Calculations of Supersonic Wave Drag at Zero Lift for a Particular Store Arrangement

An analysis, based on the linearized thin-airfoil theory for supersonic speeds, of the wave drag at zero lift has been carried out for a simple two-body arrangement consisting of two wedgelike surfaces, each with a rhombic lateral cross section and emanating from a common apex. Such an arrangement could be used as two stores, either embedded within or mounted below a wing, or as auxiliary bodies wherein the upper halves could be used as stores and the lower halves for bomb or missile purposes. The complete range of supersonic Mach numbers has been considered and it was found that by orienting the axes of the bodies relative to each other a given volume may be redistributed in a manner which enables the wave drag to be reduced within the lower supersonic speed range (where the leading edge is substantially subsonic). At the higher Mach numbers, the wave drag is always increased. If, in addition to a constant volume, a given maximum thickness-chord ratio is imposed, then canting the two surfaces results in higher wave drag at all Mach numbers. For purposes of comparison, analogous drag calculations for the case of two parallel winglike bodies with the same cross-sectional shapes as the canted configuration have been included. Consideration is also given to the favorable (dragwise) interference pressures acting on the blunt bases of both arrangements.

Margolis, Kenneth↗
NASA NTRS1957

A discussion of cone and flat-plate Reynolds numbers for equal ratios of the laminar shear to the shear caused by small velocity fluctuations in a laminar boundary layer

By use of the linear theory of boundary-layer stability and Schlichting's formula for the maximum amplification of a disturbance, an approximate relation is derived between the Reynolds number on a cone and the Reynolds number on a flat plate for equal closeness to transition. The indication is that the ratio of the cone Reynolds number for transition, based on the distance to the cone apex, to the plate Reynolds number for transition, based on the distance to the leading edge, is not in general equal to 3, as has been suggested by other investigators, but varies from 3 when transition occurs at the minimum critical Reynolds number to unity when transition occurs at a large multiple of the critical Reynolds number.

FLOW, TURBULENT↗
NASA NTRS1958

Effects of Nose Angle and Mach Number on Transition on Cones at Supersonic Speeds

An investigation has been made to determine the transition characteristics of a group of smooth, sharp-nosed cones varying from 10 degrees to sixty degrees in included apex angle over a Mach number range from 1.61 to 2.20 and a range of Reynolds number per foot from about 1.5 x 10 to the 6th power to 8 x 10 to the 6th power. Increasing the cone angle is shown to decrease slightly the transition Reynolds number, whereas the effects of changes of Mach number and unit Reynolds number are negligible. When transition occurred within 15 to 20 percent of the model length from the base there was a dropoff in transition Reynolds number. (author)

Czarnecki, K R↗
NASA NTRS1955

Boundary-layer Transition at High Reynolds Numbers as Obtained in Flight of a 20 Degree Cone-cylinder with Wall to Local Stream Temperature Ratios near 1.0

Boundary-layer transition data at low ratios of wall to local stream temperature have been obtained during the free flight of a highly polished cone-cylinder to a maximum Mach number of 5.02 A maximum transition Reynolds number of 32 x 10(exp 6) occurred at a distance of 25.84 inches from the cone apex. The temperature ratio at transition for a local Mach number of 4.0 was approximately 1.30 as compared with theoretical infinite stability solutions of 1.47 and 1.65 by Dunn and Lin (three-dimensional) and Van Driest (two-dimensional), respectively.

Rabb, Leaonard↗
NASA NTRS1958

Aerodynamic Characteristics at a Mach Number of 6.8 of Two Hypersonic Missile Configurations, One with Low-Aspect-Ratio Cruciform Fins and Trailing-Edge Flaps and One with a Flared Afterbody and All-Movable Controls

An investigation has been made to determine the aerodynamic characteristics in pitch at a Mach number of 6.8 of hypersonic missile configurations with cruciform trailing-edge flaps and with all-movable control surfaces. The flaps were tested on a configuration having low-aspect-ratio cruciform fins with an apex angle of 5 deg the all-movable controls were mounted at the 46.7-percent body station on a configuration having a 10 deg flared afterbody. The tests were made through an angle-of-attack range of -2 deg to 20 deg at zero sideslip in the Langley 11-inch hypersonic tunnel. The results indicated that the all-movable controls on the flared afterbody model should be capable of producing much larger values of trim lift and of normal acceleration than the trailing-edge -flap configuration. The flared -after body configuration had considerably higher drag than the cruciform-fin model but only slightly lower values of lift drag ratio.

Robinson, Ross B↗
NASA NTRS1950

Theoretical lift and damping in roll at supersonic speeds of thin sweptback tapered wings with streamwise tips, subsonic leading edges, and supersonic trailing edges

On the basis of linearized supersonic-flow theory, generalized equations were derived and calculations made for the lift and damping in roll of a limited series of thin sweptback tapered wings. Results are applicable to wings with streamwise tips and for a range of supersonic speeds for which the wing is wholly contained between the Mach cones springing from the wing apex and from the trailing edge of the root section. A further limitation is that the tip Mach lines may not intersect on the wing. For the portion of the wing external to the Mach cones springing from the leading edge of the wing tips, the pressure distributions for lift and roll previously obtained for the triangular wing are valid. For the portion of the wing contained within the wing-tip Mach cones a satisfactory approximation to the exact pressure distribution was obtained by application of a point-source-distribution method developed in NACA-TN-1382. A series of design curves are presented which permit rapid estimation of the lift-curve slope and damping-in-roll derivative for given values of aspect ratio, taper ratio, Mach number, and leading-edge sweep. (author)

Malvestuto, Frank S , Jr↗
NASA NTRS1957

Linearized Lifting-Surface and Lifting-line Evaluations of Sidewash Behind Rolling Triangular Wings at Supersonic Speeds

The lifting-surface sidewash behind rolling triangular wings has been derived for a range of supersonic Mach numbers for which the wing leading edges remain swept behind the mark cone emanating from the wing apex. Variations of the sidewash with longitudinal distance in the vertical plane of symmetry are presented in graphical form. An approximate expression for the sidewash has been developed by means of an approach using a horseshoe-vortex approximate-lifting-line theory. By use of this approximate expression, sidewash may be computed for wings of arbitrary plan form and span loading. A comparison of the sidewash computed by lifting-surface and lifting-line expressions for the triangular wing showed good agreement except in the vicinity of the trailing edge when the leading edge approached the sonic condition. An illustrative calculation has been made of the force induced by the wing sidewash on a vertical tail located in various longitudinal positions.

Bobbitt, Percy J↗
NASA NTRS1954

Experimental investigation of the forces and moments due to sideslip of a series of triangular vertical and horizontal tail combinations at Mach numbers

An experimental investigation was made at Mach numbers of 1.62, 1.93, and 2.41 of a series of tail combinations consisting of triangular vertical tail attached symmetrically to a triangular horizontal tail to determine the lateral force, yawing moment, and rolling moment due to sideslip. The apex angles of both the vertical- and horizontal-tail surfaces were varied systematically in order to obtain results for an appreciable range of operating conditions. The results of the investigation indicated that, for tails having subsonic leading edges and supersonic trailing edges, the lateral-force derivative and the yawing-moment derivative were predicted satisfactorily by the method presented in NACA TN 3071 except when the leading edges approach a sonic condition. The theoretical rolling-moment derivative was in fair agreement with the experimental derivative. For the limited tests in which both the leading and trailing edges were supersonic, the prediction of the lateral-force derivative and the yawing-moment derivative obtained from NACA TN 2412 was in good agreement with the experimental derivatives, whereas the prediction of the rolling-moment derivative was fair.

Coletti, Donald E↗
NASA NTRS1994

Expert System Detects Power-Distribution Faults

Autonomous Power Expert (APEX) computer program is prototype expert-system program detecting faults in electrical-power-distribution system. Assists human operators in diagnosing faults and deciding what adjustments or repairs needed for immediate recovery from faults or for maintenance to correct initially nonthreatening conditions that could develop into faults. Written in Lisp.

Walters, Jerry L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Use of SPOT and ERS-1 SAR data to study the tectonic and climatic history of arid regions

In order to separate the effects of the different tectonic and climatic processes on the shapes of desert piedmonts, a modified conic equation was fitted to digital topographic data for individual alluvial fans in Death Valley (California, U.S.). The topographic data were obtained from a SPOT panchromatic stereo pair and from the airborne interferometric SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) (TOPSAR). The conic fit allows parameters for the epex position, slope, and radial curvature to be compared with unit age, uplift rate, and climatic conditions. Preliminary results indicate that slope flattens with age and radial curvature is concave up, but decreases with age. Work is continuing on correlation of fit residuals and apex position with fan unit age. This information will help in the determination of tectonic uplift rates and the climatic history of the western U.S. ERS-1 SAR images were used to study an area of western China where a large strike slip fault crosses a series of alluvial fans and stream valleys. Previous analysis of SPOT panchromatic images of the area shows that offsets fans and streams can be recognized. Measurement of the rate of motion of this fault will help in the overall model of deformation of the Asian tectonic plate in response to the collision of the Indian plate.

Farr, Tom G.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Observations of loops and prominences

We review recent observations by the Yohkoh-SXT (Soft X-ray Telescope) in collaboration with other spacecraft and ground-based observatories of coronal loops and prominences. These new results point to problems that SoHO will be able to address. With a unique combination of rapid-cadence digital imaging (greater than or equal to 32 s full-disk and greater than or equal to 2 s partial-frame images), high spatial resolution (greater than or equal to 2.5 arcsec pixels), high sensitivity (EM less than or equal to 10(exp 42) cm(exp -3)), a low-scatter mirror, and large dynamic range, SXT can observe a vast range of targets on the Sun. Over the first 21 months of Yohkoh operations SXT has taken over one million images of the corona and so is building up an invaluable long-term database on the large-scale corona and loop geometry. The most striking thing about the SXT images is the range of loop sizes and shapes. The active regions are a bright tangle of magnetic field lines, surrounded by a network of large-scale quiet-Sun loops stretching over distances in excess of 105 km. The cross-section of most loops seems to be constant. Loops displaying significant Gamma's are the exception, not the rule, implying the presence of widespread currents in the corona. All magnetic structures show changes. Time scales range from seconds to months. The question of how these structures are formed, become filled with hot plasma, and are maintained is still open. While we see the propagation of brightenings along the length of active-region loops and in X-ray jets with velocities of several hundred km/s, much higher velocities are seen in the quiet Sun. In XBP flares, for example, velocities of over 1000 km/s are common. Active-region loops seem to be in constant motion, moving slowly outward, carrying plasma with them. During flares, loops often produce localized brightenings at the base and later at the apex of the loop. Quiescent filaments and prominences have been observed regularly. Their coronal manifestation seems to be an extended arcade of loops overlying the filament. Reliable alignment of the ground-based data with the X-ray images make it possible to make a detailed intercomparison of the hot and cold plasma structures over extended periods. Hence we are able to follow the long-term evolution of these structures and see how they become destabilized and erupt.

Strong, Keith T.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Wind tunnel measurements on a full-scale F/A-18 with a tangentially blowing slot

A full-scale F/A-18 was tested in the 80 by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center to measure the effectiveness of a tangentially blowing slot in generating significant yawing moments while minimizing coupling in the pitch and roll axes. Various slot configurations were tested to determine the optimum configuration. The test was conducted for angles of attack from 25 to 50 deg, angles of sideslip from -15 to +15 deg, and freestream velocities from 67 ft/sec to 168 ft/sec. By altering the forebody vortex flow, yaw control was maintained for angles of attack up to 50 deg. Of particular interest was the result that blowing very close to the radome apex was not as effective as blowing slightly farther aft on the radome, that a 16-inch slot was more efficient, and that yawing moments were generated without inducing significant rolling or pitching moments.

Lanser, Wendy R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The FC-1D: The profitable alternative Flying Circus Commercial Aviation Group

The FC-1D was designed as an advanced solution for a low cost commercial transport meeting or exceeding all of the 1993/1994 AIAA/Lockheed request for proposal requirements. The driving philosophy behind the design of the FC-1D was the reduction of airline direct operating costs. Every effort was made during the design process to have the customer in mind. The Flying Circus Commercial Aviation Group targeted reductions in drag, fuel consumption, manufacturing costs, and maintenance costs. Flying Circus emphasized cost reduction throughout the entire design program. Drag reduction was achieved by implementation of the aft nacelle wing configuration to reduce cruise drag and increase cruise speeds. To reduce induced drag, rather than increasing the wing span of the FC-1D, spiroids were included in the efficient wing design. Profile and friction drag are reduced by using riblets in place of paint around the fuselage and empennage of the FC-1D. Choosing a single aisle configuration enabled the Flying Circus to optimize the fuselage diameter. Thus, reducing fuselage drag while gaining high structural efficiency. To further reduce fuel consumption a weight reduction program was conducted through the use of composite materials. An additional quality of the FC-1D is its design for low cost manufacturing and assembly. As a result of this design attribute, the FC-1D will have fewer parts which reduces weight as well as maintenance and assembly costs. The FC-1D is affordable and effective, the apex of commercial transport design.

Meza, Victor J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Piezoelectric loudspeaker

A piezoelectric loudspeaker suitable for midrange frequencies uses a dome shaped piezoelectric actuator to drive a speaker membrane directly. The dome shaped actuator is made from a reduced and internally biased oxygen wafer, and generates excursion of the apex of the dome in the order of 0.02 - 0.05 inches when a rated drive voltage of 350 V rms is applied between the convex and the concave surfaces of the dome shaped actuator. The load capacity exceeds 10 lbs. The edge of the rim of the dome shaped actuator must be free to rock when the dome height varies to ensure low distortion in the loudspeaker. This is achieved by mounting the rim of the dome shaped actuator on a support surface by prestress only. An exceptionally simple design uses a planar speaker membrane with the center part of one side pressed against the rim of a dome shaped actuator by prestress from a stretched latex surround member.

Regan, Curtis Randall↗
NASA NTRS1995

Final Results of the Advanced Photovoltaic Experiment Flight Test

The Advanced Photovoltaic Experiment was designed to generate laboratory reference standards as well as to explore the durability of a wide variety of space solar cells. In addition to the cells, it was equipped with an absolute cavity radiometer to measure solar intensity, a spectroradiometer to measure the spectral content of this radiation and a sun angle sensor. Data from the solar cells and various sensors was obtained on a daily basis during the first eleven months of the 69 month flight. In this paper pre-flight and post-flight laboratory measurements are compared with on-orbit calibration data. Pre-flight and post-flight calibration data of the cavity radiometer as well as on-orbit data demonstrated the accuracy and durability of the Eppley instrument flown on APEX.

Brinker, David J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Statistical properties of the time histories of cosmic gamma-ray bursts detected by the BATSE experiment of the Compton gamma-ray observatory

The main scientific objectives of the project were: (1) Calculation of average time history for different subsets of BATSE gamma-ray bursts; (2) Comparison of averaged parameters and averaged time history for different Burst And Transient Source Experiments (BASTE) Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB's) sets; (3) Comparison of results obtained with BATSE data with those obtained with APEX experiment at PHOBOS mission; and (4) Use the results of (1)-(3) to compare current models of gamma-ray bursts sources.

Sagdeev, Roald↗
NASA NTRS1995

Use of TOPSAR digital elevation data to determine the 3-dimensional shape of an alluvial fan

Landforms in arid regions record the interplay between tectonic forces and climate. Alluvial fans are a common landform in desert regions where the rate of uplift is greater than weathering or sedimentation. Changes in uplift rate or climatic conditions can lead to isolation of the currently forming fan surface through entrenchment and construction of another fan either further from the mountain front (decreased uplift or increased runoff) or closer to the mountain front (increased uplift or decreased runoff). Thus, many alluvial fans are made up of a mosaic of fan units of different age, some older than 1 million years. For this reason, determination of the stages of fan evolution can lead to a history of uplift and runoff. In an attempt to separate the effects of tectonic (uplift) and climatic (weathering, runoff, sedimentation) processes on the shapes of alluvial fan units, a modified conic equation developed by Troeh (1965) was fitted to TOPSAR digital topographic data for the Trail Canyon alluvial fan in Death Valley, California. This allows parameters for the apex position, slope, and radial curvature to be compared with unit age.

Farr, Tom G.↗