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At least 883 records · Page 49

TESTPLT: Interactive computer procedure for wind-tunnel-data management, retrieval, comparison, and plotting

A method of maintaining, retrieving, comparing, and plotting wind-tunnel data by means of an interactive remote computer terminal is described. The software associated with the method consists of two procedure files, three computer programs, and a submittal file, all of which are discussed. The procedure was based on maintaining the basic wind-tunnel data files in the Langley standard interface tape (SIFT) format. The SIFT format was not part of the present development. Those features of the format essential to the present use were described. The entire method was illustrated by sample executions from a remote terminal.

Heyson, H. H.↗

High speed wind tunnel tests of the PTA aircraft

Propfans, advanced highly-loaded propellers, are proposed to power transport aircraft that cruise at high subsonic speeds, giving significant fuel savings over the equivalent turbofan-powered aircraft. NASA is currently sponsoring the Propfan Test Assessment Program (PTA) to provide basic data on the structural integrity and acoustic performance of the propfan. The program involves installation design, wind-tunnel tests, and flight tests of the Hamilton Standard SR-7 propfan in a wing-mount tractor installation on the Gulfstream II aircraft. This paper reports on the high-speed wind-tunnel tests and presents the computational aerodynamic methods that were employed in the analyses, design, and evaluation of the configuration. In spite of the complexity of the configuration, these methods provide aerodynamic predictions which are in excellent agreement with wind-tunnel data.

Aljabri, A. S.↗

Full-scale Wind-tunnel and Flight Tests of a Fairchild 22 Airplane Equipped with External-airfoil Flaps

Wind-tunnel and flight tests have been made of a Fairchild 22 airplane equipped with a wing having external-airfoil flaps that also perform the function of ailerons. Lift, drag, and pitching-moment coefficients of the airplane with several flap settings, and the rolling- and yawing-moment coefficients with the flaps deflected as ailerons were measured in the full-scale tunnel with the horizontal tail surfaces and propeller removed. The effect of the flaps on the low speed and on the take-off and landing characteristics, the effectiveness of flaps when used as ailerons, and the forces required to operate them as ailerons were determined in flight. The wind-tunnel tests showed that the flaps increased the maximum lift coefficient of the airplane from 1.51 with the flap in the minimum drag position to 2.12 with the flap in the minimum drag position to 2.12 with the flap deflected 30 degrees. In the flight tests the minimum speed decreased from 46.8 miles per hour with the flaps up to 41.3 miles per hour with the flaps deflected. The required take-off run to attain a height of 50 feet was reduced from 820 to 750 feet and the landing run from a height of 50 feet was reduced from 930 to 480 feet. The flaps for this installation gave lateral control that was not entirely satisfactory. Their rolling action was good but the adverse yaw resulting from their use was greater than is considerable, and the stick forces required to operate them increased too rapidly with speed.

Reed, Warren D↗

Computational Results for the KTH-NASA Wind-Tunnel Model Used for Acquisition of Transonic Nonlinear Aeroelastic Data

A status report is provided on the collaboration between the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden and the NASA Langley Research Center regarding the aeroelastic analyses of a full-span fighter configuration wind-tunnel model. This wind-tunnel model was tested in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) in the summer of 2016. Large amounts of data were acquired including steady/unsteady pressures, accelerations, strains, and measured dynamic deformations. The aeroelastic analyses presented include linear aeroelastic analyses, CFD steady analyses, and analyses using CFD-based reduced-order models (ROMs).

Silva, Walter A.↗

Fiber optic-based laser vapor screen flow visualization systems for aerodynamic research in larger-scale subsonic and transonic wind tunnels

The design, installation, and application of the NASA laser vapor screen (LVS) flow visualization systems developed by 10-foot high speed tunnel and 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel are discussed. Sufficient quantity of water is injected into the wind tunnel diffuser section to increase the relative humidity and promote condensation of the water vapor in the flow field about the model. Vortex-dominated flows are illuminated with an intense sheet of laser light. Fiber optics are used to deliver the laser beam through the plenum shell that surrounds the test section of each facility and to the light sheet-generating optics positioned in the ceiling window of the test section. Operational experience indicates that fiber optic-based systems are safe, reliable, and capable of proving high-quality off-surface flow visualization in larger scale subsonic and transonic wind tunnels.

Erickson, Gary E.↗

A new technique for reducing test section noise in supersonic wind tunnels

A new technique is presented for obtaining a low-noise test environment in a high-speed wind tunnel. This technique utilizes the fact that the primary noise source for high supersonic/hypersonic wind tunnels is radiated noise from the turbulent, tunnel-wall boundary layer. Because of the high directionality of sound in supersonic flows this test section noise originates far upstream on the walls of the nozzle at the 'acoustic origin'. It is shown that tailoring the nozzle contour to reduce the acoustic origin Mach number significantly reduces the noise level in the upstream half of the nozzle test rhombus. Experimental noise measurements are presented from a conventional, Mach 5 nozzle and are compared with measurements from a rapid-expansion, Mach 5 nozzle.

Anders, J. B.↗

Construction, wind tunnel testing and data analysis for a 1/5 scale ultra-light wing model

This report documents the construction, wind tunnel testing, and data analysis of a 1/5 scale ultra-light wing section. Wind tunnel testing provided accurate and meaningful lift, drag, and pitching moment data. This data was processed and graphically presented as follows: C(sub L) vs. gamma; C(sub D) vs. gamma; C(sub M) vs. gamma; and C(sub L) vs. C(sub D). The wing fabric flexure was found to be significant and its possible effects on aerodynamic data was discussed. The fabric flexure is directly related to wing angle of attack and airspeed. Different wing section shapes created by fabric flexure are presented with explanations of the types of pressures that act upon the wing surface. This report provides conclusive aerodynamic data for ultra-light wings.

James, Michael D.↗

Oil-smeared models aid wind tunnel measurements

For visualizing flow characteristics in wind tunnel tests, model surfaces are smeared with any common petroleum-base oils. These fluoresce under ultraviolet light and the flow patterns are readily visualized.

Katzoff, S.↗

Real time computer data system for the 40 x 80 ft wind tunnel facility at Ames Research Center

The wind tunnel realtime computer system is a distributed data gathering system that features a master computer subsystem, a high speed data gathering subsystem, a quick look dynamic analysis and vibration control subsystem, an analog recording back-up subsystem, a pulse code modulation (PCM) on-board subsystem, a communications subsystem, and a transducer excitation and calibration subsystem. The subsystems are married to the master computer through an executive software system and standard hardware and FORTRAN software interfaces. The executive software system has four basic software routines. These are the playback, setup, record, and monitor routines. The standard hardware interfaces along with the software interfaces provide the system with the capability of adapting to new environments.

Cambra, J. M.↗