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At least 883 records · Page 49

Full-scale semispan tests of a business-jet wing with a natural laminar flow airfoil

A full-scale semispan model was investigated to evaluate and document the low-speed, high-lift characteristics of a business-jet class wing that utilized the HSNLF(1)-0213 airfoil section and a single-slotted flap system. Also, boundary-layer transition effects were examined, a segmented leading-edge droop for improved stall/spin resistance was studied, and two roll-controlled devices were evaluated. The wind-tunnel investigation showed that deployment of single-slotted, trailing-edge flap was effective in providing substantial increments in lift required for takeoff and landing performance. Fixed-transition studies to investigate premature tripping of the boundary layer indicated no adverse effects in lift and pitching-moment characteristics for either the cruise or landing configuration. The full-scale results also suggested the need to further optimize the leading-edge droop design that was developed in the subscale tests.

Hahne, David E.↗

Effects of Mach Number, Leading-Edge Bluntness, and Sweep on Boundary-Layer Transition on a Flat Plate

The effects of leading-edge bluntness and sweep on boundary-layer transition on flat plate models were investigated at Mach numbers of 2.00, 2.50, 3.00, and 4.00. The effect of sweep on transition was also determined on a flat plate model equipped with an elliptical nose at a Mach number of 0.27. Models used for the supersonic investigation had leading-edge radii varying from 0.0005 to 0.040 inch. The free-stream unit Reynolds number was held constant at 15 million per foot for the supersonic tests and the angle of attack was 0 deg. Surface flow conditions were determined by visual observation and recorded photographically. The sublimation technique was used to indicate transition, and the fluorescent-oil technique was used to indicate flow separation. Measured Mach number and sweep effects on transition are compared with those predicted from shock-loss considerations as described in NACA Rep. 1312. For the models with the blunter leading edges, the transition Reynolds number (based on free-stream flow conditions) was approximately doubled by an increase in Mach number from 2.50 to 4.00; and nearly the same result was predicted from shock-loss considerations. At all super- sonic Mach numbers, increases in sweep reduced the transition Reynolds number and the amount of reduction increased with increases in bluntness. The shock-loss method considerably underestimated- the sweep effects, possibly because of the existence of crossflow instability associated with swept wings. At a Mach number of 0.27, no reduction in the transition Reynolds number with sweep was measured (as would be expected with no shock loss) until the sweep angle was attained where crossflow instability appeared.

Jillie, Don W.↗

Comparison of supercritical and conventional wing flutter characteristics

A wind-tunnel study is described in which it was attempted to compare the measured flutter boundaries of two dynamically similar aeroelastic models with identical planform, maximum thickness-to-chord ratio, and as nearly identical stiffness and mass distributions as possible, but with one wing having a supercritical airfoil and the other a conventional one. At subsonic Mach numbers, the flutter boundary for the supercritical wing was above that of the conventional wing, as predicted by flutter calculations using subsonic lifting theory. In the transonic region, however, the supercritical wing boundary decreases more rapidly and the minimum flutter point occurs at a dynamic pressure below the conventional wing boundary. Airfoil shape effects may account for some of the difference in the flutter boundaries of the two airfoils.

Farmer, M. G.↗

On the coupling between a supersonic boundary layer and a flexible surface

The coupling between a two-dimensional, supersonic, laminar boundary layer and a flexible surface is studied using direct numerical computations of the Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the plate equation. The flexible surface is forced to vibrate by plane acoustic waves at normal incidence emanated by a sound source located on the side of the flexible surface opposite to the boundary layer. The effect of the source excitation frequency on the surface vibration and boundary layer stability is analyzed. We find that, for frequencies near the fifth natural frequency of the surface or lower, large disturbances are introduced in the boundary layer which may alter its stability characteristics. The interaction between a stable two-dimensional disturbance of Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) type with the vibrating surface is also studied. We find that the disturbance level is higher over the vibrating flexible surface than that obtained when the surface is rigid, which indicates a strong coupling between flow and structure. However, in the absence of the sound source the disturbance level over the rigid and flexible surfaces are identical. This result is due to the high frequency of the TS disturbance which does not couple with the flexible surface.

Frendi, Abdelkader↗

On the coupling between a supersonic boundary layer and a flexible surface

The coupling between a two-dimensional, supersonic, laminar boundary layer and a flexible surface is studied using direct numerical computations of the Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the plate equation. The flexible surface is forced to vibrate by plane acoustic waves at normal incidence emanated by a sound source located on the side of the flexible surface opposite to the boundary layer. The effect of the source excitation frequency on the surface vibration and boundary layer stability is analyzed. We find that, for frequencies near the fifth natural frequency of the surface or lower, large disturbances are introduced in the boundary layer which may alter its stability characteristics. The interaction between a stable two-dimensional disturbance of Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) type with the vibrating surface is also studied. We find that the disturbance level is higher over the vrating flexible surface than that obtained when the surface is rig id, which indicates a strong coupling between flow and structure. However, in the absence of the sound source the disturbance level over the rigid and flexible surfaces are identical. This result is due to the high frequency of the TS disturbance which does not couple with the flexible surface.

Frendi, Abdelkader↗

Effect of Body Perturbations on Hypersonic Flow Over Slender Power Law Bodies

Hypersonic-slender-body theory, in the limit as the free-stream Mach number becomes infinite, is used to find the effect of slightly perturbing the surface of slender two-dimensional and axisymmetric power law bodies, The body perturbations are assumed to have a power law variation (with streamwise distance downstream of the nose of the body). Numerical results are presented for (1) the effect of boundary-layer development on two dimensional and axisymmetric bodies, (2) the effect of very small angles of attack (on tow[dimensional bodies), and (3) the effect of blunting the nose of very slender wedges and cones.

Mirels, Harold↗

Numerical Simulations of the Boundary Layer Transition Flight Experiment

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were used to study the possible effects that the Boundary Layer Transition (BLT) Flight Experiments may have on the heating environment of the Space Shuttle during its entry to Earth. To investigate this issue, hypersonic calculations using the Data-Parallel Line Relaxation (DPLR) and Langley Aerothermodynamic Upwind Relaxation (LAURA) CFD codes were computed for a 0.75 tall protuberance at flight conditions of Mach 15 and 18. These initial results showed high surface heating on the BLT trip and the areas surrounding the protuberance. Since the predicted peak heating rates would exceed the thermal limits of the materials selected to construct the BLT trip, many changes to the geometry were attempted in order to reduce the surface heat flux. The following paper describes the various geometry revisions and the resulting heating environments predicted by the CFD codes.

Tang, Chun Y.↗

An investigation of the effects of the propeller slipstream of a laminar wing boundary layer

A research program is in progress to study the effects of the propeller slipstream on natural laminar flow. Flight and wind tunnel measurements of the wing boundary layer have been made using hot-film velocity sensor probes. The results show the boundary layer, at any given point, to alternate between laminar and turbulent states. This cyclic behavior is due to periodic external flow turbulence originating from the viscous wake of the propeller blades. Analytic studies show the cyclic laminar/turbulent boundary layer to result in a significantly lower wing section drag than a fully turbulent boundary layer. The application of natural laminar flow design philosophy yields drag reduction benefits in the slipstream affected regions of the airframe, as well as the unaffected regions.

Howard, R. M.↗

Effect of Free Stream Turbulence and Other Vortical Disturbances on a Laminar Boundary Layer

This paper is concerned with the effect of free-stream turbulence on the pretransitional flat-plate boundary layer. It is assumed that either the turbulence Reynolds number or the downstream distance (or both) is small enough so that the flow can be linearized. The dominant disturbances in the boundary layer, which are of the Klebanoff type, are governed by the linearized unsteady boundary-region equations, i.e., the Navier Stokes equations with the streamwise derivatives neglected in the viscous and pressure-gradient terms. The turbulence is represented as a superposition of vortical free-stream Fourier modes, and the corresponding individual Fourier component solutions to the boundary-region equations are obtained numerically. The results are then superposed to compute the root mean square of the fluctuating streamwise velocity in the boundary layer produced by the actual free-stream turbulence. The calculated boundary-layer disturbances are in good quantitative agreement with the experimentally observed Klebanoff modes when strong low-frequency anisotropic effects are included in the free-stream turbulence spectrum. We discuss some additional effects that may need to be accounted for in order to obtain a complete description of the Klebanoff modes.

Goldstein, Marvin E.↗

Use of multiple discrete wall jets for delaying boundary layer separation

The effectiveness of a spanwise array of small discrete blowing nozzles in preventing separation of a turbulent boundary layer was investigated experimentally. The spacing, axial location, and momentum flux of the nozzles were varied in a systematic way, and overall performance was measured for each combination. Extensive mean velocity profiles were measured for one selected combination. Overall diffusion achieved before separation was correlated successfully with a momentum flux excess parameter, and in terms of this parameter discrete nozzles, when advantageously placed, were found to perform somewhat better than an optimally placed two-dimensional jet slot.

Mclean, J. D.↗

The effect of oxygen concentration on the boundary-lubricating characteristics of a C ether and a polyphenyl ether to 300 C

Ball-on-disk sliding friction experiments were carried out at 17 m/min (100 rev/min) to investigate the effect of oxygen concentration varying from 20% (air) to 0.001% (nitrogen) on the boundary-lubricating characteristics of an unformulated C ether in the temperature range 20-300 C. Results were then compared with those obtained for a five-ring polyphenylether in air and in nitrogen. The C ether yielded lower wear and lower friction coefficients than a five-ring polyphenylether in both air and nitrogen over most of the temperature range. Friction polymer was observed around the wear scars of most test specimens, with much greater quantities of friction polymer produced in a low-oxygen environment. Thus, with respect to friction polymer production, the C ether behaved very much like the polyphenylether.

Jones, W. R., Jr.↗

Effect of driven-wall motion on a turbulent boundary layer

An acoustically driven wall model with amplitudes greater than 0.01 cm was used to study the effect of unsteady wall boundary conditions on the structure of a zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer. Hot-wire measurements showed large variations in fluctuation quantities (including Reynolds stress) along each model wave. These longitudinal variations decreased rapidly with increasing distance from the driven wall, but the average level of these fluctuations decreased only slightly even outside the boundary layer. When the acoustical fluctuations were subtracted, the remaining fluctuations were essentially the same as for the undriven model. It is concluded that there is no significant interaction between the acoustic and turbulent fluctuations.

Weinstein, L. M.↗

Navier-Stokes simulations of the effects of suction holes on a flat plate boundary layer

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the Navier-Stokes equations are employed to explore the effects of suction holes on transition in a laminar flat plate boundary layer. The Navier-Stokes equations are cast in vorticity-velocity form. Periodicity is imposed in spanwise direction; all other spatial derivatives are discretized with fourth order compact differences. An explicit fourth order Runge-Kutta scheme is employed for the time-integration of the vorticity transport equations. Suction is applied through a row of holes aligned in spanwise direction. For low suction strengths, each hole generates a pair of stable streamwise vortices. When the suction strength exceeds a critical value, the vortices become unstable. For high suction strengths, vortex shedding occurs right at the suction holes. Our numerical findings agree well with experimental observations.

Meitz, Hubert L.↗

Effect of perturbed flow on the transition from the supersonic laminar boundary layer to the turbulent

Results of experimental studies on the effect of various factors on the transition of a supersonic boundary layer are discussed. It is shown that in supersonic wind tunnels, a significant effect on the transition of the boundary layer on a model is exerted by the scale of acoustic perturbations, which is proportional to the boundary layer displacement thickness of the working section. Experimental data obtained over a wide range of variation of flow parameters in aerodynamically similar test installations with different dimensions of the working section are generalized by means of a correlation parameter based on the displacement thickness.

Kharitonov, A. M.↗

Mutual Diffusion Coefficients of Na 2 SO 4 at C = 0.02989 mol·dm -3 and 298.15 K by Using Rayleigh Interferometry with Free Diffusion Boundary Conditions: Experimental Test of the Effect of the C 3/2 Concentration Dependence of Refractive Index at Low Concentration

Rayleigh interferometry is one of the most precise and accurate methods for the experimental determination of the mutual diffusion coefficients of both electrolytes and non-electrolytes in liquid solutions. For binary solutions at moderate and high concentrations where the concentration dependences of both diffusion coefficient and refractive index can be assumed to be linear or almost linear and the concentration difference ΔC between a pair of solutions undergoing free diffusion is not large compared to their average concentration, and by using proper combinations of the interference fringe positions as they vary with time, under these conditions diffusion coefficients are obtained that are independent of the size of ΔC. However, this situation becomes more complicated at low concentrations for electrolyte solutions where the concentration dependences of both the diffusion coefficient and refractive index are non-linear, with C 1/2 dependence for the diffusion coefficient and C 3/2 dependence for the refractive index. As a test of these effects on calculated mutual diffusion of electrolyte solutions at low concentrations as measured by Rayleigh interferometry, apparent mutual diffusion coefficients D v,a (volume-fixed reference frame) were measured for fixed average concentrations C=(0.02989 ± 0.00001) mol·dm –3 of Na 2 SO 4 (aq) at 298.15 K while varying ΔC/C from 0.66673 to 2, a threefold variation. The dependence of the diffusion coefficient on ΔC/C was found to be linear, yielding D v = 1.041 6 × 10 –9 m 2 ·s –1 for an infinitely small concentration difference between the diffusing solutions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Effects of Horizontal Resolution, Domain Size, Boundary Conditions, and Surface Heterogeneity on Coarse LES of a Convective Boundary Layer

Atmospheric properties in a convective boundary layer vary over a wide range of spatial scales and are commonly studied using large-eddy simulations (LES) in various configurations. We examine how the boundary layer depth and distribution of variability across scales are affected by LES grid spacing, domain size, inhomogeneity of surface properties, and external forcing. Two different setups of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are analyzed. A semi-idealized configuration uses a periodic domain, flat surface, prescribed homogeneous surface heat fluxes, and horizontally uniform profiles of large-scale advective tendencies. A nested LES setup employs a larger domain and realistic initial and boundary conditions, including an interactive land surface model with representative topography and vegetation and soil types. Subdomains of identical size are analyzed for all simulations. Characteristic structure sizes are quantified using the variability scales L 50 and L 95 , defined such that features smaller than that contain 50% and 95% of the total variance, respectively. Progressive increase in L 50 from vertical velocity to temperature and moisture structures is systematically reproduced in all simulation configurations. This dependence of L 50 on the considered variable complicates the development of scale-aware parameterizations for models with grid spacing in the “terra incognita”. In simulations using a larger domain with heterogeneous surface properties, the development of internal mesoscale patterns significantly affects variance distributions inside analyzed subdomains. Sizes of boundary layer structures also strongly depend on the LES grid spacing and, in case of heterogeneous surface and topography, on location of the subdomain inside a larger computational domain.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗