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At least 991 records · Page 55
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Multi-application controls: Robust nonlinear multivariable aerospace controls applications

This viewgraph presentation describes the general methodology used to apply Honywell's Multi-Application Control (MACH) and the specific application to the F-18 High Angle-of-Attack Research Vehicle (HARV) including piloted simulation handling qualities evaluation. The general steps include insertion of modeling data for geometry and mass properties, aerodynamics, propulsion data and assumptions, requirements and specifications, e.g. definition of control variables, handling qualities, stability margins and statements for bandwidth, control power, priorities, position and rate limits. The specific steps include choice of independent variables for least squares fits to aerodynamic and propulsion data, modifications to the management of the controls with regard to integrator windup and actuation limiting and priorities, e.g. pitch priority over roll, and command limiting to prevent departures and/or undesirable inertial coupling or inability to recover to a stable trim condition. The HARV control problem is characterized by significant nonlinearities and multivariable interactions in the low speed, high angle-of-attack, high angular rate flight regime. Systematic approaches to the control of vehicle motions modeled with coupled nonlinear equations of motion have been developed. This paper will discuss the dynamic inversion approach which explicity accounts for nonlinearities in the control design. Multiple control effectors (including aerodynamic control surfaces and thrust vectoring control) and sensors are used to control the motions of the vehicles in several degrees-of-freedom. Several maneuvers will be used to illustrate performance of MACH in the high angle-of-attack flight regime. Analytical methods for assessing the robust performance of the multivariable control system in the presence of math modeling uncertainty, disturbances, and commands have reached a high level of maturity. The structured singular value (mu) frequency response methodology is presented as a method for analyzing robust performance and the mu-synthesis method will be presented as a method for synthesizing a robust control system. The paper concludes with the author's expectations regarding future applications of robust nonlinear multivariable controls.

Enns, Dale F.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Adaptive control of robotic manipulators

The author presents a novel approach to adaptive control of manipulators to achieve trajectory tracking by the joint angles. The central concept in this approach is the utilization of the manipulator inverse as a feedforward controller. The desired trajectory is applied as an input to the feedforward controller which behaves as the inverse of the manipulator at any operating point; the controller output is used as the driving torque for the manipulator. The controller gains are then updated by an adaptation algorithm derived from MRAC (model reference adaptive control) theory to cope with variations in the manipulator inverse due to changes of the operating point. An adaptive feedback controller and an auxiliary signal are also used to enhance closed-loop stability and to achieve faster adaptation. The proposed control scheme is computationally fast and does not require a priori knowledge of the complex dynamic model or the parameter values of the manipulator or the payload.

Seraji, H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

STOVL Hot Gas Ingestion control technology

A comprehensive wind tunnel test program was conducted to evaluate control of Hot Gas Ingestion (HGI) on a 9.2 percent scale model of the McDonnell Aircraft Company model 279-3C advanced Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) configuration. The test was conducted in the NASA-Lewis Research Center 9 ft by 15 ft Low Speed Wind Tunnel during the summer of 1987. Initial tests defined baseline HGI levels as determined by engine face temperature rise and temperature distortion. Subsequent testing was conducted to evaluate HGI control parametrically using Lift Improvement Devices (LIDs), forward nozzle splay angle, a combination of LIDs and forward nozzle splay angle, and main inlet blocking. The results from this test program demonstrate that HGI can be effectively controlled and that HGI is not a barrier to STOVL aircraft development.

Amuedo, K. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Wide angle Michelson Doppler imaging interferometer

The optical system, stepping control, phase and modulation depth, array detector, and directions sensor are described for a specialized type of Michelson interferometer which works at sufficiently high resolution to measure the line widths and Doppler shifts of naturally occurring atmospheric emissions. With its imaging capability, the instrument can potentially supply this data independently for each element of the 100 x 100 detector array. The experiment seeks: (1) to obtain vertical profiles of atmospheric winds and temperatures as functions of latitude by observing near the limb; (2) to acquire exploratory wind and temperature data on smaller scale structures in airglow irregularities and in auroral forms; and (3) to collaborate with other Spacelab experiments, such as barium cloud releases, in providing wind and temperature data.

Shepherd, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Analysis and flight evaluation of a small, fixed-wing aircraft equipped with hinged plate spoilers

The results of a four phase effort to evaluate the application of hinged plate spoilers/dive brakes to a small general aviation aircraft are presented. The test vehicle was a single engine light aircraft modified with an experimental set of upper surface spoilers and lower surface dive brakes similar to the type used on sailplanes. The lift, drag, stick free stability, trim, and dynamic response characteristics of four different spoiler/dive brake configurations were determined. Tests also were conducted, under a wide range of flight conditions and with pilots of various experience levels, to determine the most favorable methods of spoiler control and to evaluate how spoilers might best be used during the approach and landing task. The effects of approach path angle, approach airspeed, and pilot technique using throttle/spoiler integrated control were investigated for day, night, VFR, and IFR approaches and landings. The test results indicated that spoilers offered significant improvements in the vehicle's performance and flying qualities for all elements of the approach and landing task, provided a suitable method of control was available.

Olcott, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A summary of V/STOL inlet analysis methods

Methods to analyze the aerodynamic performance of V/STOL inlets at the NASA Lewis Research Center are discussed with emphasis on recent extensions and applications. Methods include the specification of the Kutta condition for a slotted inlet, the calculation of suction and tangential blowing for boundary layer control, and the analysis of auxiliary inlet geometries at angles of attack. An optimum diffuser velocity distribution is also developed, which can result in the shortest no-boundary layer control inlet and the lowest loss for the required amount of diffusion.

Hwang, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Probabilistic assessment of smart composite structures

A composite wing with spars and bulkheads is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of probabilistic assessment of smart composite structures to control uncertainties in distortions and stresses. Results show that a smart composite wing can be controlled to minimize distortions and to have specified stress levels in the presence of defects. Structural responses such as changes in angle of attack, vertical displacements, and stress in the control and controlled plies are probabilistically assessed to quantify their respective uncertainties. Sensitivity factors are evaluated to identify those parameters that have the greatest influence on a specific structural response. Results show that smart composite structures can be configured to control both distortions and ply stresses to satisfy specified design requirements.

Chamis, Christos C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Comparison of cardiovascular function during the early hours of bed rest and space flight

This paper reviews the cardiovascular responses of six healthy male subjects to 6 hours in a 5 degrees head-down bed rest model of weightlessness, and compares these responses to those obtained when subjects were positioned in head-up tilts of 10 degrees, 20 degrees, and 42 degrees, simulating 1/6, 1/3, and 2/3 G, respectively. Thoracic fluid index, cardiac output, stroke volume, and peak flow were measured using impedance cardiography. Cardiac dimensions and volumes were determined from two-dimensional guided M-mode echocardiograms in the left lateral decubitus position at 0, 2, 4, and 6 hours. Cardiovascular response to a stand test were compared before and after bed rest. The impedance values were related to tilt angle for the first 2 hours of tilt; however, after 3 hours, at all four angles, values began to converge, indicating that cardiovascular homeostatic mechanisms seek a common adapted state, regardless of effective gravity level (tilt angle) up to 2/3 G. Echocardiography revealed that left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume, stroke volume, ejection fraction, heart rate, and cardiac output had returned to control values by hour 6 for all tilt angles. The lack of a significant immediate change in left ventricular end-diastolic volume, despite decrements in stroke volume (P < .05) and heart rate (not significant), indicates that multiple factors may play a role in the adaptation to simulated hypogravity. The echocardiography data indicated that no angle of tilt, whether head-down or head-up for 4 to 6 hours, mimicked exactly the changes in cardiovascular function recorded after 4 to 6 hours of space flight. Changes in left ventricular end-diastolic volume during space flight and tilt may be similar, but follow a different time course. Nevertheless, head-down tilt at 5 degrees for 6 hours mimics some (stroke volume, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure, and total resistance), but not all, of the changes occurring in an equivalent time of space flight. The magnitude of the change in the mean heart rate response to standing was greater after six hours of tilt at -5 degrees or 10 degrees. Thus, results from the stand test after 6 hours of bed rest at -5 degrees and 10 degrees, but not at 20 degrees or 42 degrees, are similar to those obtained after space flight.

Space Flight↗
NASA NTRS1976

An analytical study of turbulence responses, including horizontal-tail loads, of a control-configured vehicle with relaxed static stability

A static stability augmentation system (SSAS) with angle-of-attack, pitch-rate, and forward-speed feedback is used to stabilize control-configured rigid vehicles with relaxed static stability. Airplane configurations include a baseline configuration and two representative control-configured vehicle configurations. The first statically unstable configuration has baseline geometry and an aft center of gravity; the second statically unstable configuration has reduced tail length and area and a forward neutral point. Stability, flying-qualities, and maneuverability requirements are imposed on the airplane-SSAS systems. Turbulence responses of the rigid airframe and tail loads are examined in terms of configuration changes for a given control law and in terms of control law changes for a given configuration.

Perry, B., III↗
NASA NTRS1992

A High-Fidelity Batch Simulation Environment for Integrated Batch and Piloted Air Combat Simulation Analysis

A batch air combat simulation environment known as the Tactical Maneuvering Simulator (TMS) is presented. The TMS serves as a tool for developing and evaluating tactical maneuvering logics. The environment can also be used to evaluate the tactical implications of perturbations to aircraft performance or supporting systems. The TMS is capable of simulating air combat between any number of engagement participants, with practical limits imposed by computer memory and processing power. Aircraft are modeled using equations of motion, control laws, aerodynamics and propulsive characteristics equivalent to those used in high-fidelity piloted simulation. Databases representative of a modern high-performance aircraft with and without thrust-vectoring capability are included. To simplify the task of developing and implementing maneuvering logics in the TMS, an outer-loop control system known as the Tactical Autopilot (TA) is implemented in the aircraft simulation model. The TA converts guidance commands issued by computerized maneuvering logics in the form of desired angle-of-attack and wind axis-bank angle into inputs to the inner-loop control augmentation system of the aircraft. This report describes the capabilities and operation of the TMS.

Goodrich, Kenneth H.↗
NASA NTRS1961

Investigation of the Low-Subsonic Stability and Control Characteristics of a Free-Flying Model of a Thick 70 deg Delta Reentry Configuration

An investigation of the low-subsonic flight characteristics of a thick 70 deg delta reentry configuration having a diamond cross section has been made in the Langley full-scale tunnel over an angle-of-attack range from 20 to 45 deg. Flight tests were also made at angles of attack near maximum lift (alpha = 40 deg) with a radio-controlled model dropped from a helicopter. Static and dynamic force tests were made over an angle-of-attack range from 0 to 90 deg. The longitudinal stability and control characteristics were considered satisfactory when the model had positive static longitudinal stability. It was possible to fly the model with a small amount of static instability, but the longitudinal characteristics were considered unsatisfactory in this condition. At angles of attack above the stall the model developed a large, constant-amplitude pitching oscillation. The lateral stability characteristics were considered to be only fair at angles of attack from about 20 to 35 deg because of a lightly damped Dutch roll oscillation. At higher angles of attack the oscillation was well damped and the lateral stability was generally satisfactory. The Dutch roll damping at the lower angles of attack was increased to satisfactory values by means of a simple rate-type roll damper. The lateral control characteristics were generally satisfactory throughout the angle- of-attack range, but there was some deterioration in aileron effectiveness in the high angle-of-attack range due mainly to a large increase in damping in roll.

Paulson, John W.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Measurement of the Noise Resulting from the Interaction of Turbulence with a Lifting Surface

An experimental study of the noise resulting from the interaction of an airfoil with incident turbulence is presented. The test models include NACA0015 airfoils of different chord lengths, a flat plate with a sharp leading edge, and an airfoil of same section as a reference Fowler flap. The airfoils are immersed in nearly isotropic turbulence. Two approaches for performing the noise measurements are used and compared. The effects that turbulence intensity and scales, airfoil geometry, velocity and angle of attack have on the incident turbulence interaction noise are examined. Detailed directivity measurements are presented. It is found that noise spectral levels beyond the peak frequency decrease more with decreasing airfoil leading edge sharpness, and that spectral peak level (at 0 deg. angle of attack) appears to be mostly controlled by the airfoil fs thickness and chord. Increase in turbulence scale and intensity are observed to lead to a uniform increase of the noise spectral levels with an LI(sup 2) dependence (where L is the turbulence longitudinal integral scale and I is the turbulence intensity). Noise levels are found to scale with the 6th power of velocity and the 2nd power of the airfoil chord. Sensitivity to changes in angle of attack appears to have a turbulence longitudinal integral scale to chord (C) ratio dependence, with large effects on noise for L/C greater than or equal to 1 and decreased effects as L/C becomes smaller than 1. For all L/C values, the directivity pattern of the noise resulting from the incident turbulence is seen to remain symmetric with respect to the direction of the mean flow until stall, at which point, the directivity becomes symmetric with respect to the airfoil chord. It is also observed that sensitivity to angle of attack changes is more pronounced on the model suction side than on the model pressure side, and in the higher frequency range of the spectra for the largest airfoils tested (L/C less than 0.24).

Hutcheson, Florence V.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Parametric Studies of Flow Separation using Air Injection

Boundary Layer separation causes the airfoil to stall and therefore imposes dramatic performance degradation on the airfoil. In recent years, flow separation control has been one of the active research areas in the field of aerodynamics due to its promising performance improvements on the lifting device. These active flow separation control techniques include steady and unsteady air injection as well as suction on the airfoil surface etc. This paper will be focusing on the steady and unsteady air injection on the airfoil. Although wind tunnel experiments revealed that the performance improvements on the airfoil using injection techniques, the details of how the key variables such as air injection slot geometry and air injection angle etc impact the effectiveness of flow separation control via air injection has not been studied. A parametric study of both steady and unsteady air injection active flow control will be the main objective for this summer. For steady injection, the key variables include the slot geometry, orientation, spacing, air injection velocity as well as the injection angle. For unsteady injection, the injection frequency will also be investigated. Key metrics such as lift coefficient, drag coefficient, total pressure loss and total injection mass will be used to measure the effectiveness of the control technique. A design of experiments using the Box-Behnken Design is set up in order to determine how each of the variables affects each of the key metrics. Design of experiment is used so that the number of experimental runs will be at minimum and still be able to predict which variables are the key contributors to the responses. The experiments will then be conducted in the 1ft by 1ft wind tunnel according to the design of experiment settings. The data obtained from the experiments will be imported into JMP, statistical software, to generate sets of response surface equations which represent the statistical empirical model for each of the metrics as a function of the key variables. Next, the variables such as the slot geometry can be optimized using the build-in optimizer within JMP. Finally, a wind tunnel testing will be conducted using the optimized slot geometry and other key variables to verify the empirical statistical model. The long term goal for this effort is to assess the impacts of active flow control using air injection at system level as one of the task plan included in the NASAs URETI program with Georgia Institute of Technology.

Zhang, Wei↗
NASA NTRS1992

Feedback control laws for highly maneuverable aircraft

The results of a study of the application of H infinity and mu synthesis techniques to the design of feedback control laws for the longitudinal dynamics of the High Angle of Attack Research Vehicle (HARV) are presented. The objective of this study is to develop methods for the design of feedback control laws which cause the closed loop longitudinal dynamics of the HARV to meet handling quality specifications over the entire flight envelope. Control law designs are based on models of the HARV linearized at various flight conditions. The control laws are evaluated by both linear and nonlinear simulations of typical maneuvers. The fixed gain control laws resulting from both the H infinity and mu synthesis techniques result in excellent performance even when the aircraft performs maneuvers in which the system states vary significantly from their equilibrium design values. Both the H infinity and mu synthesis control laws result in performance which compares favorably with an existing baseline longitudinal control law.

Garrard, William L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Wind-tunnel studies of advanced cargo aircraft concepts

Accomplishments in vortex flap research are summarized. A singular feature of the vortex flap is that, throughout the range of angle of attack range, the flow type remains qualitatively unchanged. Accordingly, no large or sudden change in the aerodynamic characteristics, as happens when forcibly maintained attached flow suddenly reverts to separation, will occur with the vortex flap. Typical wind tunnel test data are presented which show the drag reduction potential of the vortex flap concept applied to a supersonic cruise airplane configuration. The new technology offers a means of aerodynamically augmenting roll-control effectiveness on slender wings at higher angles of attack by manipulating the vortex flow generated from leading edge separation. The proposed manipulator takes the form of a flap hinged at or close to the leading edge, normally retracted flush with the wing upper surface to conform to the airfoil shape.

Rao, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Synthetic Jet Interaction With A Turbulent Boundary Layer Flow

Perhaps one of the more notable advances to have occurred in flow control technology in the last fifteen years is the application of surface-issuing jets for separation control on aerodynamic surfaces. The concept was introduced by Johnston and Night (1990) who proposed using circular jets, skewed and inclined to the wall, to generate streamwise vortices for the purpose of mitigating boundary layer separation. The skew and inclination angles have subsequently been shown to affect the strength and sign of the ensuing vortices. With a non-circular orifice, in addition to skew and inclination, the yaw angle of the major axis of the orifice can influence the flow control effectiveness of the jet. In particular, a study by Chang arid Collins (1997) revealed that a non-circular orifice, yawed relative to the freestream, can be used to control the size and strength of the vortices produced by the control jet. This early work used jets with only a steady injection of mass. Seifert et al. revealed that an unsteady blowing jet, could be as effective at separation control as a steady jet but with less mass flow. Seifert et al. showed that small amplitude blowing oscillations superimposed on a low momentum steady jet Was the most effective approach to delaying separation on a NACA 0015 airfoil at post-stall angles of attack. More recent work suggests that perhaps the most efficient jet control effect comes from a synthetic (oscillatory) jet where the time-averaged mass flux through the orifice is zero, but the net wall normal momentum is non-zero. The control effectiveness of synthetic jets has been demonstrated for several internal and external flow fields used synthetic jet control on a thick, blunt-nosed airfoil to delay stall well beyond the stall angles for the uncontrolled airfoil and with a dramatic increase in the lift-to-drag performance. Amitay et al. used an array of synthetic jets to mitigate flow separation in curved and diffusing ducts. While the control effectiveness of synthetic jet actuators in an application setting has been confirmed through a number of studies, the fluid dynamic mechanism by which control is effected is not well understood. Issues like yaw angle arid velocity ratio that have been studied for steady control jets have not been investigated for synthetic jets. Moreover, the role played by the inherently unsteady nature of a synthetic jet in the interaction with the controlled flow is not known. Some recent work by Rinehart and Glazer and Smith suggests that away from tile immediate vicinity of the jet orifice the flow field is steady in the mean, and that the interaction of a synthetic jet and a boundary layer creates a secondary flow in the boundary layer consisting primarily of streamwise vortices.

Smith, Douglas R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Positive position control of robotic manipulators

The present, simple and accurate position-control algorithm, which is applicable to fast-moving and lightly damped robot arms, is based on the positive position feedback (PPF) strategy and relies solely on position sensors to monitor joint angles of robotic arms to furnish stable position control. The optimized tuned filters, in the form of a set of difference equations, manipulate position signals for robotic system performance. Attention is given to comparisons between this PPF-algorithm controller's experimentally ascertained performance characteristics and those of a conventional proportional controller.

Baz, A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Improved Models for the Porous Surface with Passive Control

A computational investigation of afterbody flow using a passive control method is conducted. The passive control method consists of a porous surface placed over a plenum. The purpose of the passive control method is to exploit the adverse pressure gradient present in afterbody flow in an attempt to reduce boundary layer separation and afterbody drag. Four different porous wall models are used to model the transpiration velocity in the region of passive control. A three-dimensional, time-dependent, Reynolds-averaged, simplified Navier-Stokes solver, PAB3D, is used to simulate afterbody flow with and without passive control. Three afterbody configurations with boat-tail angles of 10, 20, and 30 deg. are used to obtain two-dimensional solutions with a freestream Mach number of 0.6 and nozzle pressure ratio of 6. The region of passive control was initially placed from 20-60% of the nozzle length. The effect of the porous placement and porous extent is also studied. Baseline (no porosity) two-dimensional solutions are qualitatively similar to experimental data but under-predict the magnitude of the pressure recovery. Results for the subsonic solutions show losses in the pressure recovery for some cases with passive control. Three-dimensional effects are also investigated and seen to be very significant. Three-dimensional baseline solutions, for both sub- and super-critical freestream Mach numbers, compare very favorably with the experimental data in comparison to the two-dimensional solution. Future work is required to examine three-dimensional afterbody flows with passive porosity.

Kraushaar, Sandra L.↗