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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Control of turbofan lift engines for VTOL aircraft

The use of turbofan engines as lift units for VTOL aircraft poses new engine control problems. At low flight speeds, the lift units must provide the fast thrust response needed for aircraft attitude and height control. The results are presented of an analytical study of the dynamics and control of turbofan lift engines, and methods are proposed for meeting the response requirements imposed by the VTOL aircraft application. Two types of lift fan engines are discussed: the integral and remote. The integral engine is a conventional two-spool, high bypass ratio turbofan designed for low noise and short length. The remote engine employs a gas generator and a lift fan which are separated by a duct, and which need not be coaxial. For the integral engine, a control system design is presented which satisfies the VTOL response requirements. For the remote engine, two unconventional methods of control involving flow transfer between lift units are discussed. Both methods are shown to have thrust response near the required levels.

Sellers, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Vector thrust induced lift effects for several ejector exhaust locations on a V/STOL wind tunnel model at forward speed

The results and analysis of aerodynamic force data obtained from a small scale model of a V/STOL research vehicle in a low speed wind tunnel are presented. The analysis of the data includes the evaluation of aerodynamic-propulsive lift performance when operating twin ejector nozzles with thrust deflected. Three different types of thrust deflector systems were examined: 90 deg downward deflected nozzle, 90 deg slotted nozzle with boundary layer control, and an externally blown flap configuration. Several nozzle locations were tested, including over and underwing positions. The interference lift of the nacelle and model due to jet exhaust thrust is compared and results show that 90 deg turned nozzles located over the wing (near the trailing edge) produce the largest interference lift increment for an untrimmed aircraft, and that the slotted nozzle located under the wing near the trailing edge (in conjunction with a BLC flap) gives a comparable interference lift in the trimmed condition. The externally blown flap nozzle produced the least interference lift and significantly less total lift due to jet thrust effects.

Sharon, A. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Vortex lift augmentation by suction on a 60 deg swept Gothic wing

An experimental investigation was conducted in the Langley high-speed 7- by 10-foot wind tunnel to determine the aerodynamic performance of suction applied near the wing tips above the trailing edge of a 60 deg swept Gothic wing. Moveable suction inlets were symmetrically mounted in the proximity of the trailing edge, and the amount of suction was varied to maximize wing lift. Tests were conducted at Mach 0.15, 0.30, and 0.45, and the angle of attack was varied from -4 to 50 deg. The suction augmentation increases the lift coefficient over the entire range of angle of attack. The lift improvement exceeds the unaugmented wing lift by over 20%. Moreover, the augmented lift exceeds the lift predicted by vortex lattice theory to 30 deg angle of attack. Suction augmentation is postulated to strengthen the vortex system by increasing its velocity and making it more concentrated. This causes the vortex breakdown to be delayed to a higher angle of attack

Taylor, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A technique for determining powered-lift STOL aircraft performance at sea level from flight data taken at altitude

State-of-the-technology powered-lift STOL aircraft can develop very high lift coefficients. The determination of how this high lift capability can be utilized for landing approaches is accomplished by evaluating aircraft velocity versus flightpath performance. This paper briefly discusses upper-surface-blowing power-lift technology and some of the significant features of the velocity versus flightpath plot that are used in evaluating the performance of powered-lift aircraft. A procedure for deriving the velocity versus flightpath plot for a powered-lift aircraft at any specified weight at sea level, based on flight-test data obtained at various weights and altitudes, is discussed in detail. Actual flight-test data obtained with NASA's Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA) are used to illustrate this procedure and to evaluate the results.

Stevens, V. C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Design of a Versatile, Teleoperable, Towable Lifting Machine with Robotic Capabilities for Use in Nasa's Lunar Base Operations

The lifting machine will assist in lifting cargo off of landers sent to the Moon and in the construction of a lunar base. Three possible designs were considered for the overall configuration of the lifting machine: the variable angle crane, the tower crane, and the gantry crane. Alternate designs were developed for the major components of the lifting machine. A teleoperable, variable angle crane was chosen as its final design. The design consists of a telescoping boom mounted to a chassis that is supported by two conical wheels for towing and four outriggers for stability. Attached to the end of the boom is a seven degree of freedom robot arm for light, dexterous, lifting operations. A cable and hook suspends from the end of the boom for heavy, gross, lifting operations. Approximate structural sizes were determined for the lifter and its components. However, further analysis is needed to determine the optimum design dimensions. The design team also constructed a model of the design which demonstrates its features and operating principals.

Harris, Elizabeth↗
NASA NTRS1991

The power induced effects module: A FORTRAN code which estimates lift increments due to power induced effects for V/STOL flight

A user friendly FORTRAN code that can be used for preliminary design of V/STOL aircraft is described. The program estimates lift increments, due to power induced effects, encountered by aircraft in V/STOL flight. These lift increments are calculated using empirical relations developed from wind tunnel tests and are due to suckdown, fountain, ground vortex, jet wake, and the reaction control system. The code can be used as a preliminary design tool along with NASA Ames' Aircraft Synthesis design code or as a stand-alone program for V/STOL aircraft designers. The Power Induced Effects (PIE) module was validated using experimental data and data computed from lift increment routines. Results are presented for many flat plate models along with the McDonnell Aircraft Company's MFVT (mixed flow vectored thrust) V/STOL preliminary design and a 15 percent scale model of the YAV-8B Harrier V/STOL aircraft. Trends and magnitudes of lift increments versus aircraft height above the ground were predicted well by the PIE module. The code also provided good predictions of the magnitudes of lift increments versus aircraft forward velocity. More experimental results are needed to determine how well the code predicts lift increments as they vary with jet deflection angle and angle of attack. The FORTRAN code is provided in the appendix.

Sandlin, Doral R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Aerodynamic characteristics of a propeller powered high lift semispan wing

An experimental investigation was conducted on the engine/airframe integration aerodynamics for potential high-lift aircraft configurations. The model consisted of a semispan wing with a double-isolated flap system and a Krueger leading edge device. The advanced propeller and the powered nacelle were tested and aerodynamic characteristics of the combined system are presented. It was found that the lift coefficient of the powered wing could be increased by the propeller slipstream when the rotational speed was increased and high-lift devices were deployed. Moving the nacelle/propeller closer to the wing in the vertical direction indicated higher lift augmentation than a shift in the longitudinal direction. A pitch-down nacelle inclination enhanced the lift performance of the system much better than vertical and horizontal variation of the nacelle locations and showed that the powered wing can sustain higher angles of attack near maximum lift performance.

Takallu, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Estimation of unsteady lift on a pitching airfoil from wake velocity surveys

The results of a joint experimental and computational study on the flowfield over a periodically pitched NACA0012 airfoil, and the resultant lift variation, are reported in this paper. The lift variation over a cycle of oscillation, and hence the lift hysteresis loop, is estimated from the velocity distribution in the wake measured or computed for successive phases of the cycle. Experimentally, the estimated lift hysteresis loops are compared with available data from the literature as well as with limited force balance measurements. Computationally, the estimated lift variations are compared with the corresponding variation obtained from the surface pressure distribution. Four analytical formulations for the lift estimation from wake surveys are considered and relative successes of the four are discussed.

Zaman, K. B. M. Q.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Estimation of unsteady lift on a pitching airfoil from wake velocity surveys

The results of a joint experimental and computational study on the flowfield over a periodically pitched NACA0012 airfoil, and the resultant lift variation, are reported in this paper. The lift variation over a cycle of oscillation, and hence the lift hysteresis loop, is estimated from the velocity distribution in the wake measured or computed for successive phases of the cycle. Experimentally, the estimated lift hysteresis loops are compared with available data from the literature as well as with limited force balance measurements. Computationally, the estimated lift variations are compared with the corresponding variation obtained from the surface pressure distribution. Four analytical formulations for the lift estimation from wake surveys are considered and relative successes of the four are discussed.

Zaman, K. B. M. Q.↗
NASA NTRS1939

The Unsteady Lift of a Finite Wing

Unsteady lift function for wings of finite aspect ratio have been calculated by approximate methods involving corrections of the aerodynamic inertia and of the angle of the infinite wing. The starting lift of the finite wing is found to be only slightly less than that of the infinite wing; whereas the final lift may be considerably less. The calculations indicate that the distribution of lift near the start is similar to the final distribution. Both the indicia and the oscillating lift functions are given. Approximate operational equivalents of the functions have been devised to facilitate the calculation of lift under various conditions of motion.

Jones, Robert T↗
NASA NTRS1946

Theoretical lift and drag of thin triangular wings at supersonic speeds

A method is derived for calculating the lift and the drag due to lift of point-forward triangular wings and a restricted series of sweptback wings at supersonic speeds. The elementary or "supersonic sources" solution of the linearized equation of motion is used to find the potential function of a line of doublets. The flow about the triangular flat plate is then obtained by a surface distribution of these doublet lines. The lift-curve slope of triangular wings is found to be a function of the ratio of the tangent of the apex angle to the tangent of the Mach angle. As the apex angle approaches and becomes greater than the Mach angle, the lift coefficient of the triangular wing becomes equal to that of a two-dimensional supersonic airfoil at the same Mach number. The drag coefficient due to lift of triangular wings with leading edges well behind the Mach cone is shown to be close to that of elliptically loaded wings of the same aspect ratio in subsonic flight. The resultant force on wings with leading edges outside the Mach cone, however, is shown to act normal to the surfaces and thus an induced drag equal to the lift times the angle of attack is obtained.

Brown, Clinton E↗
NASA NTRS1993

Dust-dynamic feedbacks in the Martian atmosphere: Surface dust lifting

Numerical models have been developed to study surface dust lifting in the Martian atmosphere. The present model is comprised of interactively coupled 3-D dynamical and aerosol transport/microphysical models. The nature of possible feedbacks between surface dust lifting and the amplification/damping of near-surface wind and thermal fields and their implications for additional lifting is investigated. These studies have examined large scale Martian topography for its impact upon the ability of the atmospheric circulation to lift dust from the surface, and the particular component(s) responsible for the lifting (e.g. overturning circulation, thermal tides, baroclinic waves). Analogous experiments in which the lifted dust is radiatively inactive (passive tracer) have been conducted to act as a control against which feedbacks are defined.

Murphy, James R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

High Reynolds Number Configuration Development of a High-Lift Airfoil

An experimental program has been conducted to assess performance of a transport multielement airfoil at flight Reynolds numbers. The studies were performed at chord Reynolds numbers as high as 16 million in the NASA Langley Low Turbulence Pressure Tunnel. Sidewall boundary-layer control to enforce flow two dimensionality was provided via an endplate suction system. The basic airfoil was an 11.55 percent thick supercritical airfoil representative of the stall critical station of a new-generation transport aircraft wing. The multielement airfoil was configured as a three-element airfoil with slat and flap chord ratios of 14.48 percent and 30 percent respectively. Testing focused on the development of landing configurations with high maximum lift capability and the assessment of Reynolds and Mach number effects. Also assessed were high-lift performance effects due to devices such as drooped spoilers and trailing-edge wedges. The present experimental studies revealed significant effects on high-lift airfoil performance due to Reynolds and Mach number variations and favorable lift increments at approach angles of attack due to the use of drooped spoilers or trailing-edge wedges. However, no substantial improvements in maximum lift capability were identified. A recently developed high performance single-segment flap was also tested and results indicated considerable improvements in lift and drag performance over existing airfoils. Additionally, it was found that this new flap shape at its optimum rigging was less sensitive to Reynolds number variations than previous designs.

Walter O Valarezo↗
NASA NTRS1993

Survey of lift-fan aerodynamic technology

Representatives of NASA Ames Research Center asked that a summary of technology appropriate for lift-fan powered short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft be prepared so that new programs could more easily benefit from past research efforts. This paper represents one of six prepared for that purpose. The authors have conducted or supervised the conduct of research on lift-fan powered STOVL designs and some of their important components for decades. This paper will first address aerodynamic modeling requirements for experimental programs to assure realistic, trustworthy results. It will next summarize the results or efforts to develop satisfactory specialized STOVL components such as inlets and flow deflectors. It will also discuss problems with operation near the ground, aerodynamics while under lift-fan power, and aerodynamic prediction techniques. Finally, results of studies to reduce lift-fan noise will be presented. The paper will emphasize results from large scale experiments, where available, for reasons that will be brought out in the discussion. Some work with lift-engine powered STOVL aircraft is also applicable to lift-fan technology and will be presented herein. Small-scale data will be used where necessary to fill gaps.

Hickey, David H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Lift augmentation on a delta wing via leading edge fences and the Gurney flap

Wind tunnel tests were conducted on two devices for the purpose of lift augmentation on a 60 deg delta wing at low speed. Lift, drag, pitching moment, and surface pressures were measured. Detailed flow visualization was also obtained. Both the leading edge fence and the Gurney flap are shown to increase lift. The fences and flap shift the lift curve as much as 5 deg and 10 deg, respectively. The fences aid in trapping vortices on the upper surface, thereby increasing suction. The Gurney flap improves circulation at the trailing edge. The individual influences of both devices are roughly additive, creating high lift gain. However, the lower lift to drag ratio and the precipitation of vortex burst caused by the fences, and the nose down pitching moment created by the flap are also significant factors.

Buchholz, Mark D.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Experiments on the flow field physics of confluent boundary layers for high-lift systems

The use of sub-scale wind tunnel test data to predict the behavior of commercial transport high lift systems at in-flight Reynolds number is limited by the so-called 'inverse Reynolds number effect'. This involves an actual deterioration in the performance of a high lift device with increasing Reynolds number. A lack of understanding of the relevant flow field physics associated with numerous complicated viscous flow interactions that characterize flow over high-lift devices prohibits computational fluid dynamics from addressing Reynolds number effects. Clearly there is a need for research that has as its objective the clarification of the fundamental flow field physics associated with viscous effects in high lift systems. In this investigation, a detailed experimental investigation is being performed to study the interaction between the slat wake and the boundary layer on the primary airfoil which is known as a confluent boundary layer. This little-studied aspect of the multi-element airfoil problem deserves special attention due to its importance in the lift augmentation process. The goal of this research is is to provide an improved understanding of the flow physics associated with high lift generation. This process report will discuss the status of the research being conducted at the Hessert Center for Aerospace Research at the University of Notre Dame. The research is sponsored by NASA Ames Research Center under NASA grant NAG2-905. The report will include a discussion of the models that have been built or that are under construction, a description of the planned experiments, a description of a flow visualization apparatus that has been developed for generating colored smoke for confluent boundary layer studies and some preliminary measurements made using our new 3-component fiber optic LDV system.

Nelson, Robert C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Lift Augmentation on a Delta Wing via Leading Edge Fences and the Gurney Flap

Wind tunnel tests have been conducted on two devices for the purpose of lift augmentation on a 60 deg delta wing at low speed. Lift, drag, pitching moment, and surface pressures were measured. Detailed flow visualization was also obtained. Both the leading edge fence and the Gurney flap are shown to increase lift. The fences and flap shift the lift curve by as much as 5 deg and 10 deg, respectively. The fences aid in trapping vortices on the upper surface, thereby increasing suction. The Gurney flap improves circulation at the trailing edge. The individual influences of both devices are roughly additive, creating high lift gain. However, the lower lift to drag ratio and the precipitation of vortex burst caused by the fences, and the nose down pitching moment created by the flap are also significant factors.

Buchholz, Mark D.↗
NASA NTRS1959

Approach and Landing Investigation at Lift-Drag Ratios of 2 to 4 Utilizing a Straight-Wing Fighter Airplane

A series of landings was performed with a straight-wing airplane to evaluate the effect of low lift-drag ratios on approach and landing characteristics. Landings with a peak lift-drag ratio as low as 3 were performed by altering the airplane configuration (extending speed brakes, flaps, and gear and reducing throttle setting). As lift-drag ratio was reduced, it was necessary either to make the landing pattern tighter or to increase initial altitude, or both. At the lowest lift-drag ratio the pilots believed a 270 deg overhead pattern was advisable because of the greater ease afforded in visually positioning the airplane. The values of the pertinent flare parameters increased with the reduction of lift-drag ratio. These parameters included time required for final flare; speed change during final flare; and altitude, glide slope, indicated airspeed, and vertical velocity at initiation of final flare. The pilots believed that the tolerable limit was reached with this airplane in the present configuration, and that if, because of a further reduction in lift-drag ratio, more severe approaches than those experienced in this program were attempted, additional aids would be required to determine the flare-initiation point.

Matranga, Gene J.↗