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Blackwell, J. A., Jr.

Publications and source records attributed to Blackwell, J. A., Jr..

15 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

The aerodynamic design of an advanced rotor airfoil

An advanced rotor airfoil, designed utilizing supercritical airfoil technology and advanced design and analysis methodology is described. The airfoil was designed subject to stringent aerodynamic design criteria for improving the performance over the entire rotor operating regime. The design criteria are discussed. The design was accomplished using a physical plane, viscous, transonic inverse design procedure, and a constrained function minimization technique for optimizing the airfoil leading edge shape. The aerodynamic performance objectives of the airfoil are discussed.

Blackwell, J. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Scale effects on supercritical airfoils

A survey of research relative to scale effects on supercritical airfoils has been conducted. The results of this survey indicated that Reynolds number scale effects have a significant impact on airfoil design and performance. Further, this impact is greater for supercritical airfoils than for conventional airfoils. It was found that low Reynolds number drag data could be extrapolated to high Reynolds number conditions provided the flow was attached and the pressure distribution shape did not change appreciably. Airfoil lift and pitching-moment data obtained at low Reynolds numbers cannot be extrapolated to full-scale values. Viscous theoretical transonic analysis methods currently under development will significantly improve the ability of the designer to account for scale effects. Boundary-layer manipulation in low Reynolds number facilities using natural transition or aft located transition strips to simulate high Reynolds number conditions was shown to be an uncertain test procedure and reliance should be made on high Reynolds number facilities if available.

Blackwell, J. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Numerical method to calculate the induced drag or optimum loading for arbitrary non-planar aircraft

A simple unified numerical method applicable to non-planar subsonic aircraft has been developed for calculating either the induced drag for an arbitrary loading or the optimum aircraft loading which results in minimum induced drag. The method utilizes a vortex lattice representation of the aircraft lifting surfaces coupled with the classic equations and theorems for computing and minimizing induced drag. Correlation of results from the numerical method with non-planar solutions obtained from other more complex theories indicates very good agreement. Comparison of the induced-drag computations using the numerical method with experimental data for planar and non-planar configurations was also very good.

Blackwell, J. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Wind tunnel wall interference effects on a supercritical airfoil at transonic speeds

Wind tunnel tests of a 10% supercritical airfoil have been conducted in the Lockheed Compressible Flow Facility at transonic speeds to determine the effects of varying wind tunnel wall porosity on airfoil performance. Wall configurations ranging in porosity from 1.3% to 10% were investigated at Reynolds numbers of 7 to 30 million. Experimental data presented to show the effect of varying wall porosity include airfoil surface pressures, airfoil forces, and wind tunnel wall pressures. Utilizing the experimental results, an assessment of the applicability of current subcritical theoretical methods to predict wall interference corrections in subsonic and transonic flows is made.

Blackwell, J. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1975

High Reynolds number test of a NACA 651-213, a equals 0.5 airfoil at transonic speeds

Wind-Tunnel tests were conducted in the Lockheed-Georgia Company's compressible flow facility to determine the transonic two-dimensional aerodynamic characteristics of a NACA 65 sub 1-213 a = 0.50 airfoil. The results are correlated with data obtained in the NASA-Langley 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel and the NAE high Reynolds number 15x60-inch two-dimensional test facility. The tests were conducted over a Mach number range from 0.60 to 0.80 and an angle of attack range from -1 deg to 8 deg. Reynolds numbers, based on the airfoil chord, were varied.

Burdges, K. P.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Wind-tunnel Investigation of Effects of Rear Upper Surface Modification on a NASA Supercritical Airfoil

Wind tunnel tests were conducted at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 0.81 to examine the effects on supercritical airfoil of modifying the rear upper surface to reduce the magnitude of an intermediate off design second velocity peak. The modification was accomplished by increasing the upper surface curvature around the 50 percent chord station and reducing the curvature over approximately the rearmost 30 percent of the airfoil while maintaining the same trailing edge thickness.

Harris, C. D.↗
NASA NTRS1969

Aerodynamic Characteristics of an 11-Percent-Thick Symmetrical Supercritical Airfoil at Mach Numbers Between 0.30 and 0.85

The aerodynamic characteristics of an 11 percent thick symmetrical supercritical airfoil were determined in an 8 foot transonic pressure tunnel over a Mach number range of 0.30 to 0.85. The Reynolds number of the tests, based on the airfoil chord, varied with Mach number over a range of 360 million to 774 million. The geometric angle of attack varied from -0.5 to 10.5 deg. The abrupt drag rise for the supercritical airfoil at zero normal force conditions occurs at a Mach number just above 0.82. The corresponding drag rise Mach number for a conventional NACA 0012 airfoil is approximately 0.70. At zero normal force conditions, the level of supervelocity over the supercritical airfoil is considerably reduced from that for the NACA 0012 airfoil. Also, the shock wave for the supercritical airfoil is substantially weaker than that for the NACA 0012 airfoil. For a Mach number of 0.82 and zero normal force, the flow over the present airfoil is supercritical; however, there is no discernible shock wave in the flow, indicating near isentropic recompression.

Blackwell, J. A., Jr.↗