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Patterson, J. C., Jr.

Publications and source records attributed to Patterson, J. C., Jr..

At least 19 records

Effect of underwing aft-mounted nacelles on the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of a high-wing transport airplane

As part of a propulsion/airframe integration program, tests were conducted in the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel to determine the longitudinal aerodynamic effects of installing flow through engine nacelles in the aft underwing position of a high wing transonic transfer airplane. Mixed flow nacelles with circular and D-shaped inlets were tested at free stream Mach numbers from 0.70 to 0.85 and angles of attack from -2.5 deg to 4.0 deg. The aerodynamic effects of installing antishock bodies on the wing and nacelle upper surfaces as a means of attaching and supporting nacelles in an extreme aft position were investigated.

Abeyounis, W. K.

Nacelle/pylon/wing integration on a transport model with a natural laminar flow nacelle

Tests were conducted in the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel at free-stream Mach numbers from 0.70 to 0.82 and angles of attack from -2.5 deg to 4.0 deg to determine if nacelle/pylon/wing integration affects the achievement of natural laminar flow on a long-duct flow-through nacelle for a high-wing transonic transport configuration. In order to fully assess the integration effect on a nacelle designed to achieve laminar flow, the effects of fixed and free nacelle transitions as well as nacelle longitudinal position and pylon contouring were obtained. The results indicate that the ability to achieve laminar flow on the nacelle is not significantly altered by nacelle/pylon/wing integration. The increment in installed drag between free and fixed transition for the nacelles on symmetrical pylons is essentially the calculated differences between turbulent and laminar flow on the nacelles. The installed drag of the contoured pylon is less than that of the symmetrical pylon. The installed drag for the nacelles in a rearward position is greater than that for the nacelles in a forward position.

Lamb, M.

Effect of a wing-tip mounted pusher turboprop on the aerodynamic characteristics of a semi-span wing

An exploratory investigation has been conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center to determine the installed performance of a wing tip-mounted pusher turboprop. Tests were conducted using a semispan model having an unswept, untapered wing with a air-driven motor located on the tip of the wing, with an SR-2 design high speed propeller installed on the rear shaft of the motor. All tests were conducted at a Mach number of 0.70, at angles of attack of approximately -2 to +4 deg, and at a Reynolds number of 3.82 million based on the wing chord of 13 inches. The data indicate that, as a result of locating the propeller behind the wing trailing edge, at the wingtip, in the cross flow of the tip vortex, it is possible to recover part of the vortex energy as an increase in propeller thrust and, therefore, a reduction in the lift-induced drag as well.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.

Wingtip Vortex-Augmented Turbopusher Propeller Thrust

Thrust of propeller enhanced by tip vortex. Wingtip-Mounted Nacelle provides turboprop vortex velocity recovery. Thrust of turbopusher propeller increased by flow of lift-induced vortex. As result of weaker vortex, reduction in induced drag of wing afforded by propeller-wake mass injection into core of vortex, causing it to break down.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.

Exploratory wind-tunnel investigation of a wingtip-mounted vortex turbine for vortex energy recovery

The Langley 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel was used for tests to determine the possibility of recovering, with a turbine-type device, part of the energy loss associated with the lift-induced vortex system. Tests were conducted on a semispan model with an unswept, untapered wing, with and without a wingtip-mounted vortex turbine. Three sets of turbine blades were tested to determine the effect of airfoil section shape and planform. The tests were conducted at a Mach number of 0.70 over an angle-of-attack range from 0 deg. to 4 deg. at a Reynolds number of 3.82 x 10 to the 6th power based on the wing reference chord of 13 in.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.

Propulsion installation characteristics for turbofan transports

Several investigations have been conducted in the Langley 8-Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel and the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel to investigate propulsion integration characteristics for turbofan transport aircraft. These studies have focused on reducing the interference drag for conventional underwing, overwing, upper surface and wing aft-mounted engine nacelle installations. The experimental data presented in this paper will illustrate the difficulties associated with properly integrating nacelles and pylons with advanced supercritical wings. In addition guidelines for integrating the nacelle/pylons to eliminate adverse interference effects and possibly achieve favorable interference are discussed.

Henderson, W. P.

Investigation of powered nacelles on a high aspect ratio NASA supercritical wing, phase 2

A modified wing with the long core separate flow nacelle and several E(3) nacelles was utilized. The effects of nacelle and pylon cant angles and nacelle longitudinal and vertical location were investigated over a Mach number range from 0.70 to 0.83. The results at the cruise condition 0.82 Mach number and 0.55 lift coefficient are presented.

Flechner, S. G.

The NASA supercritical-wing technology

A number of high aspect ratio supercritical wings in combination with a representative wide body type fuselage were tested in the Langley 8 foot transonic pressure tunnel. The wing parameters investigated include aspect ratio, sweep, thickness to chord ratio, and camber. Subsequent to these initial series of tests, a particular wing configuration was selected for further study and development. Tests on the selected wing involved the incorporation of a larger inboard trailing edge extension, an inboard leading edge extension, and flow through nacelles. Range factors for the various supercritical wing configurations are compared with those for a reference wide body transport configuration.

Bartlett, D. W.

Thrust-augmented vortex attenuation

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the vortex attenuating effect of engine thrust. Tests were made using a 0.03-scale model of the Boeing 747 transport aircraft as a vortex generating model. A Learjet-class probe model was used to measure the vortex induced rolling moment at a scale separation distance of 1.63 km. These tests were conducted at a lift coefficient of 1.4 at a model velocity of 30.48 m/s. The data presented indicate that engine thrust is effective as a vortex attenuating device when the engines are operated at high thrust levels and are positioned to direct the high energy engine wake into the core of the vortex. The greatest thrust vortex attenuation was obtained by operating the inboard engine thrust reversers at one-quarter thrust and the outboard engines at maximum forward thrust.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.

Ground development and flight correlation of the vortex attenuating spline device

Data presented indicate that the wing-mounted spline is a effective vortex-attenuating device. A comparison of the vortex induced rolling moment results at a separation scale distance of 0.70 km with those measured in full scale flight indicate good agreement for the unattenuated vortex configuration. The comparison also indicates that the spline effectiveness in flight was greater than in the ground facility test. The results of an applications study show that, for the heavy commercial jet aircraft studied, use of the splines does result in some degradation of the climb gradient and rate of climb, but the aircraft should meet certification requirements.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.

Wingtip vortex dissipator for aircraft

A means for attenuating the vortex created at aircraft wingtips which consists of a retractable planar surface transverse to the airstream and attached downstream of the wingtip which creates a positive pressure gradient just downstream from the wing is presented. The positive pressure forces a break up of the rotational air flow of the vortex.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.

Development and flight tests of vortex-attenuating splines

The ground tests and full-scale flight tests conducted during development of the vortex-attenuating spline are described. The flight tests were conducted using a vortex generating aircraft with and without splines; a second aircraft was used to probe the vortices generated in both cases. The results showed that splines significantly reduced the vortex effects, but resulted in some noise and climb performance penalties on the generating aircraft.

Hastings, E. C., Jr.

An investigation of the increase in vortex induced rolling moment associated with landing gear wake

Flight tests were conducted to verify the results found in ground base facilities of the effect of span lift load variation as well as the vortex attentuation of the high energy jet engine exhaust through proper thrust programming. During these flight tests a large increase in vortex strength was experienced as a result of extending the landing gear. Tests in the Langley Vortex Research Facility indicate that the wake produced by the landing gear may possibly form an aerodynamic endplate or reflection plane at the inboard edge of each inboard flap which increases the effective aspect ratio of the flap and thereby increases the strength of the flap outer edge vortex.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.

A static air flow visualization method to obtain a time history of the lift-induced vortex and circulation

A recently proposed method of flow visualization was investigated at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Langley Research Center. This method of flow visualization is particularly applicable to the study of lift-induced wing tip vortices through which it is possible to record the entire life span of the vortex. To accomplish this, a vertical screen of smoke was produced perpendicular to the flight path and allowed to become stationary. A model was then driven through the screen of smoke producing the circular vortex motion made visible as the smoke was induced along the path taken by the flow and was recorded by highspeed motion pictures.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.

Flight tests of vortex-attenuating splines

Visual data on formation and motion of lift-induced wingtip vortex were obtained by stationary, airflow visualization method. Visual data indicated that vortex cannot be eliminated by merely reshaping wingtip. Configuration change will likely have only small effect on far-field flow.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.

Lift-induced wing-tip vortex attenuation

It has been shown by a new static airflow visualization method that a drogue device properly positioned downstream of the wing tip causes vortex breakdown. This same result has been obtained by mounting a jet engine simulator at the wing tip and directing the high-energy jet blast downstream into the vortex. These configurations, among others, are now under intensive investigation in the new Langley Vortex Research Facility. In this facility a balance mounted vortex generating model is propelled along the 1800-foot track while a second model trailed at 160 feet (scale distance of 1 mile) measures the far-field rolling moment induced by the vortex of the generating model.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.

Tabulated pressure measurements on a large subsonic transport model airplane with high bypass ratio, powered, fan jet engines

An experimental wind-tunnel investigation to determine the aerodynamic interference and the jet-wake interference associated with the wing, pylon, and high-bypass-ratio, powered, fan-jet model engines has been conducted on a typical high-wing logistics transport airplane configuration. Pressures were measured on the wing and pylons and on the surfaces of the engine fan cowl, turbine cowl, and plug. Combinations of wing, pylons, engines, and flow-through nacelles were tested, and the pressure coefficients are presented in tabular form. Tests were conducted at Mach numbers from 0.700 to 0.825 and angles of attack from -2 to 4 deg.

Flechner, S. G.