Analysis of extreme wind shear
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Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Smith, Orvel E..
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A method for statistical analysis of wind perturbation activity is proposed for application in NSTS prelaunch assessment of the wind environment. Methods for comparing day-of-launch wind perturbation standard deviations with historical data at the launch site are described. A statistical model based on the Gumbel extreme value distribution is developed for the largest vector and component perturbations in a wind profile as a function of high-pass filter cutoff wavelength. Application of the model is proposed for assessing extreme perturbations within prelaunch sequential Jimsphere wind profiles.
The response of STS ascent structural load indicators to the wind profile is analyzed. The load indicator values versus Mach numbers are calculated with algorithms using trajectory information. The ascent load minimum margin concept is used to show that the detailed wind profile structure measured by the Jimsphere wind system is not needed to assess the STS rigid body structural wind loads.
New methods utilizing extreme value statistical theory are applied in the analysis of the largest wind component shear in a wind profile as a function of shear layer thickness and season. Seasonal variability of extreme shear decreases as the shear layer thickness decreases. Wind profile measurement system smoothing and its effect upon extreme wind shear statistics is simulated by application of digital low-pass filters to Jimsphere wind profiles.
Problems that emerged during the development of the natural environment definitions for the design of the National Aerospace Plane (NASP) are discussed. The NASP program objectives are reviewed. It is found that some of the data needed to determine the environmental parameters for designing the aircraft are unavailable. It is suggested that this is due to a lack of technology for making the necessary measurements.