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At least 181 records · Page 10

Conceptual Design and Structural Analysis of an Open Rotor Hybrid Wing Body Aircraft

Through a recent NASA contract, Boeing Research and Technology in Huntington Beach, CA developed and optimized a conceptual design of an open rotor hybrid wing body aircraft (HWB). Open rotor engines offer a significant potential for fuel burn savings over turbofan engines, while the HWB configuration potentially allows to offset noise penalties through possible engine shielding. Researchers at NASA Langley converted the Boeing design to a FLOPS model which will be used to develop take-off and landing trajectories for community noise analyses. The FLOPS model was calibrated using Boeing data and shows good agreement with the original Boeing design. To complement Boeing s detailed aerodynamics and propulsion airframe integration work, a newly developed and validated conceptual structural analysis and optimization tool was used for a conceptual loads analysis and structural weights estimate. Structural optimization and weight calculation are based on a Nastran finite element model of the primary HWB structure, featuring centerbody, mid section, outboard wing, and aft body. Results for flight loads, deformations, wing weight, and centerbody weight are presented and compared to Boeing and FLOPS analyses.

Gern, Frank H.↗

A method for designing blended wing-body configurations for low wave drag

A procedure for tailoring a blended wing-body configuration to reduce its computed wave drag is described. The method utilizes an iterative algorithm within the framework of first-order linear theory. Four computed examples are included. In each case, the zero-lift wave drag was reduced without an increase in the drag due to lift.

Barger, Raymond L.↗

Blended-Wing-Body Transonic Aerodynamics: Summary of Ground Tests and Sample Results

The Blended-Wing-Body (BWB) concept has shown substantial performance benefits over conventional aircraft configuration with part of the benefit being derived from the absence of a conventional empennage arrangement. The configuration instead relies upon a bank of trailing edge devices to provide control authority and augment stability. To determine the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft, several wind tunnel tests were conducted with a 2% model of Boeing's BWB-450-1L configuration. The tests were conducted in the NASA Langley Research Center's National Transonic Facility and the Arnold Engineering Development Center s 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel. Characteristics of the configuration and the effectiveness of the elevons, drag rudders and winglet rudders were measured at various angles of attack, yaw angles, and Mach numbers (subsonic to transonic speeds). The data from these tests will be used to develop a high fidelity simulation model for flight dynamics analysis and also serve as a reference for CFD comparisons. This paper provides an overview of the wind tunnel tests and examines the effects of Reynolds number, Mach number, pitch-pause versus continuous sweep data acquisition and compares the data from the two wind tunnels.

Carter, Melissa B.↗

Investigation of Twin Jet Aeroacoustic Properties in the Presence of a Hybrid Wing Body Shield

In preparation for upcoming wind tunnel acoustic experiments of a Hybrid Wing Body (HWB) vehicle with two jet engine simulator units, a series of twin jet aeroacoustic investigations were conducted leading to increased understanding and risk mitigation. A previously existing twin jet nozzle system and a fabricated HWB aft deck fuselage are combined for a 1.9% model scale study of jet nozzle spacing and jet cant angle effects, elevon deflection into the jet plume, and acoustic shielding by the fuselage body. Linear and phased array microphone measurements are made, and data processing includes the use of DAMAS (Deconvolution Approach for the Mapping of Acoustic Sources). Closely-spaced twin jets with a 5 inward cant angle exhibit reduced noise levels compared to their parallel flow counterparts at similar and larger nozzle spacings. A 40 elevon deflection into the twin jet plume, which is required for HWB ground rotation, can significantly increase upstream noise levels (more than 5 dB OASPL) with only minimal increases in the downstream direction. Lastly, DAMAS processing can successfully measure the noise source distribution of multiple shielded jet sources.

Doty, Michael J.↗

Effect of symmetrical vortex shedding on the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of wing-body-tail combinations

An engineering prediction method for determining the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of wing-body-tail combinations is developed. The method includes the effects of nonlinear aerodynamics of components and the interference between components. Nonlinearities associated with symmetrical vortex shedding from the nose of the body are considered as well as the nonlinearities associated with the separation vortices from the leading edges and side edges of the lifting surfaces. The wing and tail characteristics are calculated using lifting surface theories which include effects of incidence, camber, twist, and induced velocities from external sources of disturbance such as bodies and vortices. The lifting surface theories calculate the distribution of leading edge and side edge suction which is converted to vortex lift using the Polhamus suction analogy. Correlation curves are developed to determine the fraction of the theoretical suction force which is converted into vortex lift. The prediction method is compared with experimental data on a variety of aircraft configurations to assess the accuracy and limitations of the method.

Mendenhall, M. R.↗

Wind tunnel blockage and support interference effects on winged-body models at Mach numbers from 0.6 to 1.0

Three sting-mounted winged-body models with tunnel blockages of 0.1, 1.0, and 2.0 percent were tested in the Lewis Research Center's 8- by 6- Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. Fuselage pressures were obtained over a Mach number range of 0.6 to 1.0 at angles of attack from 0 deg to 4 deg. Two other types of model support were investigated, which included simulated wing-tip and fuselage support-strut mountings. The effects of tunnel porosity and sidewall geometry were also investigated. Model blockage effects were small up to M sub 0 = 0.95. At higher speeds the major blockage effect observed was a displacement of the local transonic terminal shocks on the model. The effects of the wing-tip type of model support were small up to M sub 0 = 0.95, but disturbances were observed on the fuselage at higher speeds. Changes in local tunnel porosity were effective in reducing the disturbances up to M sub 0 = 0.975, but a change in sidewall geometry was not.

Blaha, B. J.↗

Subsonic finite elements for wing body combinations

Capabilities, limitations, and applications of various theories for the prediction of wing-body aerodynamics are reviewed. The methods range from approximate planar representations applicable in preliminary design to surface singularity approaches applicable in the later stages of detail design. The available methods for three-dimensional configurations are limited as inviscid solutions with viscous effects included on an empirical or strip basis.

Thomas, J. L.↗

A Sizing Methodology for the Conceptual Design of Blended-Wing-Body Transports

This paper describes the development of a methodology for sizing Blended-Wing-Body (BWB) transports and how the capabilities of the Flight Optimization System (FLOPS) have been expanded using that methodology. In this approach, BWB transports are sized based on the number of passengers in each class that must fit inside the centerbody or pressurized vessel. Weight estimation equations for this centerbody structure were developed using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). This paper shows how the sizing methodology has been incorporated into FLOPS to enable the design and analysis of BWB transports. Previous versions of FLOPS did not have the ability to accurately represent or analyze BWB configurations in any reliable, logical way. The expanded capabilities allow the design and analysis of a 200 to 450-passenger BWB transport or the analysis of a BWB transport for which the geometry is already known. The modifications to FLOPS resulted in differences of less than 4 percent for the ramp weight of a BWB transport in this range when compared to previous studies performed by NASA and Boeing.

Kimmel, William M.↗

Open Rotor Noise Shielding by Blended-Wing-Body Aircraft

This paper presents an analysis of open rotor noise shielding by Blended Wing Body (BWB) aircraft by using model scale test data acquired in the Boeing Low Speed Aeroacoustic Facility (LSAF) with a legacy F7/A7 rotor model and a simplified BWB platform. The objective of the analysis is the understanding of the shielding features of the BWB and the method of application of the shielding data for noise studies of BWB aircraft with open rotor propulsion. By studying the directivity patterns of individual tones, it is shown that though the tonal energy distribution and the spectral content of the wind tunnel test model, and thus its total noise, may differ from those of more advanced rotor designs, the individual tones follow directivity patterns that characterize far field radiations of modern open rotors, ensuring the validity of the use of this shielding data. Thus, open rotor tonal noise shielding should be categorized into front rotor tones, aft rotor tones and interaction tones, not only because of the different directivities of the three groups of tones, but also due to the differences in their source locations and coherence features, which make the respective shielding characteristics of the three groups of tones distinctly different from each other. To reveal the parametric trends of the BWB shielding effects, results are presented with variations in frequency, far field emission angle, rotor operational condition, engine installation geometry, and local airframe features. These results prepare the way for the development of parametric models for the shielding effects in prediction tools.

Guo, Yueping↗

Comparison of Experimental and Theoretical Zero-Lift Wave-Drag Results for Various Wing-Body-Tail Combinations at Mach Numbers up to 1.9

Comparisons are made of experimental and theoretical zero-lift wave drag for several nose shapes, wing-body combinations, and models of current airplanes at Mach numbers up to 1.0. The experimental data were obtained from tests in the Ames 6- by6-foot supersonic wind tunnel and at the NACA Wallops Island facility. The theoretical drag was found by use of linear theory utilizing model area distributions. The agreement between theoretical and experimental zero-lift wave-drag coefficients was generally very good, especially for a fuselage or for fuselage-wing combinations that were vertically symmetrical. For other models that had rapid changes in body shape and/or were not vertically symmetrical, the agreement of theory with experiment ranged from fair to poor, depending on the severity of the change in shape.

DRAG COEFFICIENT↗

A parametric study of planform and aeroelastic effects on aerodynamic center, alpha- and q- stability derivatives. Appendix C: Method for computing the aerodynamic influence coefficient matrix of nonplanar wing-body-tail configurations

Expressions are derived for computing the aerodynamic influence coefficient matrix for nonplanar wing-body-tail configurations. An aerodynamic influence coefficient is defined as the load in lbs. induced on a panel as a result of a unit angle of attack on another panel. Fuselage, wing and tail thickness are assumed to be small with the result that the thickness effect on the flow-field is negligible. The method for determining the aerodynamic influence coefficient matrix is based on the lifting solution to the small perturbation, steady potential flow equation.

Roskam, J.↗