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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Exponentially Stabilizing Robot Control Laws

New class of exponentially stabilizing laws for joint-level control of robotic manipulators introduced. In case of set-point control, approach offers simplicity of proportion/derivative control architecture. In case of tracking control, approach provides several important alternatives to completed-torque method, as far as computational requirements and convergence. New control laws modified in simple fashion to obtain asymptotically stable adaptive control, when robot model and/or payload mass properties unknown.

Wen, John T.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The measurement of aircraft performance and stability and control after flight through natural icing conditions

The effects of airframe icing on the performance and stability and control of a twin-engine commuter-class aircraft were measured by the NASA Lewis Research Center. This work consisted of clear air tests with artificial ice shapes attached to the horizontal tail, and natural icing flight tests in measured icing clouds. The clear air tests employed static longitudinal flight test methods to determine degradation in stability margins for four simulated ice shapes. The natural icing flight tests employed a data acquisition system, which was provided under contract to NASA by Kohlman Systems Research Incorporated. This system used a performance modeling method and modified maximum likelihood estimation (MMLE) technique to determine aircraft performance degradation and stability and control. Flight test results with artificial ice shapes showed that longitudinal, stick-fixed, static margins are reduced on the order of 5 percent with flaps up. Natural icing tests with the KSR system corroborated these results and showed degradation in the elevator control derivatives on the order of 8 to 16 percent depending on wing flap configuration. Performance analyses showed the individual contributions of major airframe components to the overall degration in lift and drag.

Ranaudo, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The measurement of aircraft performance and stability and control after flight through natural icing conditions

The effects of airframe icing on the performance and stability and control of a twin-engine commuter-class aircraft were measured by the NASA Lewis Research Center. This work consisted of clear air tests with artificial ice shapes attached to the horizontal tail, and natural icing flight tests in measured icing clouds. The clear air tests employed static longitudinal flight test methods to determine degradation in stability margins for four simulated ice shapes. The natural icing flight tests employed a data acquisition system, which was provided under contract to NASA by Kohlman Systems Research Incorporated. This system used a performance modeling method and modified maximum likelihood estimation (MMLE) technique to determine aircraft performance degradation and stability and control. Flight test results with artificial ice shapes showed that longitudinal, stick-fixed, static margins are reduced on the order of 5 percent with flaps up. Natural icing tests with the KSR system corroborated these results and showed degradation in the elevator control derivatives on the order of 8 to 16 percent depending on wing flap configuration. Performance analyses showed the individual contributions of major airframe components to the overall degradation in lift and drag.

Ranaudo, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1954

Longitudinal Stability and Control Characteristics at Transonic Speeds of a 1/30-Scale Model of the Republic XF-103 Airplane

The longitudinal stability and control characteristics of a 1/30-scale model of the Republic XF-103 airplane were investigated in the Langley 8-foot transonic tunnel. The effect of speed brakes located at the end of the fuselage was also investigated. The main part of the investigation was made with internal flow in the model, but some data were obtained with no internal flow. The longitudinal stability and control at transonic-speeds appeared satisfactory. The transonic drag rise was small. The speed brakes had no adverse effects on longitudinal stability.

Luoma, Arvo A.↗
NASA NTRS1952

Free-Flight-Tunnel Investigation of the Dynamic Stability and Control Characteristics of a Chance Vought F7U-3 Airplane in Towed Flight

As part of a program to determine the feasibility of using a fighter airplane as a parasite in combination with a Consolidated Vultee RB-36 for long-range reconnaissance missions (project FICON), an experimental investigation has been made in the Langley free-flight tunnel to determine the dynamic stability and control characteristics of a 1/17.5-scale model of a Chance Vought F7U-3 airplane in several tow configurations. The investigation consisted of flight tests in which the model was towed from a strut in the tunnel by a towline and by a direct coupling which provided complete angular freedom. The tests with the direct coupling also included a study of the effect of spring restraint in roll in order to simulate approximately the proposed full-scale arrangement in which the only freedom is that permitted by the flexibility of the launching and retrieving trapeze carried by the-bomber. For the tow configurations in which a towline was used (15 and 38 feet full scale), the model had a very unstable lateral oscillation which could not be controlled. The stability was also unsatisfactory for the tow configuration in Which the model was coupled directly to the strut with complete angular freedom. When spring restraint in roll was added, however, the stability was satisfactory. The use of the yaw damper which increased the damping in yaw to about six times the normal value of the model appeared to have no appreciable effect on the lateral oscillations in the towline configurations, but produced a slight improvement in the case of the direct coupling configurations. The longitudinal stability was satisfactory for those cases in which the lateral stability was good enough to permit study of longitudinal motions.

Grana, David C.↗
NASA NTRS1959

Flight Investigation of the Stability and Control Characteristics of a 1/4-Scale Model of a Tilt-Wing Vertical-Take-Off-and-Landing Aircraft

An experimental investigation has been conducted to determine the dynamic stability and control characteristics of a tilt-wing vertical-take-off-and-landing aircraft with the use of a remotely controlled 1/4-scale free-flight model. The model had two propellers with hinged (flapping) blades mounted on the wing which could be tilted up to an incidence angle of nearly 90 deg for vertical take-off and landing. The investigation consisted of hovering flights in still air, vertical take-offs and landings, and slow constant-altitude transitions from hovering to forward flight. The stability and control characteristics of the model were generally satisfactory except for the following characteristics. In hovering flight, the model had an unstable pitching oscillation of relatively long period which the pilots were able to control without artificial stabilization but which could not be considered entirely satisfactory. At very low speeds and angles of wing incidence on the order of 70 deg, the model experienced large nose-up pitching moments which severely limited the allowable center-of-gravity range.

Tosti, Louis P.↗
NASA NTRS1953

Investigation of the Low-Speed Stability and Control Characteristics of a 1/10-Scale Model of the Convair YF-102 Airplane in the Langley Free-Flight Tunnel

An investigation of the low-speed, power-off stability and control characteristics of a 1/10-scale model of the Convair YF-102 airplane has been made in the Langley free-flight tunnel. The model was flown over a lift-coefficient range from 0.5 to the stall in its basic configuration and with several modifications involving leading-edge slats and increases in vertical-tail size. Only relatively low-altitude conditions were simulated and no attempt was made to determine the effect of freeing the controls. The longitudinal stability characteristics of the model were considered satisfactory for all conditions investigated. The lateral stability characteristics were considered satisfactory for the basic configuration over the speed range investigated except near the stall, where large values of static directional instability caused the model to be directionally divergent. The addition of leading-edge slats or an 8-percent increase in vertical-tail area increased the angle of attack at which the model became directionally divergent. The use of leading-edge slats in combination with a 40-percent increase in vertical-tail size eliminated the directional divergence and produced satisfactory stability characteristics through the stall. The longitudinal and lateral control characteristics were generally satisfactory. Although the adverse sideslip characteristics for the model were considered satisfactory over the angle-of-attack range, analysis indicates that the adverse sideslip characteristics of the airplane may be objectionable at high angles of attack.

Johnson, Joseph L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Dynamics and Stability and Control Characteristics of the X-37

This paper presents the stability and control analysis and the control design results for the Boeing/NASA/AFRL X-37. The X-37 is a flight demonstrator vehicle that will go into space and after its mission, autonomously reenter and land on a conventional runway. This paper studies the dynamics and control of the X-37 from atmospheric reentry through landing. A nominal trajectory that lands on the Edwards Air Force Base Lakebed is considered for all the analysis and design. The X-37's longitudinal and lateral/directional bare-airframe characteristics are presented. The level of maneuvering control power is assessed. Vehicle trim with multiple surfaces is discussed. Special challenges where the wings loose roll effectiveness are discussed and solutions are presented. Aerodynamic uncertainties and flexibility modeling issues are presented. Control design results and robustness analysis methods are presented. Results are provided for the Entry, Terminal Area Energy Management (TAEM), and Approach and Land phases.

Chaudhary, Ashwani↗
NASA NTRS2004

A Best Practices System to Enhance CFD Use in Stability and Control Applications

Successful use of CFD to provide aerodynamics for stability and control (S&C) applications will require that the traditional time and costs associated with CFD be reduced and that the errors and uncertainties currently associated with CFD be better understood. CFD will be required to work under a wide range of flow conditions and provide fast and reliable aerodynamics if it is to contribute to this next generation of S&C analyses. CFD solutions have errors and uncertainties due to poorly converged solutions, solution anomalies caused by grids, turbulence models, and parameter selection, and other manifold reasons. In addition to the above problems, there will be a requirement for communications between the CFD expert and the S&C expert and possibly experts from other related disciplines. The CFD expert may not understand the technical problems associated with S&C, and it is almost certain the converse is true.

Morrison, Joseph H.↗
NASA NTRS1952

Longitudinal Stability and Control Characteristics from a Flight Investigation of a Cruciform Canard Missile Configuration Having an Exposed Wing-canard Area Ratio of 16:1

A flight investigation has been made to determine the longitudinal stability and control characteristics of a 60 0 delta-wing-canard missile configuration with an exposed wing-canard area ratio of 16:1. The results presented include the longitudinal stability derivatives, control effectiveness, and drag characteristics for a Mach number range of 0.75 to 1.80 and are compared with the results of a similar configuration having larger 6ontrols. Stability characteristics are also presented from the flights of an interdigitated canard configuration at a Mach number of 2.08 and a wing-body configuration at Mach numbers of 1.25 to 1.45. The stability derivatives varied gradually with Mach number with the exception of the damping-in-pitch derivative. Aerodynamic damping in pitch decreased to a minimum at a Mach number of 1.0 3, then increased to a peak value at a Mach number of 1.26 followed by a gradual decrease at higher Mach numbers. The aerodynamic-center location of the in-line canard configuration shifted rearward 13 percent of the mean aerodynamic chord at transonic speeds. The pitching-moment curve slope was 25 percent greater for the model having no canards than for the in-line configuration. No large effects of interdigitation were noted in the stability derivatives. Pitching effectiveness of the in-line configuration was maintained throughout the Mach number range. A comparison of the stability and control characteristics of two canard configurations having different area controls showed that decreasing the control area 44 percent decreased the pitching effectiveness proportionally, shifted the aerodynamic-center location rearward 9 to 14 percent of the mean aerodynamic chord, and reduced the total hinge moments required for 10 trimmed flight about 50 percent at transonic speeds.

Moul, Martin T↗
NASA NTRS1997

Flight-Determined Subsonic Longitudinal Stability and Control Derivatives of the F-18 High Angle of Attack Research Vehicle (HARV) with Thrust Vectoring

The subsonic longitudinal stability and control derivatives of the F-18 High Angle of Attack Research Vehicle (HARV) are extracted from dynamic flight data using a maximum likelihood parameter identification technique. The technique uses the linearized aircraft equations of motion in their continuous/discrete form and accounts for state and measurement noise as well as thrust-vectoring effects. State noise is used to model the uncommanded forcing function caused by unsteady aerodynamics over the aircraft, particularly at high angles of attack. Thrust vectoring was implemented using electrohydraulically-actuated nozzle postexit vanes and a specialized research flight control system. During maneuvers, a control system feature provided independent aerodynamic control surface inputs and independent thrust-vectoring vane inputs, thereby eliminating correlations between the aircraft states and controls. Substantial variations in control excitation and dynamic response were exhibited for maneuvers conducted at different angles of attack. Opposing vane interactions caused most thrust-vectoring inputs to experience some exhaust plume interference and thus reduced effectiveness. The estimated stability and control derivatives are plotted, and a discussion relates them to predicted values and maneuver quality.

Iliff, Kenneth W.↗
NASA NTRS1961

Stability and Control Characteristics of a Model of an Aerial Vehicle Supported by Four Ducted Fans

The stability and control characteristics of a simple, lightly loaded model approximately one-third the size of a full-scale vehicle have been investigated by a series of free-flight tests. The model is representative of a type of vertically rising aircraft which would utilize four ducted fans as its sole source of lift and propulsion. The ducts were arranged in a rectangular pattern and were fixed to the airframe so that their axes of revolution were vertical for hovering flight. Control moments were provided by remotely controlled compressed-air jets at the sides and ends of the model. In hovering, the model in its original configuration exhibited divergent oscillations about both the roll and pitch axes. Because these oscillations were of a rather short period., the model was very difficult to control by the use of remote controls only. The model could be completely stabilized by the addition of a sufficient amount of artificial damping. The pitching oscillation was made easier to control by increasing the distance between the forward and rearward pairs of ducts. In forward flight, with the model in its original configuration, the top speed was limited by the development of an uncontrollable pitch-up. Large forward tilt angles were required for trim at the highest speeds attained. With the model rotated so that the shorter axis became the longitudinal axis, the pitch trim problem was found to be less than with the longer axis as the longitudinal axis. The installation of a system of vanes in the slipstream of the forward ducts reduced the tilt angle but increased the power required.

Parlett, Lysle P.↗