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At least 235 records · Page 13

Structure of unsteady flows at leading- and trailing-edges: Flow visualization and its interpretation

Unsteady two- and three-dimensional flow structure at leading and trailing edges of bodies can be characterized effectively using recently developed techniques for acquisition and interpretation of flow visualization. The techniques addressed here include: flow image/surface pressure correlations; 3-D reconstruction of flow structure from flow images; and interactive interpretation of flow images with theoretical simulations. These techniques can be employed in conjunction with: visual correlation and ensemble-averaging, both within a given image and between images; recognition of patterns from images; and estimates of velocity eigenfunctions from images.

Rockwell, D.↗

Optimized Off-Design Performance of Flexible Wings with Continuous Trailing-Edge Flaps

This work assesses the potential aerodynamic performance benefits of a variable-camber, continuous-trailing-edge flap system on a generic transport aircraft at off-design conditions. A process to optimize transport wings while addressing static aeroelastic effects is presented. To establish a proper baseline, a transport wing is first aerodynamically optimized at a mid-cruise flight condition using an inviscid, aeroelastic analysis tool. The optimized wing is then analyzed at off-design cruise conditions. The optimization is repeated at these off-design conditions to determine how much performance is lost by the wing optimized solely for the mid-cruise condition. The full-span flap system is then adapted to improve performance of the mid-cruise-optimized wing at these off-design conditions. The measured improvement is quantified by a comparison with wings designed specifically for the off-design conditions. To evaluate the effects of aeroelasticity on the effectiveness of the flap system, this entire process is performed on both a conventionally stiff wing and a modern, more flexible wing. The results indicate that the flap system allows for recovery of near-optimal performance throughout cruise. The flap system is found to be advantageous even for modern wings with increased flexibility.

Rodriguez, David L.↗

Performance of a short annular dump diffuser using wall trailing-edge suction

A short annular dump (abrupt flow area change) diffuser was tested with suction through wall trailing-edge slots at inlet Mach numbers of 0.19 and 0.27 and at near ambient inlet temperature and pressure, with suction flow varied from zero to 10 percent of the inlet air mass-flow rate. The overall ratio of diffuser exit area to inlet area was 4.0, and the ratio of length to inlet height was 2.0. By applying suction flow separately on either wall or to both walls simultaneously, the original annular jet profile could be altered to either a hub- or tip-biased profile. Diffuser effectiveness was increased from about 25 percent with no suction to 50 percent at 6 percent outer-wall suction and to 52 percent at a combined suction rate on both walls of 10.25 percent. At the same time, diffuser total pressure loss was reduced by one-fourth.

Juhasz, A. J.↗

An experimental documentation of a separated trailing-edge flow at a transonic Mach number

A detailed experiment on the separated flow field at a sharp trailing edge is described and documented. The separated flow is a result of sustained adverse pressure gradients. The experiment was conducted using an elongated airfoil-like model at a transonic Mach number and at a high Reynolds number of practical interest. Measurements made include surface pressures and detailed mean and turbulence flow quantities in the region just upstream of separation to downstream into the near-wake, following wake closure. The data obtained are presented mostly in tabular form. These data are of sufficient quality and detail to be useful as a test case for evaluating turbulence models and calculation methods.

Viswanath, P. R.↗

A general aerodynamic approach to the problem of decaying or growing vibrations of thin, flexible wings with supersonic leading and trailing edges and no side edges

Indicial aerodynamic influence coefficients were evaluated from potential theory for a thin, flexible wing with supersonic leading and trailing edges only. The analysis is based on the use of small surface areas in which the downwash is assumed uniform. Within this limitation, the results are exact except for the restriction of linearized theory. The areas are not restricted either to square boxes or Mach boxes. A given area may be any rectangle or square which may or may not be cut by the Mach forecone, and any area can be used anywhere in the forecone without loss of accuracy.

Warner, R. W.↗

Radiation of an acoustic source near the trailing edge of a wing in forward motion

The acoustic sources simulating engine or jet noise are located near the trailing edge. During landing or take-off operations the flap angle is not small. Solutions for the scattering of the acoustic sources, monopoles, dipoles or quadrupoles, by the wing with the flap at finite angle are constructed for the case that the acoustic wave length is much larger than the length of the flap but may be of the same order as the chord. For each given geometry of the flap and the position of the singularities, critical orientations of the dipoles and the quadrupoles are defined along which the noise becomes 'suppressed', i.e., the far field pressure becomes one order smaller.

Ting, L.↗

Investigation of trailing-edge-flap, spanwise-blowing concepts on an advanced fighter configuration

The aerodynamic effects of spanwise blowing on the trailing edge flap of an advanced fighter aircraft configuration were determined in the 4 by 7 Meter Tunnel. A series of tests were conducted with variations in spanwise-blowing vector angle, nozzle exit area, nozzle location, thrust coefficient, and flap deflection in order to determine a superior configuration for both an underwing cascade concept and an overwing port concept. This screening phase of the testing was conducted at a nominal approach angle of attack from 12 deg to 16 deg; and then the superior configurations were tested over a more complete angle of attack range from 0 deg to 20 deg at tunnel free stream dynamic pressures from 20 to 40 lbf/sq ft at thrust coefficients from 0 to 2.

Paulson, J. W., Jr.↗

Strain Gage Load Calibration of the Wing Interface Fittings for the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge Flap Flight Test

This is the presentation to follow conference paper of the same name. The adaptive compliant trailing edge (ACTE) flap experiment safety of flight requires that the flap to wing interface loads be sensed and monitored in real time to ensure that the wing structural load limits are not exceeded. This paper discusses the strain gage load calibration testing and load equation derivation methodology for the ACTE interface fittings. Both the left and right wing flap interfaces will be monitored and each contains four uniquely designed and instrumented flap interface fittings. The interface hardware design and instrumentation layout are discussed. Twenty one applied test load cases were developed using the predicted in-flight loads for the ACTE experiment.

strain gage calibration↗

Extending A Correction Method for Unsteady Transonic Aerodynamics to Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap

In this study, we have extended our correction method for transonic aerodynamics to baseline and variable camber continuous trailing edge (VCCTEF) geometries of super-critical airfoils at cruise conditions. This correction method modifies Theodorsen theory, which is based on incompressible potential flow over a flat plate. The method is partly based on CFD RANS simulations of oscillating NASA generic transport model (GTM) baseline cruise and VCCTEF airfoil geometries in pitch and shows promise for addressing transonic flutter problems of aeroelasticity. In the earlier study1, the Theodorsen functions were modulated with non-linear functions of Mach number, M, and reduced frequency, k, and thus the correction was demonstrated for the symmetrical NACA0012 airfoil. In the present study, the modulation functions are also allowed to account for the effects of camber and thickness of the airfoil. This is demonstrated by applying the correction method to various symmetric NACA00xx airfoil geometries (NACA001, NACA0002, NACA0012, NACA0015 and NACA0018), the NASA GTM super-critical baseline and VCCTEF airfoil geometries, e.g., the circular airfoil, VCCTEF222. First results indicate that the correction method accounts for a large variation of thickness of airfoils and camber. The present correction method will guide the development of a new state space model for the VCCTEF system and eventually a new transfer function that will be incorporated in a new aeroelastic framework leading to an appropriate transonic flutter model for use in the future aircraft systems in development under the NASA Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT) project.

Kaul, Upender K.↗

A new, improved method for separating turbulent boundary layer for aerodynamic performance prediction of trailing edge stall airfoils

A method based on integral techniques is presented to determine the turbulent separation location and separation pressure for trailing edge stall airfoils exhibiting extensive separated flow regions during prestall and poststall conditions. The method and experimental laser velocimetry data in the turbulence amplification region are used to establish a relationship between fluctuating velocity components and mean velocity in the boundary layer. The method is demonstrated for symmetrical, cambered, conventional and supercritical airfoils in the 5-to-21-percent thickness ratio range, and over a Reynolds number range of 2 to 22 million. Good agreement with experimental data is found, and the method is used in conjunction with the NASA Multi-Component Airfoil Computer Program to predict maximum L/D ratios and maximum section/lift coefficients.

Goradia, S.↗

Summary of section data on trailing-edge high-lift devices

A summary has been made of available data on the characteristics of airfoil sections with trailing-edge high-lift devices. Data for plain, split, and slotted flaps are collected and analyzed. The effects of each of the variables involved in the design of the various types of flap are examined and, in cases where sufficient data are given, optimum configurations are deduced. Wherever possible, the effects of airfoil section, Reynolds number, and leading-edge roughness are shown. For single and double slotted flaps, where a large amount of unrelated data are available, maximum lift coefficients of many configurations are presented in tables.

Cahill, Jones F↗

Summary of Section Data on Trailing-Edge High-Lift Devices

A summary has been made of available data on the characteristics of airfoil sections with trailing-edge high-lift devices. Data for plain, split, and slotted flaps are collected and analyzed. The effects of each of the variables involved in the design of the various types of flap are examined and, in cases where sufficient data are given, optimum configurations are deduced. Wherever possible, the effects of airfoil section, Reynolds number, and leading-edge roughness are shown. For single and double slotted flaps, where a great mass of unrelated date are available, maximum lift coefficients of a large number of configurations are presented in tables.

Source record↗

Vortex shedding from a blunt trailing edge with equal and unequal external mean velocities

A flow visualization study showed that strong Karman vortices are developed behind the blunt trailing edge of a plate when the free stream velocities over both surfaces are equal. These vortices tend to disappear when the surface velocities are unequal. This observation provided an explanation for the occurrence and disappearance of the lip noise often present in coaxial jets. Vortex formation and lip noise occurred at a Strouhal number of about 0.2 based on the lip thickness and the average of the external steady-state velocities. Results from theoretical calculations of the vortex formation, based on an inviscid, incompressible analysis of the motion of point vortices, were in good agreement with the experimental observations.

Brinich, P. F.↗