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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 NTRS1986

Euler equation analysis of the initial roll-up of aircraft wakes

A new approach has been developed to study the initial roll-up of aircraft wakes. This approach is based on the solution of the three-dimensional Euler equations subject to inflow and initial conditions predicted by a vortex-lattice method. This procedure allows for the solution of this complex problem without any empirical inputs. However, valid solutions are limited to those flowfields generated by wings which are free of flow separation. Results are presented for four configurations: a rectangular wing with part span flap, a rectangular wing, a typical transport-type configuration and a fighter configuration. In addition, an assessment of an 'unsteady 2-D analogy' was undertaken using the 2-D time accurate Euler equation solutions in crossflow planes. In general, predictions from the 2-D unsteady analogy coincided with the 3-D results which were found to be in good agreement with available experimental data.

Mitcheltree, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Summary of a high subsonic force/pressure experiment for 58 deg cambered/twisted thick delta wings

This paper summarizes the results of a force, moment, and pressure experiment involving six thick, cambered and twisted, delta wings with 58 deg leading-edge sweep. This experiment was conducted in the NASA Langley 7- by 10-foot High-Speed Tunnel at Mach numbers of 0.75, 0.80, and 0.83. The design goal was a configuration which was self-trimming at a lift coefficient of 0.25 and Mach number of 0.80. Although the design goal was not met, the configuration which came closest and which had the best overall performance was selected for further study. Wing surface pressure data and limited surface oil flow data for this configuration are presented to show the extent of attached flow at the design point. For selected cases, inviscid solutions from vortex lattice method/suction analogy, PAN AIR, FLO-28, and FLO-57 are compared with the experimental force, moment, and pressure data.

Chu, J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Investigation of chord ratio, stagger, decalage angle, and flap angle for dual wing configurations

Aerodynamical closely coupled dual wing configurations of unequal chords are investigated for medium speed general aviation applications. Vortex panel and momentum boundary layer analysis are utilized for the two-dimensional predictions. A multi-surface vortex lattice method is used for the three-dimensional predictions. In the process of searching for the highest lift to drag ratio upper airfoil to lower airfoil chord ratios, both greater than and less than one, are investigated in terms of stagger, decalage angle, and gap. With the optimum chord ratio, at the optimum stagger and gap, proper spanwise decalage distribution is shown to yield the lowest two dimensional drag results. Various wing taper ratios and wing twists are investigated to increase wing efficiency. Comparisons are made between optimized dual and optimized single wing configurations both with the same fuselage, stabilator surfaces, engines, payload, and fuel. The dual wing configuration is shown to have significantly less drag and hence longer range than the conventional single wing configuration.

Selberg, B. P.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Pressure measurements on a thick cambered and twisted 58 deg delta wing at high subsonic speeds

A pressure experiment at high subsonic speeds was conducted by a cambered and twisted thick delta wing at the design condition (Mach number 0.80), as well as at nearby Mach numbers (0.75 and 0.83) and over an angle-of-attack range. Effects of twin vertical tails on the wing pressure measurements were also assessed. Comparisons of detailed theoretical and experimental surface pressures and sectional characteristics for the wing alone are presented. The theoretical codes employed are FLO-57, FLO-28, PAN AIR, and the Vortex Lattice Method-Suction Analogy.

Chu, Julio↗
NASA NTRS1987

A new method to predict unsteady aeroelastic behavior

A new method for predicting subsonic flutter and static deflections, including divergence, has been developed. The present method accounts for aspect ratio and, in the case of flutter, static deflections. The angle of attack is limited only by the occurrence of stall or vortex bursting near the wing. The innovation in the present method is to integrate simultaneously and interactively the equations of motion of the structure and the flowfield. The present approach employs an iterative scheme based on the predictor-corrector method. The general unsteady vortex-lattice method (UVLM) is used to predict the aerodynamic loads. Because the UVLM predicts the wakes as part of the solution, the history of the motion is taken into account; hysteresis is predicted. The deflection (for both bending and torsion) is expressed as an expansion in terms of the free-vibration modes. The time-dependent coefficients in these expansions serve as the generalized coordinates. Numerical examples illustrating the calculation of static deflections and transient dynamic responses above and below the flutter boundary are included.

Strganac, Thomas W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Influence of wind shear on the aerodynamic characteristics of airplanes

The aerodynamic effect of shear flow through a series of sensitivity studies of the wind velocity gradients and wing planform geometry parameters is investigated and characterized. The wind shear effect is computed using a modified vortex-lattice computer program and characterized through the formulation of wind shear aerodynamic coefficients. The magnitudes if the aerodynamic effects are demonstrated by computation of the resultant change in the aerodynamics of a conventional wing and horizontal stability configuration on a fixed flight path through a simulated microburst. The results indicate that as much as 20 percent of the control authority of the airplane may be required to counteract the wind-shear-induced forces and moments in the microburst environment.

Vicroy, Dan D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The effect of spatial wind gradients on airplane aerodynamics

An account is given of the results of recent studies of the effect of a spatially sheared wind field on airplane aerodynamics; the wind shear was computed by a modified vortex-lattice computer program, and characterized through the formulation of wind shear aerodynamic coefficients. The magnitude of the aerodynamic effect was demonstrated by computing the change in conventional wing/tail configuration aerodynamics for a fixed flight path through a simulated microburst. A substantial portion of the control authority of the aircraft may be required to counteract the wind shear-induced forces and moments in the microburst environment; both aperiodic and oscillatory instabilities may be generated by shear-dependent dynamic modes.

Vicroy, Dan D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Aerodynamic interaction between propellers and wings

A combined computational/experimental investigation has been conducted to determine the time-averaged interactive performance of a propeller and wing in tractor configuration at Mach 0.1 and Re=470,000, based on a wind tunnel model wing chord of 8 in. Wing angle-of-attack was varied from 0 to +13 deg, and propeller advance ratio ranged from 2.4 (windmilling) to 1.1 (maximum power). Both a semiempirical model and a vortex lattice simulation were used in the computational analysis. Good agreement has been obtained between theory and experiment.

Witkowski, David↗
NASA NTRS1988

Effect of vertical ejector-jet on the vortex-lift of delta wings

The effect of adding an ejector jet to a 76-deg delta wing was investigated experimentally and theoretically in terms of the resulting longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics. A small-scale wind-tunnel experiment served for the investigation and a simplified vortex lattice model was constructed to simulate the first order effects of this complex flow field. The major benefits of this combined approach over the use of more developed computer schemes lies in the relative ease in tailoring the mathematical model to a new problem. Results of both the wind-tunnel experiment and the theoretical model showed measurable lift loss due to the ejector jet throughout the whole angle-of-attack range, which will intensify at lower flight speeds.

Katz, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS1988

Prediction of time-dependent fuselage pressures in the wake of a helicopter rotor

A method is described for the analysis of the unsteady, incompressible potential flow associated with a helicopter. The fuselage, rotor, and rotor wake are considered together in forward flight. This method is particularly useful in low advance ratio flight due to the contribution of the deformed wake to the airloads imposed on the fuselage. The rotor geometry is prescribed and the unsteady wake geometry is computed from the local flow perturbation velocities. The fuselage is modeled as a non-lifting body of source panels and the rotor and its wake are modeled as a full vortex lattice. The rotor geometry is arbitrary and several rotor blades can be represented. The unsteady airloads are computed in the presence of the deformed rotor wake by a time-stepping technique. The wake is started impulsively from rest, allowing a natural convection of the wake with time.

Berry, John D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A closed-form trim solution yielding minimum trim drag for airplanes with multiple longitudinal-control effectors

Airplane designs are currently being proposed with a multitude of lifting and control devices. Because of the redundancy in ways to generate moments and forces, there are a variety of strategies for trimming each airplane. A linear optimum trim solution (LOTS) is derived using a Lagrange formulation. LOTS enables the rapid calculation of the longitudinal load distribution resulting in the minimum trim drag in level, steady-state flight for airplanes with a mixture of three or more aerodynamic surfaces and propulsive control effectors. Comparisons of the trim drags obtained using LOTS, a direct constrained optimization method, and several ad hoc methods are presented for vortex-lattice representations of a three-surface airplane and two-surface airplane with thrust vectoring. These comparisons show that LOTS accurately predicts the results obtained from the nonlinear optimization and that the optimum methods result in trim drag reductions of up to 80 percent compared to the ad hoc methods.

Goodrich, Kenneth H.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Predicting Unsteady Aeroelastic Behavior

New method for predicting subsonic flutter, static deflections, and aeroelastic divergence developed. Unsteady aerodynamic loads determined by unsteady-vortex-lattice method. Accounts for aspect ratio and angle of attack. Equations for motion of wing and flow field solved iteratively and simultaneously. Used to predict transient responses to initial disturbances, and to predict steady-state static and oscillatory responses. Potential application for research in such unsteady structural/flow interactions as those in windmills, turbines, and compressors.

Strganac, Thomas W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Estimate of loads during wing-vortex interactions by Munk's transverse-flow method

The inviscid, incompressible interaction of a wing with a vortex is studied by use of Munk's transverse-flow method. The method assumes that the loading on the wing is such that the local circulatory flow of the vortex is turned so that the wing and its vortex wake act as a barrier to the flow. This permits the analysis to be carried out by mapping the transverse flowfield into the flow about a circle to find the vorticity distribution in the wake. Closed-form expressions are then derived for the bound circulation in the wind and for the lift and rolling moment induced by the vortex on the encountering wing. Comparisons of the loads predicted by these relationships with those of vortex-lattice theory for a flat wing of a rectangular planform indicate that they accurately represent the various parameters when the aspect ratio of the encountering wing is less than about two. When flat rectangular wings of higher aspect ratios are considered, some sort of correction is needed. Examples are then presented to illustrate some applications of the results.

Rossow, Vernon J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Propeller-wing interaction using a frequency domain panel method

The unsteady aerodynamic coupling between a propeller and a wing is analyzed using linear compressible aerodynamic theory. The periodic loads are decomposed into harmonics, and the harmonic amplitudes are found iteratively. Each stage of the iteration involves the solution of an isolated propeller or wing problem; the interaction is done through the Fourier transform of the induced velocity field. The method was validated by comparing the predicted velocity field about an isolated propeller with detailed laser Doppler velocimeter measurements and by comparison with mean loads measured in a wing-propeller experiment. Comparisons have also been made between the fluctuating loads predicted by the present method and a quasisteady vortex lattice scheme.

Williams, Marc H.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Parametric analysis of swept-wing geometry with sheared wing tips

A computational parameter study is presented of potential reductions in induced drag and increases in lateral-directional stability due to sheared wing tips attached to an untwisted wing of moderate sweep and aspect ratio. Sheared tips are swept and tapered wing-tip devices mounted in the plane of the wing. The induced-drag results are obtained using an inviscid, incompressible surface-panel method that models the nonlinear effects due to the deflected and rolled-up wake behind the lifting surface. The induced-drag results with planar sheared tips are compared to straight-tapered tip extensions and nonplanar winglet geometries. The lateral-directional static-stability characteristics of the wing with sheared tips are estimated using a quasi-vortex-lattice method. For certain combinations of sheared-tip sweep and taper, both the induced efficiency of the wing and the relevant static-stability derivatives are predicted to increase compared to the wing with a straight-tapered tip modification.

Fremaux, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Free wake analysis of hover performance using a new influence coefficient method

A new approach to the prediction of helicopter rotor performance using a free wake analysis was developed. This new method uses a relaxation process that does not suffer from the convergence problems associated with previous time marching simulations. This wake relaxation procedure was coupled to a vortex-lattice, lifting surface loads analysis to produce a novel, self contained performance prediction code: EHPIC (Evaluation of Helicopter Performance using Influence Coefficients). The major technical features of the EHPIC code are described and a substantial amount of background information on the capabilities and proper operation of the code is supplied. Sample problems were undertaken to demonstrate the robustness and flexibility of the basic approach. Also, a performance correlation study was carried out to establish the breadth of applicability of the code, with very favorable results.

Quackenbush, Todd R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Aerodynamic parameter studies and sensitivity analysis for rotor blades in axial flight

The analytical capability is offered for aerodynamic parametric studies and sensitivity analyses of rotary wings in axial flight by using a 3-D undistorted wake model in curved lifting line theory. The governing equations are solved by both the Multhopp Interpolation technique and the Vortex Lattice method. The singularity from the bound vortices is eliminated through the Hadamard's finite part concept. Good numerical agreement between both analytical methods and finite differences methods are found. Parametric studies were made to assess the effects of several shape variables on aerodynamic loads. It is found, e.g., that a rotor blade with out-of-plane and inplane curvature can theoretically increase lift in the inboard and outboard regions respectively without introducing an additional induced drag.

Chiu, Y. Danny↗
NASA NTRS1991

Unified aeroacoustics analysis for high speed turboprop aerodynamics and noise. Volume 3: Application of theory for blade loading, wakes, noise, and wing shielding

Results of the program for the generation of a computer prediction code for noise of advanced single rotation, turboprops (prop-fans) such as the SR3 model are presented. The code is based on a linearized theory developed at Hamilton Standard in which aerodynamics and acoustics are treated as a unified process. Both steady and unsteady blade loading are treated. Capabilities include prediction of steady airload distributions and associated aerodynamic performance, unsteady blade pressure response to gust interaction or blade vibration, noise fields associated with thickness and steady and unsteady loading, and wake velocity fields associated with steady loading. The code was developed on the Hamilton Standard IBM computer and has now been installed on the Cray XMP at NASA-Lewis. The work had its genesis in the frequency domain acoustic theory developed at Hamilton Standard in the late 1970s. It was found that the method used for near field noise predictions could be adapted as a lifting surface theory for aerodynamic work via the pressure potential technique that was used for both wings and ducted turbomachinery. In the first realization of the theory for propellers, the blade loading was represented in a quasi-vortex lattice form. This was upgraded to true lifting surface loading. Originally, it was believed that a purely linear approach for both aerodynamics and noise would be adequate. However, two sources of nonlinearity in the steady aerodynamics became apparent and were found to be a significant factor at takeoff conditions. The first is related to the fact that the steady axial induced velocity may be of the same order of magnitude as the flight speed and the second is the formation of leading edge vortices which increases lift and redistribute loading. Discovery and properties of prop-fan leading edge vortices were reported in two papers. The Unified AeroAcoustic Program (UAAP) capabilites are demonstrated and the theory verified by comparison with the predictions with data from tests at NASA-Lewis. Steady aerodyanmic performance, unsteady blade loading, wakes, noise, and wing and boundary layer shielding are examined.

Hanson, D. B.↗