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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 NTRS1939

Tests in the variable-density wind tunnel of the NACA 23012 airfoil with plain and split flaps

Section characteristics for use in wing design are presented for the NACA 23012 airfoil with plain and split flaps of 20 percent wing chord at a value of the effective Reynolds number of about 8,000,000. The flap deflections covered a range from 60 degrees upward to 75 degrees downward for the plain flap and from neutral to 90 degrees downward for the split flap. The split flap was aerodynamically superior to the plain flap in producing high maximum lift coefficients and in having lower profile-drag coefficients at high lift coefficients.

Abbott, Ira H↗
NASA NTRS1947

Flight Measurements of the Lateral Control Characteristics of Narrow-Chord Ailerons on the Trailing Edge of a Full-Span Slotted Flap

Results are presented of light tests made to determine the effect of flap deflection on the lateral control characteristics of a modified brewster f2a-2 airplane equipped with partial-span narrow-chord ailerons on the trailing edge of a full-span NACA slotted flap. The investigation included determination of the rolling and yawing characteristics of the airplane in abrupt aileron rolls with the slotted flap at various settings ranging from 0 degree to about 40 degrees. The results showed that the effectiveness of the ailerons was greatly reduced at flap deflections greater than about 20 degrees. For flap deflections up to about 20 degrees, the aileron effectiveness was about the same as with flaps retracted, but the adverse yawing velocity developed in the abrupt aileron rolls was somewhat increased.

Sawyer, Richard H↗
NASA NTRS1998

Turbulence Measurements on a Flap-Edge Model

Turbulence measurements have been made on a flap-edge and leading-edge slat model using hot-wire anemometry, and, later, particle image velocimetry. The properties of hot-wire anemometry were studied using facilities at NASA Ames Research Center. Hot-film probes were used because of their durability, but cross-films were limited by non-linear end effects. As a warm-up exercise, hot-film probes were used to measure velocities in the farfield wake of a cylinder with an airfoil in the near-field wake. The airfoil reduced the drag coefficient of the system by 10%. A single-wire hot-film probe was used to measure velocity profiles over the top of a NACA 63(sub 2)-215 Mod. B wing with a Fowler flap and leading,-edge slat. Results showed the size of slat wake was dependent upon the slat deflection angle. Velocity increased through the slat gap with increased deflection. The acoustically modified slat decreased the chance of separation. Measurements were taken at the flap edge with a single hot-film. Trends in the data indicate velocity and turbulence levels increase at the flap edge. The acoustically modified flap modifies the mean flow near the flap edge. Correlations were made between the hot-film signal and the unsteady pressure transducers on the wing which were published in a NASA CDTM. The principles of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) were studied at Florida State University. Spectral PIV was used to measure the spectra of a subsonic jet. Measured frequencies were close to the predicted frequency of jet shedding. Spectral PIV will be used to measure the spectra of the slat flow in the second 7 x lO-ft. wind tunnel test. PIV has an advantage that it can measure velocity and spectra of the entire flowfield instantaneously. However, problems arise when trying, to store this massive amount of PIV data. Support for this research has continued through a NASA Graduate Student Program Fellowship which will end in June 1999. The thesis should be completed by this time.

Moriarty, Patrick↗
NASA NTRS1959

Preliminary Measurements of the Noise Characteristics of Some Jet-Augmented-Flap Configurations

Experimental noise studies were conducted on model configurations of some proposed jet-augmented flaps to determine their far-field noise characteristics. The tests were conducted using cold-air jets of circular and rectangular exits having equal areas, at pressure ratios corresponding to exit velocities slightly below choking. Results indicated that the addition of a flap to a nozzle may change both its noise radiation pattern and frequency spectrum. Large reductions in the noise radiated in the downward direction are realized when the flow from a long narrow rectangular nozzle as permitted to attach to and flow along a large flap surface. Deflecting or turning the jet flow by means of impingement on the under surfaces increases the noise radiated in all directions and especially in the downward direction for the jet-flap configurations tested. Turning of the flow from nozzles by means of a flap turns the noise pattern approximately an equal amount. The principle of using a jet-flap shield with flow attachment may have some application as a noise suppressor.

Maglieri, Domenic J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Design of Supersonic Transport Flap Systems for Thrust Recovery at Subsonic Speeds

A study of the subsonic aerodynamics of hinged flap systems for supersonic cruise commercial aircraft has been conducted using linear attached-flow theory that has been modified to include an estimate of attainable leading edge thrust and an approximate representation of vortex forces. Comparisons of theoretical predictions with experimental results show that the theory gives a reasonably good and generally conservative estimate of the performance of an efficient flap system and provides a good estimate of the leading and trailing-edge deflection angles necessary for optimum performance. A substantial reduction in the area of the inboard region of the leading edge flap has only a minor effect on the performance and the optimum deflection angles. Changes in the size of the outboard leading-edge flap show that performance is greatest when this flap has a chord equal to approximately 30 percent of the wing chord. A study was also made of the performance of various combinations of individual leading and trailing-edge flaps, and the results show that aerodynamic efficiencies as high as 85 percent of full suction are predicted.

Mann, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS1947

Tank Tests of a 1/7-Size Dynamic Model of the Grumman XJR2F-1 Amphibian to Determine the Effect of Slotted- and Split-Type Flaps on Take-Off Stability - NACA Model 212, TED No. NACA 2378

Additional tests of a 1/7-size model of the Grumman XJR2F-1 amphibian were made in Langley tank no. 1 to compare the behavior during take-off of the model equipped with split- and slotted-type flaps. The slotted flag had a large effect on locating the forward center-of-gravity limits for stable take-offs. Stable take-offs within the normal operating range of positions of the center of gravity could be made with the split flaps deflected 45deg or with the slotted flaps deflected less than 20deg. At flap deflections required for similar take-off stability, the use of split-flaps resulted lower take-off speeds than the use of slotted flaps. An increase in forward acceleration from 1.1 to 4.8 feet per second per second moved the center-of-gravity limit forward approximately 3-percent mean aerodynamic chord.

Land, Norman S.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Control of Flap Vortices

A wind tunnel investigation was carried out on a semi-span wing model to assess the feasibility of controlling vortices emanating from outboard flaps and tip-flaps by actively varying the degree of boundary layer separation. Separation was varied by means of perturbations produced from segmented zero-efflux oscillatory blowing slots, while estimates of span loadings and vortex sheet strengths were obtained by integrating wing surface pressures. These estimates were used as input to inviscid rollup relations as a means of predicting changes to the vortex characteristics resulting from the perturbations. Surveys of flow in the wake of the outboard and tip-flaps were made using a seven-hole probe, from which the vortex characteristics were directly deduced. Varying the degree of separation had a marked effect on vortex location, strength, tangential velocity, axial velocity and size for both outboard and tip-flaps. Qualitative changes in vortex characteristics were well predicted by the inviscid rollup relations, while the failure to account for viscosity was presumed to be the main reason for observed discrepancies. Introducing perturbations near the outboard flap-edges or on the tip-flap exerted significant control over vortices while producing negligible lift excursions.

Greenblatt, David↗
NASA NTRS2011

Analysis of a Multi-Flap Control System for a Swashplateless Rotor

An analytical study was conducted examining the feasibility of a swashplateless rotor controlled through two trailing edge flaps (TEF), where the cyclic and collective controls were provided by separate TEFs. This analysis included a parametric study examining the impact of various design parameters on TEF deflections. Blade pitch bearing stiffness; blade pitch index; and flap chord, span, location, and control function of the inboard and outboard flaps were systematically varied on a utility-class rotorcraft trimmed in steady level flight. Gradient-based optimizations minimizing flap deflections were performed to identify single- and two-TEF swashplateless rotor designs. Steady, forward and turning flight analyses suggest that a two-TEF swashplateless rotor where the outboard flap provides cyclic control and inboard flap provides collective control can reduce TEF deflection requirements without a significant impact on power, compared to a single-TEF swashplateless rotor design.

Sekula, Martin K.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Aeroelastic Airworthiness Assesment of the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge Flaps

The Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) demonstrator is a joint task under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory and FlexSys, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Michigan). The project goal is to develop advanced technologies that enable environmentally friendly aircraft, such as adaptive compliant technologies. The ACTE demonstrator flight-test program encompassed replacing the Fowler flaps on the SubsoniC Aircraft Testbed, a modified Gulfstream III (Gulfstream Aerospace, Savannah, Georgia) aircraft, with control surfaces developed by FlexSys. The control surfaces developed by FlexSys are a pair of uniquely-designed unconventional flaps to be used as lifting surfaces during flight-testing to validate their structural effectiveness. The unconventional flaps required a multidisciplinary airworthiness assessment to prove they could withstand the prescribed flight envelope. Several challenges were posed due to the large deflections experienced by the structure, requiring non-linear analysis methods. The aeroelastic assessment necessitated both conventional and extensive testing and analysis methods. A series of ground vibration tests (GVTs) were conducted to provide modal characteristics to validate and update finite element models (FEMs) used for the flutter analyses for a subset of the various flight configurations. Numerous FEMs were developed using data from FlexSys and the ground tests. The flap FEMs were then attached to the aircraft model to generate a combined FEM that could be analyzed for aeroelastic instabilities. The aeroelastic analysis results showed the combined system of aircraft and flaps were predicted to have the required flutter margin to successfully demonstrate the adaptive compliant technology. This paper documents the details of the aeroelastic airworthiness assessment described, including the ground testing and analyses, and subsequent flight-testing performed on the unconventional ACTE flaps.

aeroelasticity↗
NASA NTRS1933

The Effects of Slots and Flaps on Lateral Control of a Low-wing Monoplane as Determined in Flight

This paper presents the results of flight tests made to determine the effect of slots and flaps on the lateral control of a low-wing monoplane. Maximum angular accelerations in roll and yaw produced by sudden application of the ailerons and maximum accelerations in yaw produced by sudden application of the rudder during gliding flight were recorded for the following wing arrangements: (a) no auxiliary device; (b) full-span slots; (c) plain flaps; (d) flaps and full-span slots; (e) wing-tip slots. Rolling- and yawing-moment coefficients were derived from the accelerations. The full span slots and the flaps each had about the same influence on the aileron rolling moments. At values of the lift coefficient obtainable with the plain wing, the effect of these devices was negligible. At the higher lift coefficients obtainable with these devices, the rolling-moment coefficients increased slightly but, despite this increase, the aileron effectiveness progressively decreased with increasing lift coefficient, owing to the corresponding reduction in air speed. In the range covered by the tests, the effectiveness of the controls was appreciably reduced by the wing-tip slots. The adverse yawing moment of the ailerons experienced at the large lift coefficients obtained with the flaps was appreciably less than at similar lift coefficients obtained with either full-span or wing-tip slots. The yawing moments produced by the rudder were only slightly affected by the use of the auxiliary devices. The airplane was found to be laterally unstable with all combinations tested. Because of the angular velocities acquired in the time taken to deflect the ailerons the rolling moments recorded in flight were only about two thirds the values that would have been obtained with the wing restrained as in wind-tunnel tests.

WING SLOTS↗
NASA NTRS2013

A Mission-Adaptive Variable Camber Flap Control System to Optimize High Lift and Cruise Lift-to-Drag Ratios of Future N+3 Transport Aircraft

Boeing and NASA are conducting a joint study program to design a wing flap system that will provide mission-adaptive lift and drag performance for future transport aircraft having light-weight, flexible wings. This Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap (VCCTEF) system offers a lighter-weight lift control system having two performance objectives: (1) an efficient high lift capability for take-off and landing, and (2) reduction in cruise drag through control of the twist shape of the flexible wing. This control system during cruise will command varying flap settings along the span of the wing in order to establish an optimum wing twist for the current gross weight and cruise flight condition, and continue to change the wing twist as the aircraft changes gross weight and cruise conditions for each mission segment. Design weight of the flap control system is being minimized through use of light-weight shape memory alloy (SMA) actuation augmented with electric actuators. The VCCTEF program is developing better lift and drag performance of flexible wing transports with the further benefits of lighter-weight actuation and less drag using the variable camber shape of the flap.

Mission-Adaptive Wing↗
NASA NTRS2016

Longitudinal Aerodynamic Modeling of the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge Flaps on a GIII Airplane and Comparisons to Flight Data

A pair of compliant trailing edge flaps was flown on a modified GIII airplane. Prior to flight test, multiple analysis tools of various levels of complexity were used to predict the aerodynamic effects of the flaps. Vortex lattice, full potential flow, and full Navier-Stokes aerodynamic analysis software programs were used for prediction, in addition to another program that used empirical data. After the flight-test series, lift and pitching moment coefficient increments due to the flaps were estimated from flight data and compared to the results of the predictive tools. The predicted lift increments matched flight data well for all predictive tools for small flap deflections. All tools over-predicted lift increments for large flap deflections. The potential flow and Navier-Stokes programs predicted pitching moment coefficient increments better than the other tools.

aerodynamics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Numerical Simulation of An Aspect Ratio 13.5 Common Research Model with Trailing Edge Mini-Flaps

This paper presents an aeroelastic modeling study of an aspect ratio 13.5 wind tunnel scale Common Research Model (CRM) with trailing edge mini-flaps. FUN3D is used for the aeroelastic steady and unsteady simulations at Mach 0.85 and dynamic pressure 230 psf. The aeroelastic simulation results are compared with the in-house developed VSPAERO aeroelastic model results. The incremental aerodynamic coefficients predicted by FUN3D and VSPAERO are close except when the mini-flap deflection angle is 10˚. The control reversal behavior is observed for the wing tip mini-flap. A series of dynamic pressure sweep simulations are performed to determine the control reversal onset point. Unsteady simulation results show that there is no buffet phenomenon observed at angle of attacks 0˚ and 2˚ when the mini-flap is deflected 10˚. The mini-flap oscillation simulations show the nonlinear behavior appears when the deflection angle is about 4˚.

Mini-flap↗
NASA NTRS1972

Externally blown flap impingement noise.

An investigation of externally blown flap impingement noise was conducted using a full-scale turbofan engine and aircraft wing. The noise produced with a daisy nozzle installed on the engine exhaust system was greater than that produced by a conical nozzle at the same thrust. The daisy nozzle caused the jet velocity to decay about 35 percent at the flap. The presence of the wing next to the conical nozzle increased the noise, as did increasing the flap deflection. Compared with the conical nozzle, the daisy nozzle produced slightly less noise at a flap deflection of 60 deg but produced more noise at the lower flap deflections tested.

Putnam, T. W.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A study of the variable impedance surface concept as a means for reducing noise from jet interaction with deployed lift-augmenting flaps

The feasibility of quieting the externally-blown-flap (EBF) noise sources which are due to interaction of jet exhaust flow with deployed flaps was demonstrated on a 1/15-scale 3-flap EBF model. Sound field characteristics were measured and noise reduction fundamentals were reviewed in terms of source models. Test of the 1/15-scale model showed broadband noise reductions of up to 20 dB resulting from combination of variable impedance flap treatment and mesh grids placed in the jet flow upstream of the flaps. Steady-state lift, drag, and pitching moment were measured with and without noise reduction treatment.

Hayden, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Acoustic characteristics of a semispan wing equipped with an externally blown jet flap including results at forward speed

A wind-tunnel investigation was made of the noise characteristics of a 14.5-ft semispan, externally blown jet flap model. The model was equipped with a single 30-in. diameter, ducted fan with a 1.03 pressure ratio. The effects of flap size, fan vertical location, and forward speed on the noise characteristics were studied. With the ducted fan mounted 0.79 or 1.24 diameters below the wing and a flap chord greater than 50 percent, the peak perceived noise level increased 2 to 3 Pndb when the flap was deflected to 90 deg. The jet scrubbing noise increase 3 to 4 db when the flap was deflected 90 deg. Installation of the fan on the wing was responsible for 1 to 2 db of this change. Forward speed did not have a significant effect on the perceived noise level, although it did cause a reduction in the sound pressure levels of the first and second fan harmonics.

Falarski, M. D.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Aerodynamic and performance characteristics of externally blown flap configurations

The application of externally blown flaps for improving the performance of short takeoff aircraft is discussed. The characteristics of externally blown flap powered lift are examined. A method for predicting the aerodynamic performance of a particular externally blown flap configuration is presented. The following specific effects are analyzed: (1) induced aerodynamics, (2) static turning, (3) flap span and deflection, and (4) engine size and chord flap.

Johnson, W. G., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Effect of exhaust nozzle configuration on aerodynamic and acoustic performance of an externally blown flap system with a quiet 6:1 bypass ratio engine

A highly suppressed TF-34 engine was used to investigate engine and flap interaction noise associated with an externally blown flap STOL powered lift system. Noise, efficiency, and velocity decay characteristics of mixed and separate flow exhaust systems including convergent, co-annular, and lobed designs were determined with the engine operating alone. Noise data were then obtained for several of the exhaust configurations with the engine blowing a wing-flap segment. Noise for both the engine alone and the engine with blown flaps showed substantial differences for the various exhaust configurations tested. The differences in observed noise are related primarily to nozzle effective exhaust velocity, flap impingement velocity, and noise spectral shape.

Samanich, N. E.↗