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At least 271 records · Page 15

Aerodynamic characteristics of NACA RM-10 missile in 8- by 6-foot supersonic wind tunnel at Mach numbers from 1.49 to 1.98 I : presentation and analysis of pressure measurements (stabilizing fins removed)

Experimental investigation of flow about a slender body of revolution (NACA RM-10 missile) aligned and inclined to a supersonic stream was conducted at Mach numbers from 1.49 to 1.98 at a Reynolds number of approximately 30,000,000. Boundary-layer measurements at zero angle of attack are correlated with subsonic formulations for predicting boundary-layer thickness and profile. Comparison of pressure coefficients predicted by theory with experimental values showed close agreement at zero angle of attack and angle of attack except over the aft leeward side of body. At angle of attack, pitot pressure measurements in plane of model base indicated a pair of symmetrically disposed vortices on leeward side of body.

LOADS - FUSELAGE, NACELLES, AND CANOPIES↗

The linearized characteristics method and its application to practical nonlinear supersonic problems

The methods of characteristics has been linearized by assuming that the flow field can be represented as a basic flow field determined by nonlinearized methods and a linearized superposed flow field that accounts for small changes of boundary conditions. The method has been applied to two-dimensional rotational flow where the basic flow is potential flow and to axially symmetric problems where conical flows have been used as the basic flows. In both cases the method allows the determination of the flow field to be simplified and the numerical work to be reduced to a few calculations. The calculations of axially symmetric flow can be simplified if tabulated values of some coefficients of the conical flow are obtained. The method has also been applied to slender bodies without symmetry and to some three-dimensional wing problems where two-dimensional flow can be used as the basic flow. Both problems were unsolved before in the approximation of nonlinear flow.

Ferri, Antonio↗

Prediction and control of vortex-dominated and vortex-wake flows

This progress report documents the accomplishments achieved in the period from December 1, 1992 until November 30, 1993. These accomplishments include publications, national and international presentations, NASA presentations, and the research group supported under this grant. Topics covered by documents incorporated into this progress report include: active control of asymmetric conical flow using spinning and rotary oscillation; supersonic vortex breakdown over a delta wing in transonic flow; shock-vortex interaction over a 65-degree delta wing in transonic flow; three dimensional supersonic vortex breakdown; numerical simulation and physical aspects of supersonic vortex breakdown; and prediction of asymmetric vortical flows around slender bodies using Navier-Stokes equations.

Kandil, Osama↗

A Selection of Experimental Test Cases for the Validation of CFD Codes, Volume 2

This report presents the results of a study by Working Group 14 of the AGARD Fluid Dynamics Panel. The thirty nine test cases that are documented cover the subsonic, transonic, and supersonic flow regimes and five classes of geometries. Included in the five classes of geometries are: Two Dimensional Airfoils; Three Dimensional Wings, designed for predominantly attached flow conditions; Slender Bodies, typical of missile type configurations; Delta Wings, characterized by a conical type of vortex flow; and Complex Configurations, either in a geometrical sense or because of complicated flow interactions. The report is presented in two volumes. Volume 1 provides a review of the theoretical and experimental requirements, a general introduction, summary of the test cases and recommendations for the future. Volume 2 contains detailed information on the test cases.

Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Developm↗

Design of a variable area diffuser for a 15-inch Mach 6 open-jet tunnel

The Langley 15-inch Mach 6 High Temperature Tunnel was recently converted from a Mach 10 Hypersonic Flow Apparatus. This conversion was effected to improve the capability of testing in Mach 6 air at relatively high reservoir temperatures not previously possible at Langley. Elevated temperatures allow the matching of the Mach numbers, Reynolds numbers, and ratio of wall-to-adiabatic-wall temperatures (TW/Taw) between this and the Langley 20-inch Mach 6 CF4 Tunnel. This ratio is also matched for Langley's 31-inch Mach 10 Tunnel and is an important parameter useful in the simulation of slender bodies such as National Aerospace Plane (NASP) configurations currently being studied. Having established the nozzle's operating characteristics, the decision was made to install another test section to provide model injection capability. This test section is an open-jet type, with an injection system capable of injecting a model from retracted position to nozzle centerline between 0.5 and 2 seconds. Preliminary calibrations with the new test section resulted in Tunnel blockage. This blockage phenomenon was eliminated when the conical center body in the diffuser was replaced. The issue then, is to provide a new and more efficient variable area diffuser configuration with the capability to withstand testing of larger models without sending the Tunnel into an unstart condition. Use of the 1-dimensional steady flow equation with due regard to friction and heat transfer was employed to estimate the required area ratios (exit area / throat area) in a variable area diffuser. Correlations between diffuser exit Mach number and area ratios, relative to the stagnation pressure ratios and diffuser inlet Mach number were derived. From these correlations, one can set upper and lower operating pressures and temperatures for a given diffuser throat area. In addition, they will provide appropriate input conditions for the full 3-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code for further simulation studies.

Loney, Norman W.↗

Aerodynamic Characteristics at a Mach Number of 3.10 of Several Fourth-Stage Shapes of the Scout Research Vehicle

A wind-tunnel investigation was made at a Mach number of 3.10 (Reynolds number per foot of 16.3 x 10(exp 6) to 16.9 x 10(exp 6)) to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of various modifications of the payload section of the fourth stage of the Scout research vehicle. It was found that, for the combination of stages 3 and 4, increasing the size of the nose of the basic Scout to provide a cylindrical section of the same diameter as the third stage increased the normal-force slope by about 30 percent, the axial force by about 39 percent, and moved the center of pressure forward by about one fourth-stage base diameter. By reducing the diameter of the cylinder, at about one nose length behind the base of the enlarged nose frustum, to that of the basic Scout and thereafter retaining the shape of the basic Scout, the center of pressure was moved rearward by about one-half fourth-stage base diameter at the expense of an additional 19-percent increase in axial force. A spike-hemisphere configuration had the largest forces and moments and the most forward center-of-pressure location of the configurations considered. Except for the axial force and pitching-moment slope, the experimental trends or magnitudes could not be estimated with the desired accuracy by Newtonian or-slender body theory.

Jaquet, Byron M.↗

Sharp Hypervelocity Aerodynamic Research Probe

The objective of this flight demonstration is to deploy a slender-body hypervelocity aerodynamic research probe (SHARP) from an orbiting platform using a tether, deorbit and fly it along its aerothermal performance constraint, and recover it intact in mid-air. To accomplish this objective, two flight demonstrations are proposed. The first flight uses a blunt-body, tethered reentry experiment vehicle (TREV) to prove out tethered deployment technology for accurate entries, a complete SHARP electronics suite, and a new soft mid-air helicopter recovery technique. The second flight takes advantage of this launch and recovery capability to demonstrate revolutionary sharp body concepts for hypervelocity vehicles, enabled by new Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs) recently developed by Ames Research Center. Successful demonstration of sharp body hypersonic vehicle technologies could have radical impact on space flight capabilities, including: enabling global reentry cross range capability from Station, eliminating reentry communications blackout, and allowing new highly efficient launch systems incorporating air breathing propulsion and zeroth staging.

Bull, Jeffrey↗

Global Comparison of CFD and Wind-Tunnel-Derived Force and Moment Databases for the Space Launch System

Recently a very large (739 runs) collection of high-fidelity RANS CFD solutions was obtained for Space Launch System ascent aerodynamics for the vehicle to be used for the first exploratory (unmanned) mission (EM-1). The extensive computations, at full-scale conditions, were originally developed to obtain detailed line and protuberance loads and surface pressures for venting analyses. The line loads were eventually integrated for comparison of the resulting forces and moments to the database that was derived from wind tunnel tests conducted at sub-scale conditions. The comparisons presented herein cover the ranges 0.5 < or = M(infinity) < or = 5, −6deg < or = alpha < or = 6deg, and −6deg < or = beta < or = 6deg. For detailed comparisons, slender-body-theory-based component build-up aero models from missile aerodynamics are used. The differences in the model fit coefficients are shown to be relatively small except for the low supersonic Mach number range, 1.1 < or = M(infinity) < or = 2.0. The analysis is intended to support process improvement and development of uncertainty models.

Hemsch, Michael J.↗

Stereo Photogrammetry Measurements of the Position and Attitude of a Nozzle-Plume/Shock-Wave Interaction Model in the NASA Ames 9- by 7-Ft Supersonic Wind Tunnel

Stereo photogrammetry was used to measure the position and attitude of a slender body of revolution during nozzle-plume/shock-wave interaction tests in the NASA Ames 9- by 7-Ft Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The model support system was designed to allow the model to be placed at many locations in the test section relative to a pressure rail on one sidewall. It included a streamwise traverse as well as a thin blade that offset the model axis from the sting axis. With these features the support system was more flexible than usual resulting in higher-than-usual uncertainty in the position and attitude of the model. Also contributing to this uncertainty were the absence of a balance, so corrections for sting deflections could not be applied, and the wings-vertical orientation of the model, which precluded using a gravity-based accelerometer to measure pitch angle. Therefore, stereo photogrammetry was chosen to provide independent measures of the model position and orientation. This paper describes the photogrammetry system and presents selected results from the test.

supersonic↗

ASPIRE Aerodynamic Models and Flight Performance

The Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiments (ASPIRE) project waslaunched to develop the capability for testing supersonic parachutes at Mars-relevant conditions.Three initial parachute tests, targeted as a risk-reduction activity for NASA's upcomingMars2020 mission, successfully tested two candidate parachute designs and provided valuabledata on parachute inflation, forces, and aerodynamic behavior. Design of the flight tests dependedon flight mechanics simulations which in turn required aerodynamic models for the payload, andthe parachute. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to generate these models preflightand are compared against the flight data after the tests. For the payload, the reconstructedaerodynamic behavior is close to the pre-flight predictions, but the uncertainties in thereconstructed data are high due to the low dynamic pressures and accelerations during the flightperiod of comparison. For the parachute, the predicted time to inflation agrees well with the preflightmodel; the peak aerodynamic force and the steady state drag on the parachute are withinthe bounds of the pre-flight models, even as the models over-predict the parachute drag atsupersonic Mach numbers. Notably, the flight data does not show the transonic drag decreasepredicted by the pre-flight model. The ASPIRE flight tests provide previously unavailablevaluable data on the performance of a large full-scale parachute behind a slender leading bodyat Mars-relevant Mach number, dynamic pressure and parachute loads. This data is used topropose a new model for the parachute drag behind slender bodies to aid future experiments.

Muppidi, Suman↗

Comparative Performance of Entry Simulations using Guided Human-Scale Landers at Mars

There has been ongoing interest in human exploration of Mars since the 1970s. Most studies to date have investigated moderate lift-to-drag ratio vehicles to investigate this problem. This paper considers the development and cross-simulation comparison of a slender-bodied, moderate lift-to-drag human-scale lander vehicle for Mars. The vehicle employs the Fully Numerical Predictor-corrector Entry Guidance to target a powered descent state, subsequently leveraging Fractional Polynomial Powered Descent Guidance laws to reach the desired touchdown target. Differences in simulation environment as well as nominal trajectory results are shared.

Evan Roelke↗

Comparative Performance of Entry Simulations using Guided Human-Scale Landers at Mars

There has been ongoing interest in human exploration of Mars since the 1970s. Most studies to date have investigated moderate lift-to-drag ratio vehicles to investigate this problem. This paper considers the development and cross-simulation comparison of a slender-bodied, moderate lift-to-drag human-scale lander vehicle for Mars. The vehicle employs the Fully Numerical Predictor-corrector Entry Guidance to target a powered descent state, subsequently leveraging Fractional Polynomial Powered Descent Guidance laws to reach the desired touchdown target. Differences in simulation environment as well as nominal trajectory results are shared.

Evan Roelke↗

External-Drag Estimation for Slender Conical Ducted Bodies at High Mach Numbers and Zero Angle of Attack

A method of estimation of the external drag of slender conical ducted bodies at high Mach numbers and zero angle of attack is presented. Charts of the pressure drag computed with the use of characteristics theory and charts of the skin-friction drag evaluated from boundary-layer theory are presented. In addition, some sample plots of the variation of drag characteristics with Mach number and with geometric parameters are presented.

Valentine, E. Floyd↗

On boattail bodies of revolution having minimum wave drag

The problem of determining the shape of slender boattail bodies of revolution for minimum wave drag has been reexamined. It was found that minimum solutions for Ward's slender-body drag equation can exist only for the restricted class of bodies for which the rate of change of cross-sectional area at the base is zero. In order to eliminate this restriction, certain higher order terms must be retained in the drag equation and isoperimetric relations. The minimum problem for the isoperimetric conditions of given length, volume, and base area is treated as an example. According to Ward's drag equation, the resulting body shapes have slightly less drag than those determined by previous investigators.

Harder, Keith C↗