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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

SPINEQ: A program for determining aircraft equilibrium spin characteristics including stability

A computer program, SPINEQ, is described which can algebraically solve the nonlinear equations of motion for equilibrium spin conditions. Linear characteristics of the airplane about the equilibrium points are also determined. The theoretical basis of the program is outlined, computational flow is shown, the functions of major subroutines are described, and key parameters directing the computations are identified. Program input and output are described and illustrated by means of a test case. The program is available from COSMIC.

Adams, W. M., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Wind-tunnel tests of the XV-15 tilt rotor aircraft

The XV-15 aircraft was tested in the Ames 40 by 80 Foot Wind Tunnel for preliminary evaluation of aerodynamic and aeroelastic characteristics prior to flight. The tests were undertaken to investigate the aircraft performance, stability, control and structural loads for flight modes from helicopter through transition and airplane mode up to the tunnel capability of 170 knots. Results from these tests are presented.

Weiberg, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Comments on 'Rocket effluent - Its ice nucleation activity and related properties'

Parungo and Allee (1978) reported ice nucleus (IN) measurements made from an aircraft in stabilized ground clouds from Titan III launches at KSC. They concluded from the measurements that the SGC contained IN. After an examination of the data the present authors (Hindman and Lala) argue that the filter devices were unable to detect IN in the SGC. In a reply Parungo and Allee attempt to refute this conclusion.

Hindman, E. E., II↗
NASA NTRS1980

Equilibrium response of flight control systems

The steady-state behavior of an aircraft in response to control and disturbance inputs has a major impact on its performance and flying qualities, and it is, to a large extent, not readily predicted by the aircraft's stability and transient behavior. Singular as well as nonsingular response can result as a consequence of the command vector's definition, i.e., equilibrium in the command vector can imply disequilibrium in the state. The flight control structure can be modified to account for this characteristic, and it is shown that systems with identical eigenvalues and eigenvectors but dissimilar command vectors have markedly different responses.

Stengel, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Interactive aircraft flight control and aeroelastic stabilization

Several examples are presented in which flutter involving interaction between flight mechanics modes and elastic wind bending occurs for a forward swept wing flight vehicle. These results show the basic mechanism by which the instability occurs and form the basis for attempts to actively control such a vehicle.

Weisshaar, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Hover tests of a model H-force rotor

The potential of using tip vanes at the ends of helicopter rotor blades to obtain a controllable H-force is considered. The addition of vanes placed perpendicular to the blade tips can be used to obtain an inplane force. By varying the angle of the vanes, a radial force can be created which can be controllable in azimuth position. Such a force could be used to provide translational motion of the rotor and aircraft without the requirement for rotor tilting. In addition, an H-force generated at high flight speed could be used as a propulsive force in a matter similar to a propeller. The force generated by the vanes could also affect the aircraft's stability characteristics. The H-force could also modify rotor performance in hovering since they could be thought to act as a virtual shroud. Tests were run with a model rotor which has a 6 foot diameter with a 3 inch chord blade. Test data are presented on the effects of various tip-vane configurations on the hovering figure of merit. The extreme sensitivity of the performance to vane arrangement is shown.

Velkoff, H. R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Control optimization, stabilization and computer algorithms for aircraft applications

The analysis and design of complex multivariable reliable control systems are considered. High performance and fault tolerant aircraft systems are the objectives. A preliminary feasibility study of the design of a lateral control system for a VTOL aircraft that is to land on a DD963 class destroyer under high sea state conditions is provided. Progress in the following areas is summarized: (1) VTOL control system design studies; (2) robust multivariable control system synthesis; (3) adaptive control systems; (4) failure detection algorithms; and (5) fault tolerant optimal control theory.

Athans, M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Comparative evaluation of twenty pilot workload assessment measure using a psychomotor task in a moving base aircraft simulator

A comparison of the sensitivity and intrusion of twenty pilot workload assessment techniques was conducted using a psychomotor loading task in a three degree of freedom moving base aircraft simulator. The twenty techniques included opinion measures, spare mental capacity measures, physiological measures, eye behavior measures, and primary task performance measures. The primary task was an instrument landing system (ILS) approach and landing. All measures were recorded between the outer marker and the middle marker on the approach. Three levels (low, medium, and high) of psychomotor load were obtained by the combined manipulation of windgust disturbance level and simulated aircraft pitch stability. Six instrument rated pilots participated in four seasons lasting approximately three hours each.

Connor, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Simulation fidelity and numerosity effects in CDTI experimentation

Twenty pilot workload assessment techniques were compared using a simulated flying task in which three levels of psychomotor workload were imposed. The experiment was conducted in a three degree of freedom motion base simulator. Opinion measures, spare mental capacity measures, physiological measures, eye movement behavior and primary task performance measures were evaluated. The primary task was an instrument landing system (ILS) approach and landing. All measures were recorded between the outer and middle markers on the approach. Three levels of psychomotor load were obtained by the combined manipulation of wind gust disturbance level and simulated aircraft pitch stability. Six instrument rated general aviation pilots participated in the experiment. Cooper-Harper ratings, WCI/TE ratings, time estimation standard deviation, pulse rate mean, and control movements per unit time demonstrated sensitivity to psychomotor load. No intrusion into primary task performance was found that the sensitivities of workload estimation techniques vary widely, and that only a few techniques appear to be sensitive to psychomotor load.

Kreifeldt, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Inherent spiral stability in a fixed wing aircraft by means of a simplified pneumatic wing tip control system

The concept of the lateralizer device is to sense the difference in wing tip static pressures (differential pressures being created by wing tip venturis) produced when any deviation from straight to level flight occurs. In a steady state turn the low slow wing tip experiences less venturi suction than the high fast wing tip. This signal activates the appropriate servos connected to the ailerons to produce a wing leveling restoring moment. If the wing is subjected to rolling velocities due to changes of the local angle of attack at the tip, the downgoing wing tip operates at a higher angle than the upgoing one. If with an increase in the angle of attack the signal is such that it increases the venturi pressure, then the servos are activated to produce the most negative signal to an upgoing aileron which results in a wing leveling restoring moment. In other words, any deviation from straight and level flight in either roll or yaw is exploited and the difference signal from the differential pressures activates the servo to effect or produce the necessary corrective action to null the signal.

Goglia, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Residual-strength tests of L-1011 vertical fin components after 10 and 20 years of simulated flight service

Part of the NASA/ACEE Program was to determine the effect of long-term durability testing on the residual strength of graphite-epoxy cover panel and spar components of the Lockheed L-1011 aircraft vertical stabilizer. The results of these residual strength tests are presented herein. The structural behavior and failure mode of both cover panel and spar components were addressed, and the test results obtained were compared with the static test results generated by Lockheed. The effect of damage on one of the spar specimens was described.

Lopez, O. F.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A preliminary look at the effects of coupled lateral modes on aircraft handling qualities

Analytic and six-degree-of-freedom motion base simulator studies have been conducted to better understand how the coupled roll-spiral and coupled roll-aileron actuator modes affect aircraft handling qualities. The results reported herein are preliminary and are subject to change until other aircraft and several more data points can be examined. The results obtained thus far indicate that when the roll-spiral coupled mode is brought about by unusual values of an aircraft's stability and control derivatives, the lateral-directional handling qualities will invariably be degraded. However, when the roll spiral coupling is brought about by a roll-rate command/roll-attitude hold stability and control augmentation system (SCAS), the requirements for satisfactory handling qualities can be correlated to the natural frequency and the damping of the coupled mode. Satisfactory handling qualities were also achieved when the lateral SCAS brought about a coupling of the roll mode with the aileron actuator mode. In this case, the pilot ratings indicate that the handling qualities may be correlated to the natural frequency of the coupled roll-aileron mode.

Ruflin, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Interactive aircraft flight control and aeroelastic stabilization

An analytical model has been used to study the problem of integrated control system/structural dynamic design. This model utilizes the traditional typical section lifting surface with a control surface attached in 2-D unsteady incompressible flow. The studies have as their purpose the examination of the use of the location of the elastic axis of the airfoil as a design variable in the search for an actively controlled configuration that has a specified flutter margin. Items of interest include the determination of flutter speed and divergence speed as functions of a nondimensional parameter, a sub c, that measures the location (in semi-chords) of the elastic axis with respect to the airfoil midchord. All other parameters are fixed. The behavior of velocity root locus curves with changes in a sub c is illustrated. Also shown is an example of the use of sensitivity derivatives to reposition poles of the open loop system. The behavior of the actively controlled or closed loop system is also discussed. A set of examples are presented to indicate how the shear center parameter, a sub c, affects the design of the controlled system.

Weisshaar, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Interactive aircraft flight control and aeroelastic stabilization

An analytical model of a 3-D airfoil was used to study an optimization procedure formulated to enhance stability of an airfoil through integrated structural and control synthesis. This procedure is discussed together with preliminary results. These results show that a sensitivity derivative approach utilizing structural parameters, weighting matrix parameters and optimal control parameters (in this case, the design airspeed) is effective in determining the best structural/control design.

Weisshaar, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Interactive aircraft flight control and aeroelastic stabilization

Aeroservoelastic optimization techniques were studied to determine a methodology for maximization of the stable flight envelope of an idealized, actively controlled, flexible airfoil. The equations of motion for the airfoil were developed in state-space form to include time-domain representations of aerodynamic forces and active control. The development of an optimization scheme to stabilize the aeroelastic system over a range of airspeeds, including the design airspeed is outlined. The solution approach was divided in two levels: (1) the airfoil structure, with a design variable represented by the shear center position; and (2) the control system. An objective was stated in mathematical form and a search was conducted with the restriction that each subsystem be constrained to be optimal in some sense. Analytical expressions are developed to compute the changes in the eigenvalues of the closed-loop, actively controlled system. A stability index is constructed to ensure that stability is present at the design speed and at other airspeeds away from the design speed.

Weisshaar, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Flight test of a displacement sidearm controller

A six-axis displacement-stick sidearm controller was developed to enable single-handed control of remote manipulator operations in space. With a working model available, piloted evaluation became possible in a fly-by-computer variable-stability research aircraft, originally a Bell 205 helicopter. The original mechanization was limited to three rotational axes and a linear one, analogous to the collective stick. A newly designed short stickgrip was mounted and the spring force pattern adjusted to suit the helicopter flight control environment. A standard set of test maneuvers was flown by four experimental pilots with conventional helicopter flight controls and with sidearm controllers equipped with two different handgrips. Existing data from flight tests with an isometric-stick controller were added to complete the comparison. The displacement controller consistently achieved a rating of 3.0 to 3.5 on the Cooper-Harper scale, on par with the conventional controls. The same basic controller design was tested in spacecraft and remote manipulator simulations with very promising results. In each application operator/system integration was rapid and positive. The results demonstrate feasibility and support the design philosphy of using deflection as well as force to generate proprioceptive feedback.

Lippay, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Supersonic boundary layer stability analysis with and without suction on aircraft wings

An analysis of the boundary layer and its stability with and without suction on a supersonic cruise fighter wing having biconvex 5 percent thick airfoils is conducted for a free-stream Mach number of 2.0 and an angle of attack of 4.0 deg. It is found that the largest amplification is due to the highly oblique traveling cross flow type waves, oriented approximately 80 deg without suction, and 87.5 deg with suction, from the local external velocity vector. It is concluded that with the biconvex airfoil section on the thin swept wing, this type of instability would be the likely cause of transition. The approximate values of the frequency, wave orientation angle, and wavelength/chord ratio for the most amplified disturbance are given for the cases of suction and no suction. The largest amplifications are found for highly oblique traveling crossflow type waves oriented at approximately 80 deg without suction and 87.5 deg with suction, measured from the local external velocity vector.

Agrawal, Shreekant↗
NASA NTRS1992

In-flight flow visualization results from the X-29A aircraft at high angles of attack

Flow visualization techniques were used on the X-29A aircraft at high angles of attack to study the vortical flow off the forebody and the surface flow on the wing and tail. The forebody vortex system was studied because asymmetries in the vortex system were suspected of inducing uncommanded yawing moments at zero sideslip. Smoke enabled visualization of the vortex system and correlation of its orientation with flight yawing moment data. Good agreement was found between vortex system asymmetries and the occurrence of yawing moments. Surface flow on the forward-swept wing of the X-29A was studied using tufts and flow cones. As angle of attack increased, separated flow initiated at the root and spread outboard encompassing the full wing by 30 deg angle of attack. In general, the progression of the separated flow correlated well with subscale model lift data. Surface flow on the vertical tail was also studied using tufts and flow cones. As angle of attack increased, separated flow initiated at the root and spread upward. The area of separated flow on the vertical tail at angles of attack greater than 20 deg correlated well with the marked decrease in aircraft directional stability.

Delfrate, John H.↗