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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 307 records · Page 17

Airframe Noise Simulations of a Full-Scale Aircraft

Computational results for a full-scale simulation of a Gulfstream G-III aircraft are presented. In support of a NASA airframe noise flight test campaign, Exa Corporation’s lattice Boltzmann PowerFLOW® solver was used to perform time-accurate simulations of the flow around a highly detailed, full-scale aircraft model. Free-air boundary conditions were used at a Mach number of 0.23 and a Reynolds number of 10.5 × 10(exp 6) based on mean aerodynamic chord. This paper documents the simulation campaign for the baseline aircraft configuration at several flight conditions, including multiple flap deflections and main landing gear deployed or retracted. The high-fidelity, synthetic data were post-processed using a Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings integral approach to estimate farfield acoustic behavior, with pressures on the model solid surface or a permeable surface enveloping the acoustic near field used as input. The numerical approach, simulation attributes, and the effects of grid resolution, gear deployment, and multiple flap deflections, are discussed as well.

Appelbaum, Jason↗

Measured and Simulated Acoustic Signature of a Full-Scale Aircraft with Airframe Noise Reduction Technology Installed

Microphone phased-array and pole-mounted microphone data gathered during the NASA Acoustics Research Measurements flight tests were used to benchmark results from companion full-scale aeroacoustics simulations. Conducted with the lattice Boltzmann solver PowerFLOW®, the simulations predicted the acoustic behavior of various tested aircraft configurations. Emphasis was placed on those flown during the third flight test - a Fowler flap-equipped Gulfstream G-III with and without noise abatement technology on the main landing gear. Direct comparisons between experimental and synthetic microphone phasedarray data were achieved by applying the same processing and deconvolution technique to both sets of data. To extend the validation of the computations to the metric used for noise certification, the Effective Perceived Noise Level, a high-fidelity digital model of the nose landing gear, which was excluded from earlier computations, was developed and integrated into the G-III aircraft geometry. The acoustic study presented here demonstrates that the simulated beamform maps and corresponding integrated farfield spectra accurately predict the locations and strengths of the prominent airframe noise sources present on the G-III aircraft.

Khorrami, Mehdi R.↗

Real-Time Estimation of Bare-Airframe Frequency Responses from Closed-Loop Data and Multisine Inputs

A method is presented for computing frequency responses of multiple-input multiple-output bare-airframe dynamics from flight test data containing feedback control and/or mixing of control effectors. Orthogonal phase-optimized multisines are used to simultaneously excite each input with unique harmonic frequencies, at which frequency responses are computed as ratios of output-to-input Fourier transform data. The confounding effects of feedback and mixing for frequency response estimation are resolved by interpolating the frequency responses among all the harmonic frequencies. The method can be run in batch for post-flight analysis, or in real time as the aircraft is flying. The effectiveness of the method was verified using closed-loop simulations of the subscale NASA T-2 generic transport airplane. The method was also demonstrated using flight test data from the X-56A MUTT aeroelastic airplane, which was flown with feedback control and mixing.

Jared A Grauer↗

Model Preparation Areas for Propulsion Airframe Integration Testing at NASA Langley Research Center

Currently there are three major NASA Langley facilities that perform PAI testing. These include the National Transonic Facility, the 14’x22’ Low Speed Wind tunnel, and the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. While each of these facilities have their own model preparation areas, the model preparation area located at the NTF complex that focuses on blowing systems with high mass flow requirements support all of the LaRC facilities. The application of a Propulsion Airframe Integration requires special attention to the air delivery system interaction with the model. These interactions typically focus on the tares across the balance associated with inlet and nozzle performance which are related to the mass flow through the system and the efficiency of the inlet and nozzle geometries. While this paper does not characterize any specific propulsion system, it does focus on the mass flow and pressures requirement needed for pretesting such systems prior to wind tunnel installation. Weight flow boundaries for the air delivery system were identified to range from 0.1 to 20 lbm/sec.

Model Preparation Area↗

Model Preparation Areas for Propulsion Airframe Integration Testing at the NASA Langley Research Center

Currently, there are three major NASA Langley facilities that perform Propulsion Airframe Integration (PAI) testing. These include the National Transonic Facility (NTF), the 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel, and the 4-Foot Supersonic Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. While each of these facilities have their respective model preparation areas, one model preparation area, located at the NTF complex, focuses on high mass flow blowing systems in support of other Langley Research Center facilities. The application of PAI requires special attention to the air delivery system interaction with the model. These interactions focus on the tares across the force and moment balance. The interactions are a result of the mass flow and pressure of the air through the system and the efficiency of the inlet and nozzle geometries. While this paper does not characterize any specific propulsion system, it does focus on the mass flow and pressure requirements for risk-reduction planning of such systems prior to installation in a designated wind tunnel. An example of model and nozzle sizing will be presented for the Tail Cone Thruster (TCT) variant of the Common Research Model (CRM).

PAI↗

NASA Hypersonic Technology Project (HTP) Sic/Sic Research for Hypersonic Airframe Hot Structures

NASA, DoD, and industry have a vision for reusable hypersonic vehicles (Mach > 5). The realization of this vision will require high-specific-strength, high-temperature, reusable structures. In the sub-sonic and super-sonic flight regimes, high-specific-strength structures can be obtained via the use of aluminum, titanium, and composite materials. In the high-temperature environments associated with hypersonic flight, high specific strength is obtained via refractory-composite materials. NASA Langley Research Center has multiple efforts focused on evaluating refractory-composites for use as airframe hot structures for reusable hypersonic vehicles. Current efforts span the entire building-block approach, including coupon, element, subcomponent, and component manufacturing and testing. The coupon level work includes progressive damage testing and analysis, restrained thermal growth testing, stressed oxidation testing, and evaluation of laminate properties for several layup architectures. Element testing includes evaluation of over-temperature capability and co-processed bonding, fastener development, and analysis and testing of beaded (corrugated) panels. Subcomponent level work includes a solid rocket motor booster fin and a portion of a control surface, and component level work includes a control surface static test article. The current presentation will provide an update of work being performed at NASA, which is expected to transition refractory-composite materials to reusable hypersonic vehicles.

Hot structures↗

DESIGN AND TEST EXPERIENCES WITH INSTABILITY OF MAJOR AIRFRAME COMPONENTS

Two test incidents involving instability of large scale commercially built structures are described. Two classes of structure are discussed; the first, a fuselage with skin designed to buckle at low stress, and the second, a wing whose surface remains unbuckled to failure. The structure in the region of failure is defined and the failures described and illustrated. Insofar as possible, the stresses in the critical area at the time of failure are reported and compared to strength determined by analysis. Both fuselage and wing surfaces were observed to fail in the mode of a medium range column when adequate support was provided by ribs and frames. Initial failure in the wing example was premature due to a design deficiency in rib strength. A clear illustration is given of the effect of rib stiffness on wing surface stability. Adding stiffness to wing ribs increases the limit of surface stability to the theoretical flat panel value.

SHELL STABILITY↗

Design of the Hybrid Wing Body with Nacelle: N3-X Propulsion-Airframe Configuration

The Hybrid Wing Body (HWB) aircraft is of great interest for future transport concepts due to itspromises of reduced aircraft noise, nitrous-oxide emissions, and fuel consumption. A design parameterizationmethod for HWB configurations with mail slot nacelle has been developed for a fast exploration of designspace in conceptual and preliminary design phases of a HWB configuration. A HWB planform model byLaughlin [11] was implemented, and the Class Shape Transformation (CST) airfoil generation method byKulfan [10] was utilized to construct the needed geometry for computational high fidelity aerodynamicsimulations. Geometric constraints for the parameterization such as internal cabin and cargo hold layoutswere imposed on the geometry generation. A CFD simulation was performed for a HWB configurationgenerated by the current geometric modeler, clearly showing a significant effect of the installed nacelle on theflowfield.

Nacelle Installation↗