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At least 325 records · Page 18

Observations of oceanic white caps for moderate to highwind speeds

A series of photographs of sea surface whitecap conditions for wind speeds of 10 to 25 m/sec was obtained and analyzed for areal coverage of white water. The results are in good agreement with semiempirical calculations based on the wind speed and the development of the wave spectrum only when the contribution of thin foam streaks oriented in the direction of the wind is neglected. Since both the actively forming whitecaps and the thin foam streaks contribute significantly to the microwave emissivity of the sea surface, it is important that the foam streaks be included in the theory but differentiated from large white caps and foam patches. A simple relationship that accounts for the foam streaks based on the rate of energy transfer, the wind speed, and the wave spectrum is proposed. By means of empirically derived constant terms for the microwave signatures of white caps and foam streaks, this theory was adapted to the prediction of the increase in brightness temperature due to foam, with reasonable results to wind speeds of 20 m/sec.

Ross, D. B.↗

Supercritical aerodynamics - Worthwhile over a range of speeds.

Supercritical flow exists whenever a high enough forward speed causes local flow over a lifting surface or body to exceed the sonic or critical value. The principal difference between conventional subsonic aerodynamic technology and supercritical technology lies in the cross-sectional profile of lifting surfaces. The characteristics of the supercritical airfoil suggests three potential benefits from applications to civil aircraft. For aircraft designed to operate at moderate subsonic speeds the supercritical airfoil may permit the reduction of structural weight. Supercritical technology would have a second application in permitting efficient high subsonic speed cruise by delaying the transonic drag rise. Another advantage of the thick supercritical wing shows up at low speeds.

Ayers, T. G.↗

Flexible rotor balancing by the influence coefficient method. Part 1: Evaluation of the exact point-speed and least squares procedures

The practical aspects of balancing real, flexible rotors were investigated through inclusion of rotor out-of-roundness data at the measurement probe locations. The computer program was demonstrated to be fully capable of handling out-of-roundness data in the investigation. Testing was performed predominantly with a machine having a 41-inch long, 126-pound rotor. This rotor was operated over a speed range encompassing three rotor-bearing system critical speeds. Both balancing procedures were evaluated for several different conditions of initial rotor unbalance. Safe (and slow) passage through all the critical speeds was obtained after two or three balancing runs in most cases. The Least Squares procedure was found to be generally equivalent in capability to the Exact Point-Speed procedure for the configurations studies. (U)

Tessarzik, J. M.↗

Effect of rotor design tip speed on noise of a 1.21 pressure ratio model fan under static conditions

Preliminary results are presented for a reverberant-field noise investigation of three fan stages designed for the same overall total pressure ratio of 1.21 at different rotor tip speeds (750, 900, and 1050 ft/sec). The stages were tested statically in a 15-inch-diameter model lift fan installed in a wing pod located in the test section of a wind tunnel. Although the fan stages produced essentially the same design pressure ratio, marked differences were observed in the variation of fan noise with fan operating speed. At design speed, the forward-radiated sound power level was approximately the same for the 750 ft/sec and 900 ft/sec stages. For the 1050 ft/sec stage, the design-speed forward-radiated power level was about 7 db higher due to the generation of multiple pure tone noise.

Loeffler, I. J.↗

Redundant speed control for brushless Hall effect motor

A speed control system for a brushless Hall effect device equipped direct current (D.C.) motor is described. Separate windings of the motor are powered by separate speed responsive power sources. A change in speed, upward or downward, because of the failure of a component of one of the power sources results in a corrective signal being generated in the other power source to supply an appropriate power level and polarity to one winding to cause the motor to be corrected in speed.

Nola, F. J.↗

Noise and wake structure measurements in a subsonic tip speed fan

The results of an experimental program are reported which show the effect of blade angle, tip speed, fan pressure ratio, and thrust on noise of a model fan of 0.457m (18 inches) diameter operating at subsonic tip speeds at pressure ratios between 1.06 and 1.15. The fan used in this study had 12 blades, 7 stator vanes, and a spacing between the rotor and stator of 1.85 blade chords. This fan was originally designed for aerodynamic testing and was considered a good performer. It was used in the noise test program as it incorporated features found to reduce noise in an earlier analytical parametric study. For a given pressure ratio the fan was shown to exhibit minimum noise at the blade angle and tip speed near that of maximum aerodynamic efficiency. Also, the noise level and spectrum character of this fan showed excellent correlation with scaled data of a similar larger diameter fan. Results of the program confirm the trends shown in the earlier analytical parametric study which showed that fan noise could be reduced for a given thrust and pressure ratio by increasing fan solidity, improving fan aerodynamic design, and operating the fan at an optimum subsonic tip speed. In addition to noise, the blade wake characteristics at the leading edge of the stator were measured in this program. At root and tip sections some difference between predicted and measured wakes was found. However comparisons between predicted and measured wakes at mid span locations was found to be good.

Magliozzi, B.↗

Voight variable speed drive

The variable speed drive transmission is mounted within the gondola and connected with the wind turbine blades and the hub. This unit is designed for the production of ac power. The turbine turns by means of the variable speed drive and a set of synchronous three phase generators. This motion is controlled automatically by two wind rosettes in such a way that the wind turbine always opposes the wind direction. The Voight variable speed drive is a mechanical variable positive drive gear transmission. It has an unlimited power and torque transmission, a constant ratio with high degree of accuracy, a speed variation over a wide range, and a nonslip drive.

Tompkin, J.↗

High-tip-speed, low-loading transonic fan stage. Part 3: Final report

Tests were conducted on a high-tip-speed, low-loading transonic fan stage to determine the performance and inlet flow distortion tolerance of the design. The fan was designed for high efficiency at a moderate pressure ratio by designing the hub section to operate at minimum loss when the tip operates with an oblique shock. The design objective was an efficiency of 86 percent at a pressure ratio of 1.5, a specific flow (flow per unit annulus area) of 42 lb/sec-sq. ft (205.1 kgm/sec-m sq), and a tip speed of 1600 ft/sec (488.6 m/sec). During testing, a peak efficiency of 84 percent was achieved at design speed and design specific flow. At the design speed and pressure ratio, the flow was 4 percent greater than design, efficiency was 81 percent, and a stall margin of 24 percent was obtained. The stall line was improved with hub radial distortion but was reduced when the stage was tested with tip radial and circumferential flow distortions. Blade-to-blade values of static pressures were measured over the rotor blade tips.

Ware, T. C.↗

Effect of rotor design tip speed on noise of a 1.21 pressure ratio model fan under static conditions

Preliminary results are presented for a reverberant-field noise investigation of three fan stages designed for the same overall total pressure ratio of 1.21 at different rotor tip speeds (750, 900, and 1050 fps). The stages were tested statically in a 15-in.-dia model lift fan installed in a wing pod located in the test section of a wind tunnel. Although the fan stages produced essentially the same design pressure ratio, marked differences were observed in the variation of fan noise with fan operating speed. At design speed, the forward-radiated sound power level was approximately the same for the 750 and 900 fps stages. For the 1050 fps stage, the design-speed forward-radiated power level was about 7 dB higher due to the generation of multiple pure tone noise.

Loeffler, I. J.↗

Wind tunnel measurements of forward speed effects on jet noise from suppressor nozzles and comparison with flight test data

The results of a test program conducted in the NASA Ames 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel to determine the effect of forward speed on the noise levels emanating from a conical ejector nozzle, a 32-spoke suppressor nozzle, and a 104-elliptical-tube suppressor nozzle are reported. It is shown that noise levels are reduced as forward speed is increased and that, for one suppressor configuration, forward speed enhances suppression. Comparisons of noise measurements made in the wind tunnel with those obtained in flight tests show good agreement. It is concluded that wind tunnels provide an effective means of measuring the effect of forward speed on aircraft noise.

Atencio, A., Jr.↗

Flexible rotor balancing by the influence coefficient method: Multiple critical speeds with rigid or flexible supports

Experimental tests were conducted to demonstrate the ability of the influence coefficient method to achieve precise balance of flexible rotors of virtually any design for operation through virtually any speed range. Various practical aspects of flexible-rotor balancing were investigated. Tests were made on a laboratory quality machine having a 122 cm (48 in.) long rotor weighing 50 kg (110 lb) and covering a speed range up to 18000 rpm. The balancing method was in every instance effective, practical, and economical and permitted safe rotor operation over the full speed range covering four rotor bending critical speeds. Improved correction weight removal methods for rotor balancing were investigated. Material removal from a rotating disk was demonstrated through application of a commercially available laser.

Tessarzik, J. M.↗

Wind tunnel measurements of forward speed effects on jet noise from suppressor nozzles and comparison with flight test data

The results of a test program conducted in the NASA Ames 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel to determine the effect of forward speed on the noise levels emanating from a conical ejector nozzle, a 32-spoke suppressor nozzle, and a 104-elliptical-tube suppressor nozzle are reported. It is shown that noise levels are reduced as forward speed is increased and that, for one suppressor configuration, forward speed enhances suppression. Comparisons of noise measurements made in the wind tunnel with those obtained in flight tests show good agreement. It is concluded that wind tunnels provide an effective means of measuring the effect of forward speed on aircraft noise.

Atencio, A., Jr.↗

Performance of low-pressure-ratio low-tip-speed fan stage with blade tip solidity of 0.65

The overall and blade-element performance of a low pressure ratio, low tip speed fan stage is presented over the stable operating range at rotative speeds from 90 to 120 percent of design speed. Stage peak efficiency of 0.927 was obtained at a weight flow of 32.4 kg/sec (190.31 kg/sec/sq m of annulus area) and a pressure ratio of 1.134. The stall margin at design speed and peak efficiency was 15.3 percent.

Kovich, G.↗

Wing planforms for high-speed flight

The analysis indicates that for aerodynamic efficiency, wings designed for flight at supersonic speeds should be swept back at an angle greater than the Mach angle and the angle of sweepback should be such that the component of velocity normal to the leading edge is less than the critical speed of the airfoil sections. This principle may also be applied to wings designed for subsonic speeds near the speed of sound, for which the induced velocities resulting from the thickness might otherwise be sufficiently great to cause shock waves.

Jones, R. T.↗

Researches on interactions of satellite-speed helium atoms with aluminum and quartz surfaces

Three major areas were experimentally studied: (1) energy transfer in collisions of satellite-speed (700 m/sec) helium atoms with a cleaned satellite-type aluminum surface was investigated using the molecular-beam technique. Spatial and energy distributions of reflected helium atoms were measured and analyzed, (2) The gross accommodation coefficient for a satellite-speed (7000 m/sec) helium beam entering a 2-inch-diameter aluminum spherical cavity was determined by measuring the exit velocity distribution of the leaving helium atoms using a metastable time-of-flight method. Results indicate that the 7000-m/sec satellite-speed helium atoms entering the cavity gain full accommodation with the room-temperature inner surface of the sphere through a large number of collisions before leaving the spherical cavity; and (3) the feasibility of producing a satellite-speed atomic hydrogen beam by arc-heating, for use in studies of interactions of satellite-surfaces with hydrogen atoms under laboratory conditions, was investigated. It was found that a stable arc-heated molecular hydrogen beam can be obtained using the arc-heater, and that a partially dissociated hydrogen beam can be produced. Photographs of laboratory equipment are shown.

Liu, S. M.↗

Propulsion concepts for high speed aircraft

A wide variety of potentially useful and effective airbreathing aircraft have been postulated to operate at speeds in excess of Mach 3.0 by NASA and the USAF. These systems include hydrogen-fueled transports of interest for very long ranges and airbreathing launch vehicles which are aircraft-type first stage candidates for future space shuttle systems. Other high speed airbreathing systems for possible future military applications include advanced reconnaissance and fighter/interceptor type aircraft and strategic systems. This paper presents (1) a chronology of Air Force technical activity on future propulsion concepts, (2) a status report on NASA research on scramjet technology for future systems which may require speeds above Mach 5, and (3) a description of a research vehicle by which advanced propulsion technology and other technologies related to high speed can be demonstrated.

Stull, F. D.↗

Propulsive-lift concepts for improved low-speed performance of supersonic cruise arrow-wing configurations

Low-aspect-ratio highly swept arrow-wing supersonic aircraft possess high levels of aerodynamic efficiency at supersonic cruising speeds, however, their inherently poor low-speed lift characteristics require design constraints that compromise supersonic performance. The data discussed in this paper were obtained in wind tunnel tests with supersonic crusing configurations, in which propulsive-lift concepts were used to improve low-speed performance. The data show that the increased low-speed lift provided by propulsive-lift permits reduction of both wing size and installed thrust. This yields a batter engine/airframe match for improved supersonic cruise efficiency and range, while still providing acceptable take-off field lengths.

Coe, P. L., Jr.↗

Mars - Wind friction speeds for particle movement

Wind friction threshold speeds for particle movement were determined in a low pressure boundary layer wind tunnel at an atmospheric pressure of 5.3 mb. The results imply that for comparable pressures on Mars, the minimum wind friction threshold speed is about 2.5 m/sec, which would require free-stream winds of 50 to 135 m/sec, depending on the character of the surface and the atmospheric conditions. The corresponding wind speeds at the height of the Viking lander meteorology instrument would be about a factor of two less than the free-stream wind speed. The particle size most easily moved by winds on Mars is about 160 microns; particles both larger and smaller than this (at least down to about 5 microns) require stronger winds to initiate movement.

Greeley, R.↗