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At least 37 records · Page 2

VTOL in-ground effect flows for closely spaced jets

The interaction of two vertically impinging incompressible jets is studied through the invention of physical flow models that approximate the behavior of colliding wall jets as the incident jets are brought closer together. The mechanism for upwash formation is studied and momentum models for the upwash sheet are postulated. An approximate method for computing the ground isobar pattern of jet and upwash deflection zones is presented and compared with test data. A method for computing the upwash impingement force in the absence of secondary induced flow effects is also presented and reasonably good agreement is achieved with experimental data for cylindrical fuselage shapes of circular and rectangular cross section.

Siclari, M. J.↗

VTOL in ground effect flows for closely spaced jets

Results of a series of in ground effect twin jet tests are presented along with flow models for closely spaced jets to help predict pressure and upwash forces on simulated aircraft surfaces. The isolated twin jet tests revealed unstable fountains over a range of spacings and jet heights, regions of below ambient pressure on the ground, and negative pressure differential in the upwash flow field. A separate computer code was developed for vertically oriented, incompressible jets. This model more accurately reflects fountain behavior without fully formed wall jets, and adequately predicts ground isobars, upwash dynamic pressure decay, and fountain lift force variation with height above ground.

Migdal, D.↗

Alleviation of helicopter fuselage-induced rotor unsteady loads through deterministic variation of the individual blade pitch

The effect of fuselage-induced upwash on the flapwise motion of a hinged rotor blade is considered. The typical upwash field is simulated through the flow produced by a moving point source. The resulting blade response is then approximated by its rigid flapping and first bending mode. The perturbation blade pitch variation required to alleviate its response to the upwash in the sense of either reducing the increased hub shear or minimization of the blade overall time averaged deflection, is determined. Calculations are carried out for a model rotor and for the case with increased Lock number. The results are presented in graph form. It is found that the minimum blade deflection criteria suppress the rigid flapping by a large amount and reduce the peak-to-peak value of the blade hub shear by at least 50 percent without causing an additional increase in blade stresses.

Rahnema, M. A.↗

Direct assessment of two-dimensional wind-tunnel interference from measurements on two interfaces

A direct assessment of two-dimensional wind-tunnel wall interference using upwash component measured on two interfaces has been formulated by the Prandtl-Glauert equation of the flow field and solved by the Fourier transform technique. The analytic formulae obtained for the interference of upwash and pressure on the model are presented. The formulae have been applied successfully to the analytic models for lifting and blockage interferences induced by the general linear slotted and perforated tunnel wall boundary conditions. The formulae have been derived in terms of Fourier coefficients of the measured upwash and illustrated its merits applying to a wavy-wall model case.

Lo, Ching F.↗

Development of prediction techniques for multi-jet thermal ground flow fields and fountain formation

Avoiding detrimental ground interaction is important for practical V/STOL aircraft. This paper reports recent developments in a numerical method for estimating thermal ground footprints. Upwash and fountain formation for arbitrarily oriented jet arrangements is predicted. Flow asymmetry due to roll, pitch, differential thrust or ground inclination is included. The prediction methodology uses simple inviscid relations for energy and momentum conservation along with an empirical entrainment law, applied in independent sectors of the wall jet and upwash. Asymmetrical stagnation line prediction is compared with experiment. Detailed flow measurements for a three-jet interaction are also presented.

Siclari, M. J.↗

Aerodynamic coefficients in generalized unsteady thin airfoil theory

Two cases are considered: (1) rigid body motion of an airfoil-flap combination consisting of vertical translation of given amplitude, rotation of given amplitude about a specified axis, and rotation of given amplitude of the control surface alone about its hinge; the upwash for this problem is defined mathematically; and (2) sinusoidal gust of given amplitude and wave number, for which the upwash is defined mathematically. Simple universal formulas are presented for the most important aerodynamic coefficients in unsteady thin airfoil theory. The lift and moment induced by a generalized gust are evaluated explicitly in terms of the gust wavelength. Similarly, in the control surface problem, the lift, moment, and hinge moments are given as explicit algebraic functions of hinge location. These results can be used together with any of the standard numerical inversion routines for the elementary loads (pitch and heave).

Williams, M. H.↗

Effects of blade-vane ratio and rotor-stator spacing on fan noise with forward velocity

A research fan stage is acoustically tested in an anechoic wind tunnel with a 41 m/sec tunnel flow. Two stator vane numbers giving cut-on and cut-off conditions are tested at three rotor stator spacings ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 rotor chords. Hot-film anemometer turbulence measurements are made at the leading edge of the stator for each spacing, and a crossed film anemometer is radially transversed to define streamwise and upwash characteristics of the rotor blade wakes. Trends in the acoustic results are observed in the front and aft quadrants at 80% design fan speed. Aft quadrant results demonstrate a fundamental tone 9 dB lower for the 25 vane stator than for the 11 vane stator, while overtone levels are 3 dB higher. The cut-off criterion strongly controls fundamental tone level at all spacings, and spacing trends of the wake-defect upwash component show good agreement with corresponding cut-on acoustic tone levels.

Woodward, R. P.↗

The modeling and prediction of multiple jet VTOL aircraft flow fields in ground effect

An engineering methodology based on an empirical data base and analytical fluid dynamic models was developed for the prediction of propulsive lift system induced aerodynamic effects for multiple lift jet VTOL aircraft operating in the hover mode in and out of ground effect. The effects of aircraft geometry, aircraft orientation (pitch, roll) as well as height above ground are considered. Lift jet vector and splay directions fit the airframe, lift jet exit flow conditions, and both axisymmetric and rectangular nozzle exit geometry are also accommodated. The induced suckdown flows are computed from the potential flowfield induced by the turbulent entrainment of both the free jets and wall jets in ground effect and from the free jets alone out of ground effect. The methodology emphasized geometric considerations, computation of stagnation lines and fountain upwash inclination, fountain upwash formation and development, and fountain impingement on the airframe.

Kotansky, D. R.↗

Study of VTOL in ground-effect flow field including temperature effect

Detailed pressure, temperature, and velocity data were obtained for twin-fan configurations in-ground-effect and flow models to aid in predicting pressures and upwash forces on aircraft surfaces were developed. For the basic experiments, 49.5 mm-diameter jets were used, oriented normal to a simulated round plane, with pressurized, heated air providing a jet. The experimental data consisted of: (1) the effect of jet height and temperature on the ground, model, and upwash pressures, and temperatures, (2) the effect of simulated aircraft surfaces on the isolated flow field, (3) the jet-induced forces on a three-dimensional body with various strakes, (4) the effects of non-uniform coannular jets. For the uniform circular jets, temperature was varied from room temperature (24 C) to 232 C. Jet total pressure was varied between 9,300 Pascals and 31,500 Pascals. For the coannular jets, intended to represent turbofan engines, fan temperature was maintained at room temperature while core temperature was varied from room temperature to 437 C. Results are presented.

Hill, W. G.↗

Two-dimensional wind-tunnel interference from measurements on two contours

This paper describes how wall-induced velocities near a model in a two-dimensional wind tunnel can be estimated from upwash distributions measured along two contours surrounding a model. The method is applicable to flows that can be represented by linear theory. It was derived by applying the Schwarz Integral Formula separately to the two contours and by exploiting the free-air relationship between upwashes along the contours. Advantages of the method are that only one flow quantity need by measured and no representation of the model is required. A weakness of the method is that it assumes streamwise interference velocity vanishes far upstream of the model. This method was applied to a simple theoretical model of flow in a solid-wall wind tunnel. The theoretical interference velocities and the velocities computed using the method were in excellent agreement. The method was then used to analyze experimental data acquired during adaptive-wall experiments at Ames Research Center. This analysis confirmed that the wall adjustments reduced wall-induced velocities near the model.

Schairer, E. T.↗

Impact of fuselage incidence on the supersonic aerodynamics of two fighter configurations

The results of experimental and theoretical investigations into the effect of fuselage upwash on fighter aircraft wing performance are reported. Wind tunnel trials were performed on 4 percent scale models of two supersonic fighters. The trials were run at Mach 1.6-2.0, an Re of 2,000,000 and at angles of attack (AOA) of -4 to 20 deg. Measurements were made of lift, drag and pitching moments. Two linearized theory supersonic aerodynamic prediction codes, PAN AIR and the SDAS lift analysis, were used to predict the same aerodynamic coefficients. The fuselage AOA augmented the lift and pitching moment at 0, 2 and 5 deg. The contribution mainly arose from the fuselage-induced upwash. The PAN AIR code gave superior data for the fuselage aerodynamics and effects, although both codes accurately predicted the overall lift and moment increments due to the fuselage AOA.

Wood, R. M.↗

Assessment of lift- and blockage-induced wall interference in a three-dimensional adaptive-wall tunnel

A three-dimensional adaptive-wall wind tunnel experiment was conducted at Ames Research Center. This experiment demonstrated the effects of wall interference on the upwash distribution on an imaginary surface surrounding a lifting wing. This presentation demonstrates how the interference assessment procedure used in the adaptive-wall experiments to determine the wall adjustments can be used to separately assess lift- and blockage-induced wall interference in a passive-wall wind tunnel. The effects of lift interference on the upwash distribution and on the model lift coefficient are interpreted by a simple horseshoe vortex analysis.

Schairer, E. T.↗

Computer studies of hybrid slotted working sections with minimum steady interference at subsonic speeds

Currently there is renewed interest in the evaluation and reduction of steady wind tunnel wall interference, especially for large models. Evaluation of previous predictions for perforated and slotted tunnels suggests that a hybrid slotted tunnel (i.e., a slotted tunnel with closed slats and perforated slots) should offer minimum corrections for upwash, flow curvature and solid blockage. This suggestion is confirmed by the present computer studies of a range of rectangular hybrid slotted tunnels. The computer studies are for tunnel working section height to breadth ratios of 0.835 and 0.600 over the Mach number range from 0 to 0.85. Wings swept at 28 deg and 50 deg, with ratios of model span to tunnel breadth varying from 0 to 0.7, are considered. An idealized fuselage shape is used to predict solid and wake blockage corrections for the wall configurations selected on the basis of minimum upwash and curvature interference.

Mabey, D. G.↗

Comparison of turbulence models for powered-lift flow fields

The development of a practical turbulence model for the complex flows with strong streamline curvature associated with powered-lift aircraft was investigated. The approach was to modify existing models that were compatible with the widely used kappa-epsilon model already available in an existing 3D Navier-Stokes code. The state-of-the-art of current turbulence models was examined. Several models that provide curvature corrections to the kappa-epsilon model were numerically investigated. An algebraic Reynolds stress model, which provides additional physics, was also examined. Test cases including an impinging jet, an impinging jet in a crossflow, and two adjacent impinging jets with the resultant upwash fountain were calculated. The first two test cases could be modeled reasonsbly well with some of the models. The upwash fountain could not be modeled with sufficient accuracy, which is consistent with the findings of other investigators.

Roberts, Donald W.↗

Use of source distributions for evaluating theoretical aerodynamics of thin finite wings at supersonic speeds

A series of publications on the source-distribution methods for evaluating the aerodynamics of thin wings at supersonic speeds is summarized, extended, and unified. Included in the first part are the deviations of: (a) the linearized partial-differential equation for unsteady flow at a substantially constant Mach number. b) The source-distribution solution for the perturbation-velocity potential that satisfies the boundary conditions of tangential flow at the surface and in the plane of the wing; and (c) the integral equation for determining the strength and the location of sources to describe the interaction effects (as represented by upwash) of the bottom and top wing surfaces through the region between the finite wing boundary and the foremost Mach wave. The second part deals with steady-state thin-wing problems. The third part of the report approximates the integral equation for unsteady upwash and includes a solution of approximate equation. Expressions are then derived to evaluate the load distributions for time-dependent finite-wing motions.

Evvard, John C↗

Using Indirect Turbulence Measurements for Real-Time Parameter Estimation in Turbulent Air

The use of indirect turbulence measurements for real-time estimation of parameters in a linear longitudinal dynamics model in atmospheric turbulence was studied. It is shown that measuring the atmospheric turbulence makes it possible to treat the turbulence as a measured explanatory variable in the parameter estimation problem. Commercial off-the-shelf sensors were researched and evaluated, then compared to air data booms. Sources of colored noise in the explanatory variables resulting from typical turbulence measurement techniques were identified and studied. A major source of colored noise in the explanatory variables was identified as frequency dependent upwash and time delay. The resulting upwash and time delay corrections were analyzed and compared to previous time shift dynamic modeling research. Simulation data as well as flight test data in atmospheric turbulence were used to verify the time delay behavior. Recommendations are given for follow on flight research and instrumentation.

Martos, Borja↗

CFD-Enhanced Calibration of a Multihole Probe for Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems

A robust calibration method with a 9-hole probe (9HP) for inertial wind vector measurements from a small uncrewed aircraft system (sUAS) is presented. Calibration accuracy is improved by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to estimate corrections, such as those for test section blockage, that are generally applied in wind tunnel testing. A method for estimating experimental bias is presented to account for flow variations over the pressure taps as the 9HP is repositioned in the test section. Installation effects from flow over the airframe and upwash produced by the wings are estimated from CFD simulations of the entire airframe at the expected cruise speed. An initial CFD analysis has demonstrated a quantifiable linear relationship between the measured and actual angle of attack as measured from the relative wind frame. In conclusion, the objective of these additional steps is to increase the accuracy of 9HP calibration.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Compressibility effects in the Kemp-Sears Problem

The effects of including compressibility in the Kemp-Sears problem of aerodynamic interference between moving blade rows are examined. Methods of linearized, subsonic, plane, unsteady flow are adopted. The major new effect is that a resonance appears at certain combinations of flow Mach number, tip Mach number, and blade vane ratios. The resonance is at exactly the Tyler-Sofrin cutoff condition for rotor-stator interaction. At such conditions the unsteady lift on a blade row due to externally imposed nonstationary upwash vanishes. However, the resonance appears to be very sharp and seems to be more significant as an indication that around this condition the unsteady lift changes very rapidly.

Mani, R.↗