Effect of critical Mach number and flutter on maximum power loading of ducted fans
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Wind tunnel tests of deflected slipstream cruise fan V/STOL aircraft wing
Wind tunnel investigation of longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of semispan wing deflected-slipstream configuration with double slotted flap and auxiliary wing
Wind tunnel test of fan-in-fuselage model of vtol aircraft
A 1/5 scale model rotor representative of a current technology, high bypass ratio, turbofan engine was installed and tested in the W8 single-stage, high-speed, compressor test facility at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). The same fan rotor was tested previously in the GRC 9x15 Low Speed Wind Tunnel as a fan module consisting of the rotor and outlet guide vanes mounted in a flight-like nacelle. The W8 test verified that the aerodynamic performance and detailed flow field of the rotor as installed in W8 were representative of the wind tunnel fan module installation. Modifications to W8 were necessary to ensure that this internal flow facility would have a flow field at the test package that is representative of flow conditions in the wind tunnel installation. Inlet flow conditioning was designed and installed in W8 to lower the fan face turbulence intensity to less than 1.0 percent in order to better match the wind tunnel operating environment. Also, inlet bleed was added to thin the casing boundary layer to be more representative of a flight nacelle boundary layer. On the 100 percent speed operating line the fan pressure rise and mass flow rate agreed with the wind tunnel data to within 1 percent. Detailed hot film surveys of the inlet flow, inlet boundary layer and fan exit flow were compared to results from the wind tunnel. The effect of inlet casing boundary layer thickness on fan performance was quantified. Challenges and lessons learned from testing this high flow, low static pressure rise fan in an internal flow facility are discussed.
High Speed Wind Tunnel testing of the SR-7L Large Scale Advanced Prop-Fan (LAP) is reported. The LAP is a 2.74 meter (9.0 ft) diameter, 8-bladed tractor type rated for 4475 KW (6000 SHP) at 1698 rpm. It was designated and built by Hamilton Standard under contract to the NASA Lewis Research Center. The LAP employs thin swept blades to provide efficient propulsion at flight speeds up to Mach .85. Testing was conducted in the ONERA S1-MA Atmospheric Wind Tunnel in Modane, France. The test objectives were to confirm that the LAP is free from high speed classical flutter, determine the structural and aerodynamic response to angular inflow, measure blade surface pressures (static and dynamic) and evaluate the aerodynamic performance at various blade angles, rotational speeds and Mach numbers. The measured structural and aerodynamic performance of the LAP correlated well with analytical predictions thereby providing confidence in the computer prediction codes used for the design. There were no signs of classical flutter throughout all phases of the test up to and including the 0.84 maximum Mach number achieved. Steady and unsteady blade surface pressures were successfully measured for a wide range of Mach numbers, inflow angles, rotational speeds and blade angles. No barriers were discovered that would prevent proceeding with the PTA (Prop-Fan Test Assessment) Flight Test Program scheduled for early 1987.
Two novel fan noise reduction concepts were tested using the Source Diagnostic Test fan stage model in the NASA Glenn 9x15 Low Speed Wind Tunnel. One, referred to as over the rotor treatment, consisted of a number of different casing treatments some of which contained acoustic treatment. The other, known as soft vane, consisted of fan exit guide vanes whose interior volume contained acoustic treatment that was exposed to the vane suction side surface through a perforate.
A wind tunnel test was conducted to determine the effects of inlet shape on fan radiated noise. Four inlet geometries, which included a long standard flight type inlet, a short, aggressive flight inlet a scarf inlet, and an elliptical inlet were investigated in the study. The fan model used in the study was a 0.1 scale of the Pratt and Whitney Advanced Ducted Propeller (ADP), an ultra high bypass ratio turbofan engine. Acoustic data are presented for a fan speed of 70% (12,000 rpm) and a tunnel speed of 0.10 Mach number, The fan was configured with a 16-bladed rotor and a 40 stator vane set that were separated by 2.0 chord lengths. The radiated noise was measured with 15 microphones on a boom that traversed the length of the tunnel test section. Data from these microphones are presented in the form of sideline angle directivity plots. Noise associated with the test inlets was also predicted using a ray acoustics code. Inlet shape has been found to have a significant effect on both tone and broadband noise, and the non-axisymmetric inlet shape can be used for a noise reduction method.
A wind tunnel test was conducted to obtain power on low speed characteristics of a twin fan vectored thrust V/STOL transport aircraft. Longitudinal, as well as some lateral directional data, were analyzed. Hover, STOL, and conventional flight modes were investigated. Determination of STOL characteristics, hover characteristics, roll control effectiveness and aircraft attitude were evaluated. The study also included various means to improve the lifting capability of the aircraft such as by application of fuselage strakes, exhaust vanes capable of shifting the thrust vector aft, and external flap blowing for STOL performance.
High speed wind tunnel aerodynamic performance tests of the SR-7A advanced prop-fan have been completed in support of the Prop-Fan Test Assessment (PTA) flight test program. The test showed that the SR-7A model performed aerodynamically very well. At the cruise design condition, the SR-7A prop fan had a high measured net efficiency of 79.3 percent.
High speed wind tunnel aerodynamic performance tests of the SR-7A advanced prop-fan have been completed in support of the Prop-Fan Test Assessment (PTA) flight test program. The test showed that the SR-7A model performed aerodynamically very well. At the cruise design condition, the SR-7A prop fan had a high measured net efficiency of 79.3 percent.
A wind-tunnel investigation has been made to study the static longitudinal and lateral stability characteristics of a simplified aerial vehicle supported by ducted fans that tilt relative to the airframe. The ducts were in a triangular arrangement with one duct in front and two at the rear in order to minimize the influence of the downwash of the front duct on the rear ducts. The results of the investigation were compared with those of a similar investigation for a tandem two-duct arrangement in which the ducts were fixed (rather than tiltable) relative to the airframe, since the three-duct configuration had been devised in an attempt to avoid some of the deficiencies of the tandem fixed-duct configuration. The results of the investigation indicated that the tilting-duct arrangement had less noseup pitching moment for a given forward speed than the tandem fixed-duct arrangement. The model had less angle-of-attack instability than the tandem fixed-duct arrangement. The model was directionally unstable but had a positive dihedral effect throughout the test speed range.
To investigate the fan noise generated from turbofan engines, miniature pressure transducers were used to measure the fluctuating pressure on the fan blades of a JT15D engine. Tests were conducted with the engine operating on an outdoor test stand and in a wind tunnel. It was found that a potential flow interaction between the fan blades and six, large support struts in the bypass duct is a dominant noise source in the JT15D engine. Effects of varying fan speed and the forward speed on the blade pressure are also presented.
Test data are presented for a 38-cm (15-in.) diameter, 1.28 pressure ratio model VTOL lift fan installed in a two-dimensional wing and tested in a 2.74-by 4.58-meter (9-by 15-ft)V/STOL wind tunnel. Tests were run with and without exit louvers over a wide range of crossflow velocities and wing angle of attack. Tests were also performed with annular-inlet vanes, inlet bell-mouth surface disconuities, and fences to induce fan windmilling. Data are presented on the axial force of the fan assembly and overall wing forces and moments as measured on force balances for various static and crossflow test conditions. Midspan wing surface pressure coefficient data are also given.
A wind tunnel experiment was conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center anechoic 9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel to investigate two new advanced noise reduction technologies in support of the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program Subsonic Fixed Wing Project. The goal of the experiment was to demonstrate the noise reduction potential and effect on fan model performance of the two noise reduction technologies in a scale model Ultra-High Bypass turbofan at simulated takeoff and approach aircraft flight speeds. The two novel noise reduction technologies are called Over-the-Rotor acoustic treatment and Soft Vanes. Both technologies were aimed at modifying the local noise source mechanisms of the fan tip vortex/fan case interaction and the rotor wake-stator interaction. For the Over-the-Rotor acoustic treatment, two noise reduction configurations were investigated. The results showed that the two noise reduction technologies, Over-the-Rotor and Soft Vanes, were able to reduce the noise level of the fan model, but the Over-the-Rotor configurations had a significant negative impact on the fan aerodynamic performance; the loss in fan aerodynamic efficiency was between 2.75 to 8.75 percent, depending on configuration, compared to the conventional solid baseline fan case rubstrip also tested. Performance results with the Soft Vanes showed that there was no measurable change in the corrected fan thrust and a 1.8 percent loss in corrected stator vane thrust, which resulted in a total net thrust loss of approximately 0.5 percent compared with the baseline reference stator vane set.
Wing installed VTOL coaxial drive lift fan model in wind tunnel test, investigating performance in crosswind environment
A flight test program utilizing a JT15D-1 turbofan engine has been conducted with the objectives of studying flight effects on fan noise and evaluating the simulation effectiveness of both a wind tunnel and a static test configuration that incorporated an inlet control device (ICD). In conjunction with synchronized laser-radar tracking and meteorological profile information, data obtained from a linear array of ground microphones was narrowband-analyzed and ensemble-averaged to yield highly accurate far-field flight acoustic results. Utilizing appropriate corrections, flight, wind tunnel, and static acoustic data were normalized to a static-equivalent, 100-foot radius, lossless reference condition. Data comparisons showed that both the static test with ICD and wind tunnel were generally very effective in simulating flight blade-passage-frequency (BPF) noise levels. However, differences were observed in broadband noise levels and in the details of the multiple-pure-tone harmonics.
Noise data measurements from a large scale lift fan transport model aircraft were made in the 40- by 80-foot wind tunnel. The model had two lift fans in deep inlets in the forward fuselage and two lift-cruise fans in pods on the aft fuselage. The noise data measurements are presented as listings and plots of sounds pressure level versus 1/3-octave center frequency.