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NASA NTRS1988

Wave Drag and High-speed Performance of Supersonic STOVL Fighter Configuration

A supersonic STOVL fighter aircraft aerodynamic research program is under way at NASA Ames Research Center. The research focuses on technology development for this type of aircraft and includes generating an extensive aerodynamic database and resolving particular aerodynamic uncertainties for various twin- and single-engine aircraft concepts. Highlights of the results from this program are presented. The highlights include propulsion-induced effects on the aircraft drag, prediction capabilities, volume integration for minimizing drag, and wave drag and aerodynamic efficiency comparisons. Results indicate that estimated STOVL fighter performance is roughly comparable to the performance of modern conventional fighters in terms of wave drag and aerodynamic efficiency.

Durston, Donald A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Validation of a pair of computer codes for estimation and optimization of subsonic aerodynamic performance of simple hinged-flap systems for thin swept wings

Extensive correlations of computer code results with experimental data are employed to illustrate the use of linearized theory attached flow methods for the estimation and optimization of the aerodynamic performance of simple hinged flap systems. Use of attached flow methods is based on the premise that high levels of aerodynamic efficiency require a flow that is as nearly attached as circumstances permit. A variety of swept wing configurations are considered ranging from fighters to supersonic transports, all with leading- and trailing-edge flaps for enhancement of subsonic aerodynamic efficiency. The results indicate that linearized theory attached flow computer code methods provide a rational basis for the estimation and optimization of flap system aerodynamic performance at subsonic speeds. The analysis also indicates that vortex flap design is not an opposing approach but is closely related to attached flow design concepts. The successful vortex flap design actually suppresses the formation of detached vortices to produce a small vortex which is restricted almost entirely to the leading edge flap itself.

Carlson, Harry W.↗

NASA NTRS1959

Aerodynamic design for supersonic speeds

The aerodynamic phenomena that may profitably be employed by the designer at subsonic speeds seem now to be well understood. At supersonic speeds such phenomena show a greater and more interesting variety. Search for the minimum number of guiding principles of design thus becomes more difficult and more dangerous. Studies which can cover an adequate range of geometrical form are at present limited to the linearized version of aerodynamic theory. Such studies, especially those by variational methods, have disclosed certain basic principles of design for aerodynamic efficiency. In present-day experiments, however, the indicated trends are rather quickly confronted with effects of viscosity and nonlinearities. While the theory indicates that good values of aerodynamic efficiency are possible at supersonic speeds it is not yet clear how closely these expectations may be approached in practice. In the present paper several arrangements of supporting surfaces and bodies are discussed and in some cases comparisons of theory and experiment are made. Finally, certain phenomena connected with lift and drag in a rarefied medium are considered briefly.

Robert T. Jones↗

NASA NTRS2012

Aeroelastic Modeling of Elastically Shaped Aircraft Concept via Wing Shaping Control for Drag Reduction

Lightweight aircraft design has received a considerable attention in recent years as a means for improving cruise efficiency. Reducing aircraft weight results in lower lift requirements which directly translate into lower drag, hence reduced engine thrust requirements during cruise. The use of lightweight materials such as advanced composite materials has been adopted by airframe manufacturers in current and future aircraft. Modern lightweight materials can provide less structural rigidity while maintaining load-carrying capacity. As structural flexibility increases, aeroelastic interactions with aerodynamic forces and moments become an increasingly important consideration in aircraft design and aerodynamic performance. Furthermore, aeroelastic interactions with flight dynamics can result in issues with vehicle stability and control. Abstract This paper describes a recent aeroelastic modeling effort for an elastically shaped aircraft concept (ESAC). The aircraft model is based on the rigid-body generic transport model (GTM) originally developed at NASA Langley Research Center. The ESAC distinguishes itself from the GTM in that it is equipped with highly flexible wing structures as a weight reduction design feature. More significantly, the wings are outfitted with a novel control effector concept called variable camber continuous trailing edge (VCCTE) flap system for active control of wing aeroelastic deflections to optimize the local angle of attack of wing sections for improved aerodynamic efficiency through cruise drag reduction and lift enhancement during take-off and landing. The VCCTE flap is a multi-functional and aerodynamically efficient device capable of achieving high lift-to-drag ratios. The flap system is comprised of three chordwise segments that form the variable camber feature of the flap and multiple spanwise segments that form a piecewise continuous trailing edge. By configuring the flap camber and trailing edge shape, drag reduction could be achieved. Moreover, some parts of the flap system can be made to have a high frequency response for roll control, gust load alleviation, and aeroservoelastic (ASE) modal suppression control. Abstract The aeroelastic model of the ESAC is based on one-dimensional structural dynamic theory that captures the aeroelastic deformation of a wing structure in a combined motion that involves flapwise bending, chordwise bending, and torsion. The model includes the effect of aircraft propulsion due to wing flexibility which causes the propulsive forces and moments to couple with the wing elastic motion. Engine mass is also accounted in the model. A fuel management model is developed to describe the wing mass change due to fuel usage in the main tank and wing tanks during cruise. Abstract The model computes both static and dynamic responses of the wing structures. The static aeroelastic deflections are used to estimate the effect of wing flexibility on induced drag and the potential drag reduction by the VCCTE flap system. A flutter analysis is conducted to estimate the flutter speed boundary. Gust load alleviation via adaptive control has been recently investigated to address flexibility of aircraft structures. A multi-objective flight control approach is presented for drag reduction control. The approach is based on an optimal control framework using a multi-objective cost function. Future studies will demonstrate the potential benefits of the approach.

Aeroelasticity↗

NASA NTRS2000

An Efficient Inverse Aerodynamic Design Method For Subsonic Flows

Computational Fluid Dynamics based design methods are maturing to the point that they are beginning to be used in the aircraft design process. Many design methods however have demonstrated deficiencies in the leading edge region of airfoil sections. The objective of the present research is to develop an efficient inverse design method which is valid in the leading edge region. The new design method is a streamline curvature method, and a new technique is presented for modeling the variation of the streamline curvature normal to the surface. The new design method allows the surface coordinates to move normal to the surface, and has been incorporated into the Constrained Direct Iterative Surface Curvature (CDISC) design method. The accuracy and efficiency of the design method is demonstrated using both two-dimensional and three-dimensional design cases.

Milholen, William E., II↗

NASA NTRS1992

Arrow 227: Air transport system design simulation

The Arrow 227 is a student-designed commercial transport for use in a overnight package delivery network. The major goal of the concept was to provide the delivery service with the greatest potential return on investment. The design objectives of the Arrow 227 were based on three parameters; production cost, payload weight, and aerodynamic efficiency. Low production cost helps to reduce initial investment. Increased payload weight allows for a decrease in flight cycles and, therefore, less fuel consumption than an aircraft carrying less payload weight and requiring more flight cycles. In addition, fewer flight cycles will allow a fleet to last longer. Finally, increased aerodynamic efficiency in the form of high L/D will decrease fuel consumption.

Bontempi, Michael↗

NASA NTRS2014

Materials, Manufacturing and Test Development of a Composite Fan Blade Leading Edge Subcomponent for Improved Impact Resistance

Application of polymer matrix composite materials for jet engine fan blades is becoming attractive as an alternative to metallic blades; particularly for large engines where significant weight savings are recognized on moving to a composite structure. However, the weight benefit of the composite of is offset by a reduction of aerodynamic efficiency resulting from a necessary increase in blade thickness; relative to the titanium blades. Blade dimensions are largely driven by resistance to damage on bird strike. Further development of the composite material is necessary to allow composite blade designs to approximate the dimensions of a metallic fan blade. The reduction in thickness over the state of the art composite blades is expected to translate into structural weight reduction, improved aerodynamic efficiency, and therefore reduced fuel consumption. This paper presents test article design, subcomponent blade leading edge fabrication, test method development, and initial results from ballistic impact of a gelatin projectile on the leading edge of composite fan blades. The simplified test article geometry was developed to realistically simulate a blade leading edge while decreasing fabrication complexity. Impact data is presented on baseline composite blades and toughened blades; where a considerable improvement to impact resistance was recorded.

Ballistic Impact↗

NASA NTRS2015

Materials, Manufacturing, and Test Development of a Composite Fan Blade Leading Edge Subcomponent for Improved Impact Resistance

Application of polymer matrix composite materials for jet engine fan blades is becoming attractive as an alternative to metallic blades; particularly for large engines where significant weight savings are recognized on moving to a composite structure. However, the weight benefit of the composite is offset by a reduction of aerodynamic efficiency resulting from a necessary increase in blade thickness; relative to the titanium blades. Blade dimensions are largely driven by resistance to damage on bird strike. Further development of the composite material is necessary to allow composite blade designs to approximate the dimensions of a metallic fan blade. The reduction in thickness over the state of the art composite blades is expected to translate into structural weight reduction, improved aerodynamic efficiency, and therefore reduced fuel consumption. This paper presents test article design, subcomponent blade leading edge fabrication, test method development, and initial results from ballistic impact of a gelatin projectile on the leading edge of composite fan blades. The simplified test article geometry was developed to realistically simulate a blade leading edge while decreasing fabrication complexity. Impact data is presented on baseline composite blades and toughened blades; where a considerable improvement to impact resistance was recorded.

Materials↗

NASA NTRS1980

A family of supersonic airplanes: Technical and economic feasibility

To improve the prospects for success in the market place, the family approach is essential to the design of future supersonic airplanes. The evolution from a basic supersonic airplane to a family could follow historic patterns, with one exception: substantial changes in passenger carrying capacity will be difficult by the conventional fuselage "doughnut" approach so successfully used on the cylindrical fuselage of subsonic airplanes. The primary reasons for this difference include the requirement for highly integrated "area ruled" configurations, to give the desired high supersonic aerodynamic efficiency, and other physical limitations such as takeoff and landing rotation. A concept for a supersonic airplane family that could effectively solve the variable range and passenger capacity problem provides for modification of the fuselage cross section that makes it possible to build a family of three airplanes with four, five, and six abreast passenger seating. This is done by replacing or modifying portions of the fuselage. All airplanes share the same wing, engines, and major subsystems. Only small sections of the fuselage would be different, and aerodynamic efficiency need not be compromised.

Neumann, F. D.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Fuselage Boundary Layer Ingestion Propulsion Applied to a Thin Haul Commuter Aircraft for Optimal Efficiency

Theoretical and numerical aspects of aerodynamic efficiency of propulsion systems are studied. Focus is on types of propulsion that closely couples to the aerodynamics of the complete vehicle. We discuss the effects of local flow fields, which are affected both by conservative flow acceleration as well as total pressure losses, on the efficiency of boundary layer immersed propulsion devices. We introduce the concept of a boundary layer retardation turbine that helps reduce skin friction over the fuselage. We numerically investigate efficiency gains offered by boundary layer and wake interacting devices. We discuss the results in terms of a total energy consumption framework and show that efficiency gains offered depend on all the elements of the propulsion system.

Mikic, Gregor Veble↗

NASA NTRS1996

Efficient Helicopter Aerodynamic and Aeroacoustic Predictions on Parallel Computers

This paper presents parallel implementations of two codes used in a combined CFD/Kirchhoff methodology to predict the aerodynamics and aeroacoustics properties of helicopters. The rotorcraft Navier-Stokes code, TURNS, computes the aerodynamic flowfield near the helicopter blades and the Kirchhoff acoustics code computes the noise in the far field, using the TURNS solution as input. The overall parallel strategy adds MPI message passing calls to the existing serial codes to allow for communication between processors. As a result, the total code modifications required for parallel execution are relatively small. The biggest bottleneck in running the TURNS code in parallel comes from the LU-SGS algorithm that solves the implicit system of equations. We use a new hybrid domain decomposition implementation of LU-SGS to obtain good parallel performance on the SP-2. TURNS demonstrates excellent parallel speedups for quasi-steady and unsteady three-dimensional calculations of a helicopter blade in forward flight. The execution rate attained by the code on 114 processors is six times faster than the same cases run on one processor of the Cray C-90. The parallel Kirchhoff code also shows excellent parallel speedups and fast execution rates. As a performance demonstration, unsteady acoustic pressures are computed at 1886 far-field observer locations for a sample acoustics problem. The calculation requires over two hundred hours of CPU time on one C-90 processor but takes only a few hours on 80 processors of the SP2. The resultant far-field acoustic field is analyzed with state of-the-art audio and video rendering of the propagating acoustic signals.

Wissink, Andrew M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Unconventional missile concepts from consideration of varied mission requirements

Missile concepts for volumetric efficiency, minimum carriage constraints, and aerodynamic performance to achieve mission requirements. The mission requirements considered include air to surface roles such as defense suppression or antishipping where payload and range may have priority over high maneuver capability, and air to air and surface to air roles paying attention to good maneuvering capability. The concepts are intended to provide for ease of storage or carriage. The concepts include monoplanes with highly swept, thick delta wings, highly swept delta wings mounted either high or low on a semicircular body, some ring wing and semiring wing arrangements, parasol wing, and elliptical lifting bodies. The missile configurations indicate possible approaches toward resolving problems of carriage and storage while retaining good volumetric and aerodynamic efficiency. The configurations can accomplish a variety of possible missions with relatively simple vehicle shapes.

Spearman, M. L.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Energy efficient engine: High pressure turbine uncooled rig technology report

Results obtained from testing five performance builds (three vane cascades and two rotating rigs of the Energy Efficient Engine uncooled rig have established the uncooled aerodynamic efficiency of the high-pressure turbine at 91.1 percent. This efficiency level was attained by increasing the rim speed and annulus area (AN(2)), and by increasing the turbine reaction level. The increase in AN(2) resulted in a performance improvement of 1.15 percent. At the design point pressure ratio, the increased reaction level rig demonstrated an efficiency of 91.1 percent. The results of this program have verified the aerodynamic design assumptions established for the Energy Efficient Engine high-pressure turbine component.

Gardner, W. B.↗

NASA NTRS1983

The design of a human-powered vehicle

Human power applied through a bicycle is perhaps the most efficient means of transport available today. Aerodynamic drag, however, limits the speed possible from the man/bicycle combination. An aerodynamically efficient body enclosing the system can reduce the drag and permit increased speeds. A study was conducted to determine an efficient body design for a high-speed bicycle. Wind tunnel and potential flow studies were conducted to evaluate the drag and lift characteristics of proposed shell designs. A proposed bicycle/shell design is presented.

Wiederholt, J. V.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design Exploration of a Slotted-Wing Common Research Model

A knowledge-based aerodynamic design method, Constrained Direct Iterative Surface Cur-vature (CDISC), has been leveraged for the computational design exploration of a Common Research Model with Reduced-Sweep and Slotted Wings (CRMRS-SW). Cruise-slotted-wing airfoils include a slot near the trailing edge of a main airfoil component to introduce stream air to the low-momentum, upper-surface boundary layer on a flap airfoil component with the goal of allowing for a more aft loading, relative to supercritical airfoils, without shock-induced separation. Ultimately, the cruise slotted wing is a passive technology that allows for an in-crease in the drag divergence Mach number and/or an increase in aerodynamic efficiency at agiven cruise condition. These aerodynamic benefits may be realized at the vehicle level through a trade space that includes the following design options: increasing cruise Mach number, in-creasing wing thickness, decreasing wing sweep, increasing lift coefficient and/or decreasing drag coefficient. The present study aimed to evaluate the slotted-wing concept’s potential as adrag-saving technology in application to a single-aisle transonic transport aircraft at a given cruise condition. The CDISC design method was used to develop a better understanding of the slotted-wing design variables that have a significant impact on the variability in aircraft drag and leverage this newly-developed knowledge to quantify the aerodynamic performance benefits enabled by the cruise slotted wing.

Brett R. Hiller↗

NASA NTRS1956

Analytical investigation of single-stage-turbine efficiency characteristics in terms of work and speed requirements

This report uses a work-speed parameter in describing single-stage full-admission turbine efficiency characteristics. The range of this parameter considered covers that used in turbojet engine applications as well as that being encountered in such applications as turbopump and accessory drives. Efficiency types considered are (a) total or aerodynamic efficiency, (b) rating efficiency, used in jet enjine applications, and (c) static efficiency, used in turbopump and accessory drive applications. Velocity diagram types considered include zero exit whirl, impulse, and those corresponding to maximum values of efficiency.

Stewart, Warner L↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Fault Detection and Performance Monitoring of Propellers in Electric UAV

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used in various industries such as agriculture and logistics, to name but a few, where their applications are beyond basic mapping, surveillance, and photography. In near future, UAVs are expected to be used in package delivery service and larger electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles will be employed for urban air mobility applications (air taxi). Thus, several electric propulsion systems will enter the low-altitude airspace with frequent take offs and landings. To achieve state-of-the-art safety standards under such high traffic density, UAVs will require in-time fault detection and performance monitoring of critical powertrain components. This work focuses on propeller blade performance and damage detection in electric UAVs. Propellers are the fastest moving component in an UAV; even a minor defect in the propeller blades could cause performance deterioration, with consequent challenges in flying through the planned trajectory or adhere to the safety requirements of the operation. Monitoring and updating aerodynamic efficiency of each rotor would therefore enable the detection of off-nominal propeller conditions thus magnifying the state-awareness of powertrain monitoring systems based on the acquired electrical signals. We use an extended Kalman filter-based parameter estimation algorithm that incorporates time history responses from UAV powertrain in conjunction with a full powertrain system model. Propeller fault detection is achieved by incorporating the aerodynamic parameters of propeller into the powertrain model. The proposed technique is successfully validated with numerical simulations.

Unmanned aerial vehicles↗

NASA NTRS1992

Eagle RTS: A design for a regional transport aircraft

This university design project concerns the Eagle RTS (Regional Transport System), a 66 passenger, twin turboprop aircraft with a range of 836 nautical miles. It will operate with a crew of two pilots and two flight attendents. This aircraft will employ the use of aluminum alloys and composite materials to reduce the aircraft weight and increase aerodynamic efficiency. The Eagle RTS will use narrow body aerodynamics with a canard configuration to improve performance. Leading edge technology will be used in the cockpit to improve flight handling and safety. The Eagle RTS propulsion system will consist of two turboprop engines with a total thrust of approximately 6300 pounds, 3150 pounds thrust per engine, for the cruise configuration. The engines will be mounted on the aft section of the aircraft to increase passenger safety in the event of a propeller failure. Aft mounted engines will also increase the overall efficiency of the aircraft by reducing the aircraft's drag. The Eagle RTS is projected to have a takeoff distance of approximately 4700 feet and a landing distance of 6100 feet. These distances will allow the Eagle RTS to land at the relatively short runways of regional airports.

Bryer, Paul↗