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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

Design and Experimental Results for a Natural-Laminar-Flow Airfoil for General Aviation Applications

A natural-laminar-flow airfoil for general aviation applications, the NLF(1)-0416, was designed and analyzed theoretically and verified experimentally in the Langley Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel. The basic objective of combining the high maximum lift of the NASA low-speed airfoils with the low cruise drag of the NACA 6-series airfoils was achieved. The safety requirement that the maximum lift coefficient not be significantly affected with transition fixed near the leading edge was also met. Comparisons of the theoretical and experimental results show excellent agreement. Comparisons with other airfoils, both laminar flow and turbulent flow, confirm the achievement of the basic objective.

Somers, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Observations and implications of natural laminar flow on practical airplane surfaces

The results of natural laminar flow (NLF) experiments conducted by NASA to determine if modern aircraft structures can benefit from NLF as do sailplanes are presented. Seven aircraft, ranging from a Cessna 210 to a Learjet 28/29, with relatively stiff skins were flown in production configurations with no modifications. Measurements were made of the boundary-layer laminar to turbulent transition locations on various aerodynamic surfaces, the effect of a total loss of laminar flow, the effect of the propeller slipstream on the wing boundary-layer transition and the boundary-layer profiles, the wing section profile drag, the effect of flight through clouds, and insect debris contamination effects. Favorable pressure gradients for NLF were concluded to be feasible up to a transition Reynolds number of 11 million. Laminar flows were observed in propeller slipstreams, and insects were found to cause transition 1/4 of the time.

Holmes, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Design and experimental results for a flapped natural-laminar-flow airfoil for general aviation applications

A flapped natural laminar flow airfoil for general aviation applications, the NLF(1)-0215F, has been designed and analyzed theoretically and verified experimentally in the Langley Low Turbulence Pressure Tunnel. The basic objective of combining the high maximum lift of the NASA low speed airfoils with the low cruise drag of the NACA 6 series airfoils has been achieved. The safety requirement that the maximum lift coefficient not be significantly affected with transition fixed near the leading edge has also been met. Comparisons of the theoretical and experimental results show generally good agreement.

Somers, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Computational Design and Analysis of a Transonic Natural Laminar Flow Wing for a Wind Tunnel Model

A natural laminar flow (NLF) wind tunnel model has been designed and analyzed for a wind tunnel test in the National Transonic Facility (NTF) at the NASA Langley Research Center. The NLF design method is built into the CDISC design module and uses a Navier-Stokes flow solver, a boundary layer profile solver, and stability analysis and transition prediction software. The NLF design method alters the pressure distribution to support laminar flow on the upper surface of wings with high sweep and flight Reynolds numbers. The method addresses transition due to attachment line contamination/transition, Gortler vortices, and crossflow and Tollmien-Schlichting modal instabilities. The design method is applied to the wing of the Common Research Model (CRM) at transonic flight conditions. Computational analysis predicts significant extents of laminar flow on the wing upper surface, which results in drag savings. A 5.2 percent scale semispan model of the CRM NLF wing will be built and tested in the NTF. This test will aim to validate the NLF design method, as well as characterize the laminar flow testing capabilities in the wind tunnel facility.

Lynde, Michelle N.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Additional Findings from the Common Research Model Natural Laminar Flow Wind Tunnel Test

An experimental investigation of the Common Research Model with Natural Laminar Flow (CRM-NLF) took place in the National Transonic Facility (NTF) at the NASA Langley Research Center in 2018. The 5.2% scale semispan model was designed using a new natural laminar flow design method, Crossflow Attenuated NLF (CATNLF). CATNLF enables laminar flow on typical transport wings with high sweep and Reynolds number by reshaping the wing airfoils to obtain specific pressure distribution characteristics that control the crossflow growth near the leading edge. The CATNLF method also addresses Tollmien- Schlichting transition, attachment line transition, and Görtler vortices. During the wind tunnel test, data were acquired to address three primary test objectives: validate the CATNLF design method, characterize the NTF laminar flow testing capabilities, and establish best practices for laminar flow wind tunnel testing. The present paper provides both experimental and computational data to understand the CRM-NLF laminar flow characteristics, as well as address the three primary test objectives. The effects of angle of attack and Reynolds number on the CRM-NLF laminar flow extent are studied, and the dominant transition mechanism is evaluated at a variety of test conditions. Critical N-factors are calculated for the NTF environment, and a discussion on best practices for laminar flow wind tunnel testing is provided. The CRM-NLF in the NTF provided initial confirmation of the ability of the CATNLF method to suppress crossflow growth and enable significant extents of laminar flow on transport wings with high sweep and Reynolds numbers.

Lynde, Michelle N.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Design and Experimental Results for a Low-Speed, Flapped, Slotted, Natural-Laminar-Flow Airfoil

A 12.91-percent-thick, flapped, slotted, natural-laminar-flow (SNLF) airfoil, the S702, intended for a low-speed, fixed-wing aircraft has been designed and analyzed theoretically and verified experimentally in The Pennsylvania State University Low-Speed, Low- Turbulence Wind Tunnel. The two primary objectives of high maximum lift, insensitive to roughness, and low profile drag have been achieved. The airfoil exhibits a sharp stall that is less abrupt than the stalls of earlier SNLF airfoils, which meets the design objective. The constraint on the pitching moment has been satisfied. Comparisons of the theoretical and experimental results show reasonably good agreement overall, given the complexity of the configuration.

slotted airfoil↗
NASA NTRS1987

Wind-tunnel investigation of a full-scale general aviation airplane equipped with an advanced natural laminar flow wing

An investigation was conducted in the Langley 30- by 60-Foot Wind Tunnel to evaluate the performance, stability, and control characteristics of a full-scale general aviation airplane equipped with an advanced laminar flow wing. The study focused on the effects of natural laminar flow and advanced boundary layer transition on performance, stability, and control, and also on the effects of several wing leading edge modifications on the stall/departure resistance of the configuration. Data were measured over an angle-of-attack range from -6 to 40 deg and an angle-of-sideslip range from -6 to 20 deg. The Reynolds number was varied from 1.4 to 2.4 x 10 to the 6th power based on the mean aerodynamic chord. Additional measurements were made using hot-film and sublimating chemical techniques to determine the condition of the wing boundary layer, and wool tufts were used to study the wing stall characteristics. The investigation showed that large regions of natural laminar flow existed on the wing which would significantly enhance cruise performance. Also, because of the characteristics of the airfoil section, artificially tripping the wing boundary layer to a turbulent condition did not significantly effect the lift, stability, and control characteristics. The addition of a leading-edge droop arrangement was found to increase the stall angle of attack at the wingtips and, therefore, was considered to be effective in improving the stall/departure resistance of the configuration. Also the addition of the droop arrangement resulted in only minor increases in drag.

Murri, Daniel G.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Boundary layer stability analysis of a natural laminar flow glove on the F-111 TACT airplane

A natural laminar flow airfoil has been developed as a part of the aircraft energy efficiency program. A NASA flight program incorporating this airfoil into partial wing gloves on the F-111 TACT airplane was scheduled to start in May, 1980. In support of this research effort, an extensive boundary layer stability analysis of the partial glove has been conducted. The results of that analysis show the expected effects of wing leading-edge sweep angle, Reynolds number, and compressibility on boundary layer stability and transition. These results indicate that it should be possible to attain on the order of 60% laminar flow on the upper surface and 50% laminar flow on the lower surface for sweep angles of at least 20 deg, chord Reynolds numbers of 25 x 10 to the 6th and Mach numbers from 0.81 to 0.85.

Runyan, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

An Exploratory Investigation of a Slotted, Natural-Laminar-Flow Airfoil

A 15-percent-thick, slotted, natural-laminar-flow (SNLF) airfoil, the S103, for general aviation applications has been designed and analyzed theoretically and verified experimentally in the Langley Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel. The two primary objectives of high maximum lift and low profile drag have been achieved. The constraints on the pitching moment and the airfoil thickness have been satisfied. The airfoil exhibits a rapid stall, which does not meet the design goal. Comparisons of the theoretical and experimental results show good agreement. Comparison with the baseline, NASA NLF(1)-0215F airfoil confirms the achievement of the objectives.

Somers, Dan M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Natural laminar flow application to transport aircraft

A major goal of NASA during the last 15 years has been the development of laminar flow technology for aircraft drag reduction. Of equal importance is achieving a state of readiness that will allow the successful application of this technology by industry to large, long-range aircraft. Recent progress in achieving extensive laminar flow with limited suction on the Boeing 757 has raised the prospects from practical application of the hybrid laminar flow control (HLFC) concept to subsonic aircraft. Also, better understanding of phenomena affecting laminar flow stability and response to disturbances has encouraged consideration of natural laminar flow (NLF), obtained without suction or active mechanical means, for application to transport aircraft larger than previously thought feasible. These ideas have inspired the current NASA/ASEE project with goals as follows: explore the feasibility of extensive NLF for aircraft at high Reynolds number under realistic flight conditions; determine the potential applications of NLF technology and the conditions under which they may be achieved; and identify existing aircraft that could be adapted to carry out flight experiments to validate NLF technology application. To achieve these objectives, understanding of the physical limits to natural laminar flow and possible ways to extend these limits was sought. The primary factors involved are unit Reynolds number, Mach number, wing sweep, thickness, and lift coefficients as well as surface pressure gradients and curvature. Based on previous and ongoing studies using laminar boundary layer stability theory, the interplay of the above factors and the corresponding transition limits were postulated.

Gratzer, Louis B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Progress in natural laminar flow research

For decades, since the earliest attempts to obtain natural laminar flow (NLF) on airplanes, three classical objections to its practicality have been held in the aeronautical community. These objectives concerned first, the capability to manufacture practical airframe surfaces smooth enough for NLF; second, the apparent inherent instability and sensitivity of NLF; and third, the accumulation of contamination such as insect debris in flight. This paper explains recent progress in our understanding of the achieveability and maintainability of NLF on modern airframe surfaces. This discussion explains why previous attempts to use NLF failed and what has changed regarding the three classical objections to NLF practicality. Future NASA research plans are described concerning exploring the limits of NLF usefulness, production tolerances, operational considerations, transition behavior and measurement methods, and NLF design applications.

Holmes, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

A Method for the Constrained Design of Natural Laminar Flow Airfoils

A fully automated iterative design method has been developed by which an airfoil with a substantial amount of natural laminar flow can be designed, while maintaining other aerodynamic and geometric constraints. Drag reductions have been realized using the design method over a range of Mach numbers, Reynolds numbers and airfoil thicknesses. The thrusts of the method are its ability to calculate a target N-Factor distribution that forces the flow to undergo transition at the desired location; the target-pressure-N-Factor relationship that is used to reduce the N-Factors in order to prolong transition; and its ability to design airfoils to meet lift, pitching moment, thickness and leading-edge radius constraints while also being able to meet the natural laminar flow constraint. The method uses several existing CFD codes and can design a new airfoil in only a few days using a Silicon Graphics IRIS workstation.

Green, Bradford E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Natural laminar flow experiments on modern airplane surfaces

Flight and wind-tunnel natural laminar flow experiments have been conducted on various lifting and nonlifting surfaces of several airplanes at unit Reynolds numbers between 0.63 x 10 to the 6th power/ft and 3.08 x 10 to the 6th power/ft, at Mach numbers from 0.1 to 0.7, and at lifting surface leading-edge sweep angles from 0 deg to 63 deg. The airplanes tested were selected to provide relatively stiff skin conditions, free from significant roughness and waviness, on smooth modern production-type airframes. The observed transition locations typically occurred downstream of the measured or calculated pressure peak locations for the test conditions involved. No discernible effects on transition due to surface waviness were observed on any of the surfaces tested. None of the measured heights of surface waviness exceeded the empirically predicted allowable surface waviness. Experimental results consistent with spanwise contamination criteria were observed. Large changes in flight-measured performance and stability and control resulted from loss of laminar flow by forced transition. Rain effects on the laminar boundary layer caused stick-fixed nose-down pitch-trim changes in two of the airplanes tested. No effect on transition was observed for flight through low-altitude liquid-phase clouds. These observations indicate the importance of fixed-transition tests as a standard flight testing procedure for modern smooth airframes.

Holmes, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Measurement of the effect of manufacturing deviations on natural laminar flow for a single engine general aviation airplane

Renewed interest in natural laminar flow (NLF) had rekindled designer concern that manufacuring deviations may destroy the effectiveness of NLF for an operational aircraft. Experiments are summarized that attemtped to measure total drag changes associated with three different wing surface conditions on an aircraft typical of current general aviation high performance singles. The speed power technique was first used in an attempt to quantify the changes in total drag. Predicted and measured boundary layer transition locations for three different wing surface conditions were also compared, using two different forms of flow visualization. The three flight test phases included: assessment of an unpainted airframe, flight tests of the same aircraft after painstakingly filling and sanding the wings to design contours, and similar measurement after this aricraft was painted. In each flight phase, transition locations were monitored using with sublimating chemicals or pigmented oil. Two-dimensional drag coefficients were estimated using the Eppler-Somers code and measured with a wake rake in a method very similar to Jones' pitot traverse method. The net change in two-dimensional drag coefficient was approximately 20 counts between the unpainted aircraft and the hand-smoothed aircraft for typical cruise flight conditions.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1986

Design of fuselage shapes for natural laminar flow

Recent technological advances in airplane construction techniques and materials allow for the production of aerodynamic surfaces without significant waviness and roughness, permitting long runs of natural laminar flow (NLF). The present research effort seeks to refine and validate computational design tools for use in the design of axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric natural-laminar-flow bodies. The principal task of the investigation involves fuselage body shaping using a computational design procedure. Analytical methods were refined and exploratory calculations conducted to predict laminar boundary-layer on selected body shapes. Using a low-order surface-singularity aerodynamic analysis program, pressure distribution, boundary-layer development, transition location and drag coefficient have been obtained for a number of body shapes including a representative business-aircraft fuselage. Extensive runs of laminar flow were predicted in regions of favorable pressure gradient on smooth body surfaces. A computational design procedure was developed to obtain a body shape with minimum drag having large extent of NLF.

Dodbele, S. S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Computational wing design studies relating to natural laminar flow

Two research studies are described which directly relate to the application of natural laminar flow (NLF) technology to transonic transport-type wing planforms. Each involved using state-of-the-art computational methods to design three-dimensional wing contours which generate significant runs of favorable pressure gradients. The first study supported the Variable Sweep Transition Flight Experiment and involves design of a full-span glove which extends from the leading edge to the spoiler hinge line on the upper surface of an F-14 outer wing panel. A wing was designed computationally for a corporate transport aircraft in the second study. The resulting wing design generated favorable pressure gradients from the leading edge aft to the mid-chord on both upper and lower surfaces at the cruise design point. Detailed descriptions of the computational design approach are presented along with the various constraints imposed on each of the designs.

Waggoner, Edgar G.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Design of a Slotted, Natural-Laminar-Flow Airfoil for a Transport Aircraft

A 13.49-percent-thick, slotted, natural-laminar-flow airfoil, the S207, for a transport aircraft has been designed and analyzed theoretically. The two primary objectives of high maximum lift, insensitive to roughness, and low profile drag have been achieved. The drag-divergence Mach number is predicted to be greater than 0.70.

Somers, Dan M.↗
NASA NTRS2013

DRE-Enhanced Swept-Wing Natural Laminar Flow at High Reynolds Numbers

Nonlinear parabolized stability equations and secondary instability analyses are used to provide a computational assessment of the potential use of the discrete roughness elements (DRE) technology for extending swept-wing natural laminar flow at chord Reynolds numbers relevant to transport aircraft. Computations performed for the boundary layer on a natural laminar flow airfoil with a leading-edge sweep angle of 34.6deg, free-stream Mach number of 0.75 and chord Reynolds numbers of 17 x 10(exp 6), 24 x 10(exp 6) and 30 x 10(exp 6) suggest that DRE could delay laminar-turbulent transition by about 20% when transition is caused by stationary crossflow disturbances. Computations show that the introduction of small wavelength stationary crossflow disturbances (i.e., DRE) also suppresses the growth of most amplified traveling crossflow disturbances.

Malik, Mujeeb↗