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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 55 records · Page 3

Flight Test Measurements From The Tu- 144LL Structure/Cabin Noise Experiment

During the period September 1997 to February 1998, the Tupolev 144 Supersonic Flyine Laboratory was used to obtain data for the purpose of enlarging the data base used by models for the prediction of cabin noise in supersonic passenger airplanes. Measured were: turbulent boundary layer pressure fluctuations on the fuselage in seven instrumented window blanks distributed over the length of the fuselage; structural response with accelerometers on skin panels close to those window blanks-, interior noise with microphones at the same fuselage bay stations as those window blanks. Flight test points were chosen to cover much of the TU- 144's flight envelope, as well as to obtain as large a unit Reynolds number range as possible at various Mach numbers: takeoff, landing, six subsonic cruise conditions, and eleven supersonic conditions up to Mach 2. Engine runups and reverberation times were measured with a stationary aircraft. The data in the form of time histories of the acoustic signals, together with auxiliary data and basic MATLAB processing modules, are available on CD-R disks.

Rizzi, Stephen A.↗

Sonic boom measurement test plan for Space Shuttle STS-3 reentry

The lateral area from the reentry ground track affected by sonic boom overpressure levels is determined. Four data acquisition stations are deployed laterally to the STS-3 reentry flight track. These stations provide six intermediate band FM channels of sonic boom data, universal time synchronization, and voice annotation. All measurements are correlated with the vehicle reentry flight track information along with atmospheric and vehicle operation conditions.

Henderson, H. R.↗

Analysis of flight test measurements in ground effect

Three sources of errors, introduced into the air-data measurements of altitude and airspeed as a result of ground proximity, are evaluated. It is shown that the primary error results from ground constraint of the wing lifting pattern. Smaller errors result from constraint of the flow over the fuselage and of the engine exhaust. Equations are derived to provide corrections for the three error contributions. The equations are general and can be applied to airplanes of different geometries operating in different conditions. Applications illustrating different types of flight operations (takeoff and landing) are presented using CV-990 data. Applications illustrating the effect of different static orifice locations (fuselage and nose-boom) are presented with YC-15 data. Finally, an application to trajectory reconstruction is illustrated using DC-10 data.

Parks, E. K.↗

An Analysis of Flight-Test Measurements of the Wing Structural Deformations in Rough Air of a Large Flexible Swept-Wing Airplane

An analysis is made of wing deflection and streamwise twist measurements in rough-air flight of a large flexible swept-wing bomber. Random-process techniques are employed in analyzing the data in order to describe the magnitude and characteristics of the wing deflection and twist responses to rough air. Power spectra and frequency-response functions for the wing deflection and twist responses at several spanwise stations are presented. The frequency-response functions describe direct and absolute response characteristics to turbulence and provide a convenient basis for assessing analytic calculation techniques. The wing deformations in rough air are compared with the expected deformations for quasi-static loadings of the same magnitude, and the amplifications are determined. The results obtained indicate that generally the deflections are amplified by a small amount, while the streamwise twists are amplified by factors of the order of 2.0. The magnitudes of both the deflection velocities and the twist angles are shown to have significant effects on the local angles of attack at the various stations and provide the main source of aerodynamic loading, particularly at frequencies in the vicinity of the first wing-vibration mode.

Murrow, Harold N.↗

Electromagnetic Interference/Compatibility (EMI/EMC) Control Test and Measurement Facility: User Test Planning Guide

Test process, milestones and inputs are unknowns to first-time users of the EMI/EMC Test Facility. The User Test Planning Guide aids in establishing expectations for both NASA and non-NASA facility customers. The potential audience for this guide includes both internal and commercial spaceflight hardware/software developers. It is intended to assist their test engineering personnel in test planning and execution. Material covered includes a roadmap of the test process, roles and responsibilities of facility and user, major milestones, facility capabilities, and inputs required by the facility. Samples of deliverables, test article interfaces, and inputs necessary to define test scope, cost, and schedule are included as an appendix to the guide.

Scully, Robert C.↗

Measurement techniques for supersonic combustion testing

Measurement techniques used during nine years of intensive research in supersonic combustion are presented. The tests employed a number of combustor and injector configurations, which were directly connected to a Mach 3.2 supersonic nozzle, and both gaseous hydrogen and storable liquid fuels. Nominal plenum conditions for the arc-heated air were 3000 to 4500 R and 30 atm. Measurements included wall surface pressures, wall temperatures, heat flux, skin friction, instream cone-static and pitot pressures, and gas samples. Measurement and analysis techniques have been developed for determining total enthalpy of an airstream containing NO concentrations in excess of equilibrium using the two-throat technique, bulk combustion efficiency using steam calorimetry, radial gradients of fluid properties in the combustor exit plane using a stream tube method, and wall shear from measurements of heat transfer in a reacting supersonic flow using Reynolds analogy.

Orth, R. C.↗

Effect of inlet disturbances on fan inlet noise during a static test

Measurements of fan rotor inlet noise taken during static test situations are at variance with aircraft engine flight data. In particular, static tests generally yield a significantly higher tone at blade passage frequency than that measured during flight. To explain this discrepancy, the extent of the influence of inlet ground vortices and large-scale inlet turbulence on the forward-radiated fan noise measured at a static test facility was investigated. While such inlet disturbances were generated intentionally in an anechoic test chamber, far-field acoustic measurements and inlet flow-field hot-film mappings of a fan rotor were obtained. Experimental results indicate that the acoustic effect of such disturbances appears to be less severe for supersonic than for subsonic tip speeds. Further, a reverse flow that occurs on the exterior cowl in static test facilities appears to be an additional prime candidate for creating inlet disturbances and causing variance between flight and static acoustic data.

Bekofske, K. L.↗

A PC program for estimating measurement uncertainty for aeronautics test instrumentation

A personal computer program was developed which provides aeronautics and operations engineers at Lewis Research Center with a uniform method to quickly provide values for the uncertainty in test measurements and research results. The software package used for performing the calculations is Mathcad 4.0, a Windows version of a program which provides an interactive user interface for entering values directly into equations with immediate display of results. The error contribution from each component of the system is identified individually in terms of the parameter measured. The final result is given in common units, SI units, and percent of full scale range. The program also lists the specifications for all instrumentation and calibration equipment used for the analysis. It provides a presentation-quality printed output which can be used directly for reports and documents.

Blumenthal, Philip Z.↗

Use of In Situ Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Extinction, and Aerosol Size Distribution Measurements to Test a Method for Retrieving Cloud Condensation Nuclei Profiles From Surface Measurements

If the aerosol composition and size distribution below cloud are uniform, the vertical profile of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration can be retrieved entirely from surface measurements of CCN concentration and particle humidification function and surface-based retrievals of relative humidity and aerosol extinction or backscatter. This provides the potential for long-term measurements of CCN concentrations near cloud base. We have used a combination of aircraft, surface in situ, and surface remote sensing measurements to test various aspects of the retrieval scheme. Our analysis leads us to the following conclusions. The retrieval works better for supersaturations of 0.1% than for 1% because CCN concentrations at 0.1% are controlled by the same particles that control extinction and backscatter. If in situ measurements of extinction are used, the retrieval explains a majority of the CCN variance at high supersaturation for at least two and perhaps five of the eight flights examined. The retrieval of the vertical profile of the humidification factor is not the major limitation of the CCN retrieval scheme. Vertical structure in the aerosol size distribution and composition is the dominant source of error in the CCN retrieval, but this vertical structure is difficult to measure from remote sensing at visible wavelengths.

Ghan, Stephen J.↗

Flaw detection by mechanical resonant measurement

Testing technique is based on analysis of varying frequency scan applied to measured samples. Any changes in resonant-frequency harmonics detected in samples are used to indicate size of fault. Testing apparatus uses drive mechanism to apply vibrating force to sample. Force is applied longitudinally along axis to eliminate directionality on flexural vibrations.

Buck, O.↗

Interpretation and classification of microvolt T wave alternans tests

Measurement of microvolt-level T wave alternans (TWA) during routine exercise stress testing now is possible as a result of sophisticated noise reduction techniques and analytic methods that have become commercially available. Even though this technology is new, the available data suggest that microvolt TWA is a potent predictor of arrhythmia risk in diverse disease states. As this technology becomes more widely available, physicians will be called upon to interpret microvolt TWA tracings. This review seeks to establish uniform standards for the clinical interpretation of microvolt TWA tracings.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗