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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

Theoretical effect of modifications to the upper surface of two NACA airfoils using smooth polynomial additional thickness distributions which emphasize leading edge profile and which vary quadratically at the trailing edge

An investigation was conducted on a CDC 7600 digital computer to determine the effects of additional thickness distributions to the upper surface of the NACA 64-206 and 64 sub 1 - 212 airfoils. The additional thickness distribution had the form of a continuous mathematical function which disappears at both the leading edge and the trailing edge. The function behaves as a polynomial of order epsilon sub 1 at the leading edge, and a polynomial of order epsilon sub 2 at the trailing edge. Epsilon sub 2 is a constant and epsilon sub 1 is varied over a range of practical interest. The magnitude of the additional thickness, y, is a second input parameter, and the effect of varying epsilon sub 1 and y on the aerodynamic performance of the airfoil was investigated. Results were obtained at a Mach number of 0.2 with an angle-of-attack of 6 degrees on the basic airfoils, and all calculations employ the full potential flow equations for two dimensional flow. The relaxation method of Jameson was employed for solution of the potential flow equations.

Merz, A. W.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Understanding the Impact of a Serrated Trailing Edge on the Unsteady Hydrodynamic Field

Trailing edge noise is a common noise source in aerodynamic applications. Many prior experiments have shown that trailing edge serrations can reduce this noise, but the mechanism by which serrations reduce noise and their aerodynamic impact near the edge is not fully understood. Previous theoretical models have assumed that the turbulence convecting past a serrated trailing edge is unchanged by the presence of the serrations, but experiments have shown that this is not accurate. This work attempts to further the understanding of unsteady surface pressure fluctuations on sawtooth serrations. Experiments were performed in an anechoic wall-jet wind tunnel on an undercut trailing edge with a straight and serrated edge configuration. The magnitude of unsteady surface pressure fluctuations was found to increase near the tips of the serrations for Strouhal numbers near 0.5 based on edge thickness. Spanwise coherence was increased on a single serration, while coherence across the root of adjacent serrations was similar to results across a straight trailing edge at similar spanwise separation distance.

Stefan Letica↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Effect of Nozzle Trailing Edge Thickness on Jet Noise

The effect of nozzle trailing edge thickness on broadband acoustic radiation and the production of tones is investigated for coannular nozzles. Experiments were performed for a core nozzle trailing edge thickness between 0.38 mm and 3.17 mm. The on-set of discrete tones was found to be predominantly affected by the velocity ratio, the ratio of the fan velocity to the core velocity, although some dependency on trailing edge thickness was also noted. For a core nozzle trailing edge thickness greater than or equal to 0.89 mm, tones were produced for velocity ratios between 0.91 and 1.61. For a constant nozzle trailing edge thickness, the frequency varied almost linearly with the core velocity. The Strouhal number based on the core velocity changed with nozzle trailing edge thickness and varied between 0.16 and 0.2 for the core nozzles used in the experiments. Increases in broadband noise with increasing trailing edge thickness were observed for tone producing and non-tone producing conditions. A variable thickness trailing edge (crenellated) nozzle resulted in no tonal production and a reduction of the broadband trailing edge noise relative to that of the corresponding constant thickness trailing edge.

Henderson, Brenda↗
NASA NTRS1979

An experimental investigation of trailing-edge noise

Airfoil trailing-edge noise up to a Reynolds number based on chord of 2.96 x 10 to the 6th power was studied. Comparisons are made with current theory, particularly with regard to the nature of the pressure field in the vicinity of the trailing-edge and its influence on the radiated noise.

Brooks, T. F.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Cold-air study of the effect on turbine stator blade aerodynamic performance of coolant ejection from various trailing-edge slot geometries. 1: Experimental results

Trailing-edge slot configurations were investigated in a two-dimensional cascade of turbine stator blades. The trailing-edge slots were incorporated into blades with round trailing edges. The five blade configurations investigated included blades with two different trailing-edge thicknesses and four different slot widths. The results of the investigation showed that there was, in general, a significant increase in primary-air efficiency due to the coolant flow, the increase varying with slot configuration. For the five configurations tested, the average percent change in primary-air efficiency per percent coolant flow varied almost linearly from zero to about 1.4 percent over a range of coolant- to primary-air exit-velocity ratios between 0 and 1.2. However, for different configurations there was considerable deviation from the average values in the lower range of exit velocity ratios.

Prust, H. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Effect of trailing edge geometry and thickness on the performance of certain turbine stator blading

The experimental and analytical investigation included solid blades with five different trailing-edge thicknesses and four different trailing-edge geometries. One of the geometries was round, one was square, one was tapered from the suction surface, and the other tapered from the pressure surface. One of the trailing-edge thicknesses was sharp edged; the other four thicknesses were equivalent to about 5, 11, 16, and 20 percent of the blade throat width. The experimental results show increased efficiency loss for increased trailing-edge thickness for all trailing-edge geometries. The blade with round trailing edge, equal to about 11 percent of the blade throat width, had 60 percent more loss than the sharp-edged blade. For the same trailing-edge thickness, square trailing edges caused more loss than round trailing edges, and the tapered trailing edges caused about the same loss as the round trailing edges.

Prust, H. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Miniature Trailing Edge Effector for Aerodynamic Control

Improved miniature trailing edge effectors for aerodynamic control are provided. Three types of devices having aerodynamic housings integrated to the trailing edge of an aerodynamic shape are presented, which vary in details of how the control surface can move. A bucket type device has a control surface which is the back part of a C-shaped member having two arms connected by the back section. The C-shaped section is attached to a housing at the ends of the arms, and is rotatable about an axis parallel to the wing trailing edge to provide up, down and neutral states. A flip-up type device has a control surface which rotates about an axis parallel to the wing trailing edge to provide up, down, neutral and brake states. A rotating type device has a control surface which rotates about an axis parallel to the chord line to provide up, down and neutral states.

Lee, Hak-Tae↗
NASA NTRS2016

Aeroelastic Response of the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge Transtition Section

The Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge demonstrator was a joint task under the Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory and FlexSys, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Michigan), chartered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to develop advanced technologies that enable environmentally friendly aircraft, such as continuous mold-line technologies. The Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge demonstrator encompassed replacing the Fowler flaps on the SubsoniC Aircraft Testbed, a Gulfstream III (Gulfstream Aerospace, Savannah, Georgia) aircraft, with control surfaces developed by FlexSys, Inc., a pair of uniquely-designed, unconventional flaps to be used as lifting surfaces during flight-testing to substantiate their structural effectiveness. The unconventional flaps consisted of a main flap section and two transition sections, inboard and outboard, which demonstrated the continuous mold-line technology. Unique characteristics of the transition sections provided a challenge to the airworthiness assessment for this part of the structure. A series of build-up tests and analyses were conducted to ensure the data required to support the airworthiness assessment were acquired and applied accurately. The transition sections were analyzed both as individual components and as part of the flight-test article assembly. Instrumentation was installed in the transition sections based on the analysis to best capture the in-flight aeroelastic response. Flight-testing was conducted and flight data were acquired to validate the analyses. This paper documents the details of the aeroelastic assessment and in-flight response of the transition sections of the unconventional Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge flaps.

ground vibration test↗
NASA NTRS2002

Near Field Trailing Edge Tone Noise Computation

Blunt trailing edges in a flow often generate tone noise due to wall-jet shear layer and vortex shedding. In this paper, the space-time conservation element (CE/SE) method is employed to numerically study the near-field noise of blunt trailing edges. Two typical cases, namely, flow past a circular cylinder (aeolian noise problem) and flow past a flat plate of finite thickness are considered. The computed frequencies compare well with experimental data. For the aeolian noise problem, comparisons with the results of other numerical approaches are also presented.

Loh, Ching Y.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Theoretical effect of modifications to the upper surface of two NACA airfoils using smooth polynomial additional thickness distributions which emphasize leading edge profile and which vary linearly at the trailing edge

An investigation was conducted on a CDC 7600 digital computer to determine the effects of additional thickness distributions to the upper surface of airfoils. The additional thickness distribution had the form of a continuous mathematical function which disappears at both the leading edge and the trailing edge. Results were obtained at a Mach number of 0.2 with an angle of attack of 6 deg. All calculations employed the full potential flow equations for two dimensional flow. The relaxation method of Jameson was used for solution of the potential flow equations. It is shown that increasing the thickness and variations in shape increases the lift and the adverse pitching moment coefficients.

Hague, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Aircraft wing trailing-edge noise

The mechanism and sound pressure level of the trailing-edge noise for two-dimensional turbulent boundary layer flow was examined. Experiment is compared with current theory. A NACA 0012 airfoil of 0.61 m chord and 0.46 m span was immersed in the laminar flow of a low turbulence open jet. A 2.54 cm width roughness strip was placed at 15 percent chord from the leading edge on both sides of the airfoil as a boundary layer trip so that two separate but statistically equivalent turbulent boundary layers were formed. Tests were performed with several trailing-edge geometries with the upstream velocity U sub infinity ranging from a value of 30.9 m/s up to 73.4 m/s. Properties of the boundary layer for the airfoil and pressure fluctuations in the vicinity of the trailing-edge were examined. A scattered pressure field due to the presence of the trailing-edge was observed and is suggested as a possible sound producing mechanism for the trailing-edge noise.

Underwood, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Evaluation of the Hinge Moment and Normal Force Aerodynamic Loads from a Seamless Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge Flap in Flight

A seamless adaptive compliant trailing edge (ACTE) flap was demonstrated in flight on a Gulfstream III aircraft at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. The trailing edge flap was deflected between minus 2 deg up and plus 30 deg down in flight. The safety-of-flight parameters for the ACTE flap experiment require that flap-to-wing interface loads be sensed and monitored in real time to ensure that the structural load limits of the wing are not exceeded. The attachment fittings connecting the flap to the aircraft wing rear spar were instrumented with strain gages and calibrated using known loads for measuring hinge moment and normal force loads in flight. The safety-of-flight parameters for the ACTE flap experiment require that flap-to-wing interface loads be sensed and monitored in real time to ensure that the structural load limits of the wing are not exceeded. The attachment fittings connecting the flap to the aircraft wing rear spar were instrumented with strain gages and calibrated using known loads for measuring hinge moment and normal force loads in flight. The interface hardware instrumentation layout and load calibration are discussed. Twenty-one applied calibration test load cases were developed for each individual fitting. The 2-sigma residual errors for the hinge moment was calculated to be 2.4 percent, and for normal force was calculated to be 7.3 percent. The hinge moment and normal force generated by the ACTE flap with a hinge point located at 26-percent wing chord were measured during steady state and symmetric pitch maneuvers. The loads predicted from analysis were compared to the loads observed in flight. The hinge moment loads showed good agreement with the flight loads while the normal force loads calculated from analysis were over-predicted by approximately 20 percent. Normal force and hinge moment loads calculated from the pressure sensors located on the ACTE showed good agreement with the loads calculated from the installed strain gages.

Hinge Moment Loads↗
NASA NTRS1979

Trailing-edge flows at high Reynolds number

An investigation of trailing-edge flows at high Reynolds number and subsonic Mach numbers is presented. Symmetric and asymmetric trailing-edge flows are studied, each flow having pressure gradient regions upstream of the trailing edge similar to an airfoil. Measurements include model surface pressures, mean velocity, turbulent shear stress, and turbulent kinetic energy profiles in the trailing-edge and near-wake regions. Comparisons of the symmetric data with numerical solutions of boundary layer as well as Navier-Stokes equations employing two different turbulence models show increasing effects on viscous interactions as the Mach number increases. Both turbulence models yielded solutions of the mean flow of comparable quality. The experimental results of the asymmetric case are discussed.

Viswanath, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Effect of Trailing Edge Flow Injection on Fan Noise and Aerodynamic Performance

An experimental investigation using trailing edge blowing for reducing fan rotor/guide vane wake interaction noise was completed in the NASA Glenn 9- by 15-foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel. Data were acquired to measure noise, aerodynamic performance, and flow features for a 22" tip diameter fan representative of modern turbofan technology. The fan was designed to use trailing edge blowing to reduce the fan blade wake momentum deficit. The test objective was to quantify noise reductions, measure impacts on fan aerodynamic performance, and document the flow field using hot-film anemometry. Measurements concentrated on approach, cutback, and takeoff rotational speeds as those are the primary conditions of acoustic interest. Data are presented for a 2% (relative to overall fan flow) trailing edge injection rate and show a 2 dB reduction in Overall Sound Power Level (OAPWL) at all fan test speeds. The reduction in broadband noise is nearly constant and is approximately 1.5 dB up to 20 kHz at all fan speeds. Measurements of tone noise show significant variation, as evidenced by reductions of up to 6 dB in the 2 BPF tone at 6700 rpm.: and increases of nearly 2 dB for the 4 BPF tone at approach speed. Aerodynamic performance measurements show the fan with 2 % injection has an overall efficiency that is comparable to the baseline fan and operates, as intended, with nearly the same pressure ratio and mass flow parameters. Hot-film measurements obtained at the approach operating condition indicate that mean blade wake filling in the tip region was not as significant as expected. This suggests that additional acoustic benefits could be realized if the trailing edge blowing could be modified to provide better filling of the wake momentum deficit. Nevertheless, the hot-film measurements indicate that the trailing edge blowing provided significant reductions in blade wake turbulence. Overall, these results indicate that further work may be required to fully understand the proper implementation of injecting flow at/near the trailing edge as a wake filling strategy. However, data do support the notion that noise reductions can be realized not only for tones but perhaps more importantly, also for broadband. Furthermore, the technique can be implemented without adversely effecting overall fan aerodynamic performance.

Fite, E. Brian↗
NASA NTRS2012

Preliminary Design and Evaluation of an Airfoil with Continuous Trailing-Edge Flap

This paper presents the preliminary design and evaluation of an airfoil with active continuous trailing-edge flap (CTEF) as a potential rotorcraft active control device. The development of structural cross-section models of a continuous trailing-edge flap airfoil is described. The CTEF deformations with MFC actuation are predicted by NASTRAN and UM/VABS analyses. Good agreement is shown between the predictions from the two analyses. Approximately two degrees of CTEF deflection, defined as the rotation angle of the trailing edge, is achieved with the baseline MFC-PZT bender. The 2D aerodynamic characteristics of the continuous trailing-edge flap are evaluated using a CFD analysis. The aerodynamic efficiency of a continuous trailing-edge flap is compared to that of a conventional discrete trailing-edge flap (DTEF). It is found that the aerodynamic characteristics of a CTEF are equivalent to those of a conventional DTEF with the same deflection angle but with a smaller flap chord. A fluid structure interaction procedure is implemented to predict the deflection of the continuous trailingedge flap under aerodynamic pressure. The reductions in CTEF deflection are overall small when aerodynamic pressure is applied: 2.7% reduction is shown with a CTEF deflection angle of two degrees and at angle of attack of six degrees. In addition, newly developed MFC-PMN actuator is found to be a good supplement to MFC-PZT when applied as the bender outside layers. A mixed MFC-PZT and MFC-PMN bender generates 3% more CTEF deformation than an MFC-PZT only bender and 5% more than an MFC-PMN only bender under aerodynamic loads.

Shen, Jinwei↗