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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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NASA NTRS1993

The modern rotor aerodynamic limits survey: A report and data survey

The first phase of the Modern Technology Rotor Program, the Modern Rotor Aerodynamic Limits Survey, was a flight test conducted by the United States Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity for NASA Ames Research Center. The test was performed using a United States Army UH-60A Black Hawk aircraft and the United States Air Force HH-60A Night Hawk instrumented main-rotor blade. The primary purpose of this test was to gather high-speed, steady-state, and maneuvering data suitable for correlation purposes with analytical prediction tools. All aspects of the data base, flight-test instrumentation, and test procedures are presented and analyzed. Because of the high volume of data, only select data points are presented. However, access to the entire data set is available upon request.

Cross, J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

An examination of the aerodynamic moment on rotor blade tips using flight test data and analysis

The analysis CAMRAD/JA is used to model two aircraft, a Puma with a swept-tip blade and a UH-60A Black Hawk. The accuracy of the analysis in predicting the torsion loads is assessed by comparing the predicted loads with measurements from flight tests. The influence of assumptions in the analytical model is examined by varying model parameters and comparing the predicted results to baseline values for the torsion loads. Flight test data from a research Puma are used to identify the source of torsion loads. These data indicate that the aerodynamic section moment in the region of the blade tip dominates torsion loading in high-speed flight. Both the aerodynamic section moment at the blade tip and the pitch-link loads are characterized by large positive (nose-up) moments in the first quadrant with rapid reversal of load so that the moment is negative in the second quadrant. Both the character and magnitude of this loading are missed by the CAMRAD/JA analysis.

Maier, Thomas H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Techniques for designing rotorcraft control systems

Over the last two and a half years we have been demonstrating a new methodology for the design of rotorcraft flight control systems (FCS) to meet handling qualities requirements. This method is based on multicriterion optimization as implemented in the optimization package CONSOL-OPTCAD (C-O). This package has been developed at the Institute for Systems Research (ISR) at the University of Maryland at College Park. This design methodology has been applied to the design of a FCS for the UH-60A helicopter in hover having the ADOCS control structure. The controller parameters have been optimized to meet the ADS-33C specifications. Furthermore, using this approach, an optimal (minimum control energy) controller has been obtained and trade-off studies have been performed.

Yudilevitch, Gil↗
NASA NTRS1990

Validation of the dynamic response of a blade-element UH-60 simulation model in hovering flight

The dynamic fidelity of an operational blade-element simulation model of the UH-60A helicopter is assessed for the hovering and low-speed flight regimes. Nonparametric frequency-response identification techniques and time-history comparisons are used to determine the validity of vehicle responses. Frequency-domain methods are applied to the model to isolate deficiencies and verify refinements and corrections. A dedicated flight-test program was conducted to provide data used in the analyses. Model deficiencies are also identified by using side-by-side pilot assessments of a motion-based simulation and of a test aircraft. Model refinements are found to improve fidelity significantly in the frequency range of interest to handling-qualities research. The applicability of the model to high-bandwidth flight-control research is also discussed.

Ballin, Mark G.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Development of the CONDUIT Advanced Control System Design and Evaluation Interface with a Case Study Application to an Advanced Fly by Wire Helicopter Design

This report details the development and use of CONDUIT (Control Designer's Unified Interface). CONDUIT is a design tool created at Ames Research Center for the purpose of evaluating and optimizing aircraft control systems against handling qualities. Three detailed design problems addressing the RASCAL UH-60A Black Hawk are included in this report to show the application of CONDUIT to helicopter control system design.

Colbourne, Jason↗
NASA NTRS1999

Further Development, Support and Enhancement of CONDUIT

From the first airplanes steered by handles, wheels, and pedals to today's advanced aircraft, there has been a century of revolutionary inventions, all of them contributing to flight quality. The stability and controllability of aircraft as they appear to a pilot are called flying or handling qualities. Many years after the first airplanes flew, flying qualities were identified and ranked from desirable to unsatisfactory. Later on engineers developed design methods to satisfy these practical criteria. CONDUIT, which stands for Control Designer's Unified Interface, is a modern software package that provides a methodology for optimization of flight control systems in order to improve the flying qualities. CONDUIT is dependent on an the optimization engine called CONSOL-OPTCAD (C-O). C-O performs multicriterion parametric optimization. C-O was successfully tested on a variety of control problems. The optimization-based computational system, C-O, requires a particular control system description as a MATLAB file and possesses the ability to modify the vector of design parameters in an attempt to satisfy performance objectives and constraints specified by the designer, in a C-type file. After the first optimization attempts on the UH-60A control system, an early interface system, named GIFCORCODE (Graphical Interface for CONSOL-OPTCAD for Rotorcraft Controller Design) was created.

Veronica, Moldoveanu↗
NASA NTRS1997

Transfer of the CONSOL-OPTCAD Rotorcraft Design Tool to Industry

Significant progress was made. Initial results on the improvement of the user-friendliness and useability of GIFCORCODE led to the decision to provide GIFCORCODE with a menu-driven user interface. In collaboration with staff at Moffett field and students from Cal Poly this objective has been largely met. GIFCORCODE is now menu-driven and very much easier to use. Complete designs for stability and control augmentation systems for the UH-60A ADOCS/RASCAL rotorcraft in both hover and 80 knots forward flight have been completed and documented. The originally planned presentations to industry were deferred so the new user interface for GIFCORCODE could be completed. The industry presentations are now planned for the next year. Similarly, the work on preparing a short course on the use of GIFCORCODE was deferred. The details of the original goals for this contract are presented in this report. The modifications to these goals and the reasons for them are also described. This is followed by a section containing the results of work on this contract. A final section, conclusions, contains suggestions for future work on this project.

Levine, William S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Unsteady Aerodynamic Behavior Measured in Hovering Flight

A highly-instrumented UH-60A aircraft was tested at NASA-Ames Research Center from August 1993 to February 1994 obtaining an extensive data base for level flight, maneuvers, acoustics (both with respect to ground microphone arrays and inflight microphones), and flight dynamics. A majority of the data obtained are now in an electronic data base, however, only a small fraction of the data have been examined. The proposed paper will examine the issue of hovering steadiness in more detail. In particular, a single set of data obtained during ground acoustic testing may provide considerable insight as the wind speeds were measured at a hover height of 250 feet and the aircraft was positioned in 15 deg. steps in heading from 0 to 180 deg. Also, hover housekeeping data were obtained for many of the 31 flights and these will also allow a characterization of the unsteadiness. The variation in section lift will be examined in terms of the induced flow angle variation and this will be related to possible physical explanations.

Bousman, William G.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Helmet-Mounted Display Research Capabilities of the NASA/Army Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL)

The Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL) is a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter that is being modified by the US Army and NASA for flight systems research. The principal systems that are being installed in the aircraft are a Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) and imaging system, and a programmable full authority Research Flight Control System (RFCS). In addition, comprehensive instrumentation of both the rigid body of the helicopter and the rotor system is provided. The paper will describe the capabilities of these systems and their current state of development. A brief description of initial research applications is included. The wide (40 X 60 degree) field-of-view HMD system has been provided by Kaiser Electronics. It can be configured as a monochromatic system for use in bright daylight conditions, a two color system for darker ambients, or a full color system for use in night viewing conditions. Color imagery is achieved using field sequential video and a mechanical color wheel. In addition to the color symbology, high resolution computer-gene rated imagery from an onboard Silicon Graphics Reality Engine Onyx processor is available for research in virtual reality applications. This synthetic imagery can also be merged with real world video from a variety of imaging systems that can be installed easily on the front of the helicopter. These sensors include infrared or tv cameras, or potentially small millimeter wave radars. The Research Flight Control System is being developed for the aircraft by a team of contractors led by Boeing Helicopters. It consists of a full authority high bandwidth fly-by-wire actuators that drive the main rotor swashplate actuators and the tail rotor actuator in parallel. This arrangement allows the basic mechanical flight control system of the Black Hawk to be retained so that the safety pilot can monitor the operation of the system through the action of his own controls. The evaluation pilot will signal the fly-by-wire actuators through the flight computer from electrical sidearm controllers located in the right hand cockpit. The system will have very substantial input/output capacity and impressive computational power. These systems are installed in the aircraft using predominantly a MIL-STD 1553B data bus architecture. Sensor data from the RFCS, the basic aircraft and rotor system instrumentation including navigation information, and the HMD system are easily exchanged among user systems, or are available at the systems operator station located in the cabin for real time monitoring or data recording.

Jacobsen, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

An Advanced Fly-By-Wire Flight Control System for the RASCAL Research Rotorcraft: Concept to Reality

Design features of a new fly-by-wire flight control system for the Rotorcraft-Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL) are described. Using a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter as a baseline vehicle, the RASCAL will be a flying laboratory capable of supporting the research requirements of major NASA and Army guidance, control, and display research programs. The paper describes the research facility requirements of these pro-rams and the design implementation of the research flight control system (RFCS), with emphasis on safety-of-flight, adaptability to multiple requirements and performance considerations.

Rediess, Nicholas A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Overset Grid Methods for Multidisciplinary Applications in Rotorcraft Problems

A methodology for the coupling of an advanced computational fluid dynamics method based on an overset grid flow-solver and an advanced computational structural dynamics method based on a finite element analysis is presented. Various procedures for the fluid-structure interactions modeling along with their limitations are also discussed. The flight test data for the four-bladed UH-60A Blackhawk helicopter rotor is chosen for the validation of the results. Convergence and accuracy are tested by numerical experiments with a single-bladed rotor. A comparison of airload predictions with flight test data as well as with a rigid blade case is presented. Grid and interpolation related issues for this aeroelastic application are described.

Ahmad, J. U.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Piloted Simulator Investigation of Techniques to Achieve Attitude Command Response with Limited Authority Servos

The purpose of the study was to develop generic design principles for obtaining attitude command response in moderate to aggressive maneuvers without increasing SCAS series servo authority from the existing +/- 10%. In particular, to develop a scheme that would work on the UH-60 helicopter so that it can be considered for incorporation in future upgrades. The basic math model was a UH-60A version of GENHEL. The simulation facility was the NASA-Ames Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS). Evaluation tasks were Hover, Acceleration-Deceleration, and Sidestep, as defined in ADS-33D-PRF for Degraded Visual Environment (DVE). The DVE was adjusted to provide a Usable Cue Environment (UCE) equal to two. The basic concept investigated was the extent to which the limited attitude command authority achievable by the series servo could be supplemented by a 10%/sec trim servo. The architecture used provided angular rate feedback to only the series servo, shared the attitude feedback between the series and trim servos, and when the series servo approached saturation the attitude feedback was slowly phased out. Results show that modest use of the trim servo does improve pilot ratings, especially in and around hover. This improvement can be achieved with little degradation in response predictability during moderately aggressive maneuvers.

Key, David L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Calculation of Rotor Performance and Loads Under Stalled Conditions

Rotor behavior in stalled conditions is investigated using wind tunnel test data of a l/l0-scale CH-47B/C type rotor, which provides a set of test conditions extending from unstalled to light stall to some deep stall conditions over a wide range of advance ratios. The rotor performance measured in the wind tunnel is similar to the main rotor performance measured during the NASA/Army UH-60A Airloads Program, although the two rotors are quite different. The analysis CAMRAD II has been used to predict the rotor performance and loads. Full-scale airfoil test data are corrected for Reynolds number effects for comparison with the model-scale rotor test. The calculated power coefficient shows good correlation with the measurements below stall with the Reynolds number-corrected airfoil table. Various dynamic stall models are used in the calculations. The Boeing model shows the lift augmentation at low advance ratios and the Leishman-Beddoes model shows better correlation of torsion moment than the other models at mu = 0.2. However, the dynamic stall models, in general, show only a small influence on the rotor power and torsion moment predictions especially at higher advance ratios.

Yeo, Hyeonsoo↗
NASA NTRS2003

Piloted Evaluation of Modernized Limited Authority Control Laws in the NASA-Ames Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS)

The UH-60 BLACK HAWK was designed in the 1970s, when the US Army primarily operated during the day in good visual conditions. Subsequently, the introduction of night-vision goggles increased the BLACK HAWK'S mission effectiveness, but the accident rate also increased. The increased accident rate is strongly tied to increased pilot workload as a result of a degradation in visual cues. Over twenty years of research in helicopter flight control and handling qualities has shown that these degraded handling qualities can be recovered by modifying the response type of the helicopter in low speed flight. Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation initiated a project under the National Rotorcraft Technology Center (NRTC) to develop modern flight control laws while utilizing the existing partial authority Stability Augmentation System (SAS) of the BLACK HAWK. This effort resulted in a set of Modernized Control Laws (MCLAWS) that incorporate rate command and attitude command response types. Sikorsky and the US Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate (AFDD) conducted a piloted simulation on the NASA-Ames Vertical h4otion Simulator, to assess potential handling qualities and to reduce the risk of subsequent implementation and flight test of these modern control laws on AFDD's EH-60L helicopter. The simulation showed that Attitude Command Attitude Hold control laws in pitch and roll improve handling qualities in the low speed flight regime. These improvements are consistent across a range of mission task elements and for both good and degraded visual environments. The MCLAWS perform better than the baseline UH-60A control laws in the presence of wind and turbulence. Finally, while the improved handling qualities in the pitch and roll axis allow the pilot to pay more attention to the vertical axis and hence altitude performance also improves, it is clear from pilot comments and altitude excursions that the addition of an Altitude Hold function would further reduce workload and improve overall handling qualities of the aircraft.

Sahasrabudhe, Vineet↗
NASA NTRS2003

Aerodynamic Characteristics of SC1095 and SC1094 R8 Airfoils

Two airfoils are used on the main rotor blade of the UH-60A helicopter, the SC1095 and the SC1094 R8. Measurements of the section lift, drag, and pitching moment have been obtained in ten wind tunnel tests for the SC1095 airfoil, and in five of these tests, measurements have also been obtained for the SC1094 R8. The ten wind tunnel tests are characterized and described in the present study. A number of fundamental parameters measured in these tests are compared and an assessment is made of the adequacy of the test data for use in look-up tables required by lifting-line calculation methods.

Bousman, William G.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Evaluation of CFD to Determine Two-Dimensional Airfoil Characteristics for Rotorcraft Applications

The efficient prediction of helicopter rotor performance, vibratory loads, and aeroelastic properties still relies heavily on the use of comprehensive analysis codes by the rotorcraft industry. These comprehensive codes utilize look-up tables to provide two-dimensional aerodynamic characteristics. Typically these tables are comprised of a combination of wind tunnel data, empirical data and numerical analyses. The potential to rely more heavily on numerical computations based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations has become more of a reality with the advent of faster computers and more sophisticated physical models. The ability of five different CFD codes applied independently to predict the lift, drag and pitching moments of rotor airfoils is examined for the SC1095 airfoil, which is utilized in the UH-60A main rotor. Extensive comparisons with the results of ten wind tunnel tests are performed. These CFD computations are found to be as good as experimental data in predicting many of the aerodynamic performance characteristics. Four turbulence models were examined (Baldwin-Lomax, Spalart-Allmaras, Menter SST, and k-omega).

Smith, Marilyn J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Calculation of Hub Loads at Low Airspeeds with Active Control

The effect of individual blade control (IBC) on the full-scale, low airspeed, level flight UH-60A oscillatory fixed system 4P hub loads and the rotating system blade bending moments is studied. The effect of a single 3P IBC input has been considered in this analytical study. At the low speed under consideration, it has been found that convergence of the comprehensive analysis is important for obtaining good predictions. Good correlation has been obtained with the measured full-scale wind tunnel data for the shapes of the fixed system 4P hub loads variations with the 3P IBC input phase, and also for the "best" phase of the 3P input (for minimum hub loads). The blade bending moment comparison shows mixed results. The 3P lead lag and the 4P flap bending moment trends with the 3P IBC input phase are reasonably predicted, whereas the 5P lead lag bending moment trend is not predicted well. Finally, the prediction of the baseline (no IBC) bending moments needs further study.

Kottapalli, Sesi↗
NASA NTRS2010

Validations of Coupled CSD/CFD and Particle Vortex Transport Method for Rotorcraft Applications: Hover, Transition, and High Speed Flights

This paper presents validations of a novel rotorcraft analysis that coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Computational Structural Dynamics (CSD), and Particle Vortex Transport Method (PVTM) methodologies. The CSD with associated vehicle trim analysis is used to calculate blade deformations and trim parameters. The near body CFD analysis is employed to provide detailed near body flow field information which is used to obtain high-fidelity blade aerodynamic loadings. The far field wake dominated region is simulated using the PVTM analysis which provides accurate prediction of the evolution of the rotor wake released from the near body CFD domains. A loose coupling methodology between the CSD and CFD/PVTM modules are used with appropriate information exchange amongst the CSD/CFD/PVTM modules. The coupled CSD/CFD/PVTM methodology is used to simulate various rotorcraft flight conditions (i.e. hover, transition, and high speed flights), and the results are compared with several sets of experimental data. For the hover condition, the results are compared with hover data for the HART II rotor tested at DLR Institute of Flight Systems, Germany. For the forward flight conditions, the results are validated with the UH-60A flight test data.

Anusonti-Inthra, Phuriwat↗