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At least 109 records · Page 6

Comparison of Experimental and Theoretical Static Aeroelastic Loads and Deflections of a Thin 45 deg Delta Wing in Supersonic Flow

Wind tunnel tests showing the effects of static aeroelasticity for a thin 45 degree delta wing in supersonic flow are presented and compared with theory in the Mach number range 1.30 t o 4.00. Calculated deformations, normal-force coefficients, and pitching-moment coefficients based on a linearized potential theory for subsonic leading edges at a Mach number of 1.30 and a linearized potential theory for supersonic leading edges at Mach numbers of 1.64, 3.00, and 4.00 are shown to compare favorably with the wind-tunnel results. Calculations of these same deformations and coefficients based on piston theory are shown to compare satisfactorily with experiment at a Mach number of 4.00 but not so well at a Mach number of 3.00. A factor modification of piston theory is suggested which improves the correlation of these results with experiment and also with the potential-theory results.

Bennett, Floyd V.↗

The estimation of genetic divergence

Consideration is given to the criticism of Nei and Tateno (1978) of the REH (random evolutionary hits) theory of genetic divergence in nucleic acids and proteins, and to their proposed alternative estimator of total fixed mutations designated X2. It is argued that the assumption of nonuniform amino acid or nucleotide substitution will necessarily increase REH estimates relative to those made for a model where each locus has an equal likelihood of fixing mutations, thus the resulting value will not be an overestimation. The relative values of X2 and measures calculated on the basis of the PAM and REH theories for the number of nucleotide substitutions necessary to explain a given number of observed amino acid differences between two homologous proteins are compared, and the smaller values of X2 are attributed to (1) a mathematical model based on the incorrect assumption that an entire structural gene is free to fix mutations and (2) the assumptions of different numbers of variable codons for the X2 and REH calculations. Results of a repeat of the computer simulations of Nei and Tateno are presented which, in contrast to the original results, confirm the REH theory. It is pointed out that while a negative correlation is observed between estimations of the fixation intensity per varion and the number of varions for a given pair of sequences, the correlation between the two fixation intensities and varion numbers of two different pairs of sequences need not be negative. Finally, REH theory is used to resolve a paradox concerning the high rate of covarion turnover and the nature of general function sites as permanent covarions.

Holmquist, R.↗

Dynamic behavior of an inherently compensated air squeeze film damper

Experimental values of damping and stiffness were determined for an externally pressurized, inherently compensated, compressible squeeze-film damper up to excitation frequencies of 36,000 cycles/min. Experimental values of damping were higher than predicted by a small pressure perturbation theory at low squeeze numbers and less than predicted at high squeeze numbers. Experimental values of air film stiffness were less than the theory predicted at low squeeze numbers and much greater at higher squeeze numbers.

Cunningham, R. E.↗

Analysis of crossover between local and massive separation on airfoils

The occurrence of massive separation on airfoils operating at high Reynolds number poses an important problem to the aerodynamicist. In the present study, the phenomenon of crossover, induced by airfoil thickness, between local separation and massive separation is investigated for low speed (incompressible), symmetric flow past realistic airfoil geometries. This problem is studied both for the infinite Reynolds number asymptotic limit using triple-deck theory and for finite Reynolds number using interacting boundary-layer theory. Numerical results are presented which illustrate how the flow evolves from local to massive separation as the airfoil thickness is increased. The results of the triple-deck and the interacting boundary-layer analyses are found to be in qualitative agreement for the NACA four digit series and an uncambered supercritical airfoil. The effect of turbulence on the evolution of the flow is also considered. Solutions are presented for turbulent flows past a NACA 0014 airfoil and a circular cylinder. For the latter case, the calculated surface pressure distribution is found to agree well with experimental data if the proper eddy pressure level is specified.

Barnett, Mark↗

Generic hypersonic vehicle performance model

An integrated computational model of a generic hypersonic vehicle was developed for the purpose of determining the vehicle's performance characteristics, which include the lift, drag, thrust, and moment acting on the vehicle at specified altitude, flight condition, and vehicular configuration. The lift, drag, thrust, and moment are developed for the body fixed coordinate system. These forces and moments arise from both aerodynamic and propulsive sources. SCRAMjet engine performance characteristics, such as fuel flow rate, can also be determined. The vehicle is assumed to be a lifting body with a single aerodynamic control surface. The body shape and control surface location are arbitrary and must be defined. The aerodynamics are calculated using either 2-dimensional Newtonian or modified Newtonian theory and approximate high-Mach-number Prandtl-Meyer expansion theory. Skin-friction drag was also accounted for. The skin-friction drag coefficient is a function of the freestream Mach number. The data for the skin-friction drag coefficient values were taken from NASA Technical Memorandum 102610. The modeling of the vehicle's SCRAMjet engine is based on quasi 1-dimensional gas dynamics for the engine diffuser, nozzle, and the combustor with heat addition. The engine has three variable inputs for control: the engine inlet diffuser area ratio, the total temperature rise through the combustor due to combustion of the fuel, and the engine internal expansion nozzle area ratio. The pressure distribution over the vehicle's lower aft body surface, which acts as an external nozzle, is calculated using a combination of quasi 1-dimensional gas dynamic theory and Newtonian or modified Newtonian theory. The exhaust plume shape is determined by matching the pressure inside the plume, calculated from the gas dynamic equations, with the freestream pressure, calculated from Newtonian or Modified Newtonian theory. In this manner, the pressure distribution along the vehicle after body expansion surface is then determined. The aerodynamic modeling, the engine modeling, and the exhaust plume analysis are described in more detail. A description of the computer code used to perform the above calculations is given and an input/output example is then given. The computer code is available on a Macintosh floppy disk.

Chavez, Frank R.↗

The application of cryogenics to high Reynolds number testing in wind tunnels. I - Evolution, theory, and advantages

During the time which has passed since the construction of the first wind tunnel in 1870, wind tunnels have been developed to a high degree of sophistication. However, their development has consistently failed to keep pace with the demands placed on them. One of the more serious problems to be found with existing transonic wind tunnels is their inability to test subscale aircraft models at Reynolds numbers sufficiently near full-scale values to ensure the validity of using the wind tunnel data to predict flight characteristics. The Reynolds number capability of a wind tunnel may be increased by a number of different approaches. However, the best solution in terms of model, balance, and model support loads, as well as in terms of capital and operating cost appears to be related to the reduction of the temperature of the test gas to cryogenic temperatures. The present paper has the objective to review the evolution of the cryogenic wind tunnel concept and to describe its more important advantages.

Kilgore, R. A.↗

A unified viscous theory of lift and drag of 2-D thin airfoils and 3-D thin wings

A unified viscous theory of 2-D thin airfoils and 3-D thin wings is developed with numerical examples. The viscous theory of the load distribution is unique and tends to the classical inviscid result with Kutta condition in the high Reynolds number limit. A new theory of 2-D section induced drag is introduced with specific applications to three cases of interest: (1) constant angle of attack; (2) parabolic camber; and (3) a flapped airfoil. The first case is also extended to a profiled leading edge foil. The well-known drag due to absence of leading edge suction is derived from the viscous theory. It is independent of Reynolds number for zero thickness and varies inversely with the square root of the Reynolds number based on the leading edge radius for profiled sections. The role of turbulence in the section induced drag problem is discussed. A theory of minimum section induced drag is derived and applied. For low Reynolds number the minimum drag load tends to the constant angle of attack solution and for high Reynolds number to an approximation of the parabolic camber solution. The parabolic camber section induced drag is about 4 percent greater than the ideal minimum at high Reynolds number. Two new concepts, the viscous induced drag angle and the viscous induced separation potential are introduced. The separation potential is calculated for three 2-D cases and for a 3-D rectangular wing. The potential is calculated with input from a standard doublet lattice wing code without recourse to any boundary layer calculations. Separation is indicated in regions where it is observed experimentally. The classical induced drag is recovered in the 3-D high Reynolds number limit with an additional contribution that is Reynold number dependent. The 3-D viscous theory of minimum induced drag yields an equation for the optimal spanwise and chordwise load distribution. The design of optimal wing tip planforms and camber distributions is possible with the viscous 3-D wing theory.

Yates, John E.↗

Detection of Ocean Reflected GPS Signals: Theory and Experiment

A number of advanced applications of the Global Positioning System (GPS) have been proposed which use the signal reflected from a smooth ocean surface. The viability of these concepts hinges upon the ability to acquire and code track the reflected signal for an extended period of time over a variety of sea states. The analytical theory of specularly and diffusely reflected radio frequency radiation from a rough surface is reviewed. Experiments to demonstrate tracking of a reflected signal were performed on three aircraft flights over the Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The experimental hardware consisted of two of-the-shelf receivers configured so that one received the GPS signal in the conventional manner using a right hand circularly polarized (RHCP) antenna on top of the fuselage and the other could receive the reflected signal using a left hand circularly polarized (LHCP) antenna on the bottom of the fuselage. Three tests were performed on the data to verify that the signals received in the bottom antenna were viewed as sea surface reflections; Pseudorange double differences were compared against predicted geometric range double differences; Characteristics of a signal reflected from a random surface were observed in the carrier to noise ratio; Predicted specular points were plotted which demonstrate reflection only from wet areas. These tests indicated tracking of reflected signals for extended periods of time at altitudes of up to 5500 m and sporadic signal acquisition at higher altitudes. The duration of the continuous signal tracking was limited by the receiver's need to maintain carrier tracking.

Garrison, James L.↗

Three-nucleon lepton-number-violating potentials in chiral effective field theory and their matrix elements in light nuclei

Here, we derive the three-nucleon neutrinoless double-𝛽 decay potential in a Δ-full chiral effective field theory through next-to-next-to-next-to leading order in Weinberg's power counting. The matrix elements of the resulting operators are computed in light nuclei using variational Monte Carlo with wave functions constructed from the Norfolk family of nuclear interactions. We find that three-nucleon corrections induce a modest quenching of the total nuclear matrix elements. We discuss model dependencies and the potential impact of these corrections on the sensitivity of experimental programs to probe lepton number violating parameters. These results provide a benchmark for many-body methods capable of reaching heavier nuclei of experimental interest.

Chambers-Wall, Graham [Washington University, St. ↗

A Study of Feature Extraction Using Divergence Analysis of Texture Features

An empirical study of texture analysis for feature extraction and classification of high spatial resolution remotely sensed imagery (10 meters) is presented in terms of specific land cover types. The principal method examined is the use of spatial gray tone dependence (SGTD). The SGTD method reduces the gray levels within a moving window into a two-dimensional spatial gray tone dependence matrix which can be interpreted as a probability matrix of gray tone pairs. Haralick et al (1973) used a number of information theory measures to extract texture features from these matrices, including angular second moment (inertia), correlation, entropy, homogeneity, and energy. The derivation of the SGTD matrix is a function of: (1) the number of gray tones in an image; (2) the angle along which the frequency of SGTD is calculated; (3) the size of the moving window; and (4) the distance between gray tone pairs. The first three parameters were varied and tested on a 10 meter resolution panchromatic image of Maryville, Tennessee using the five SGTD measures. A transformed divergence measure was used to determine the statistical separability between four land cover categories forest, new residential, old residential, and industrial for each variation in texture parameters.

Hallada, W. A.↗

Downscattering due to Wind Outflows in Compact X-ray Sources: Theory and Interpretation

A number of recent lines of evidence point towards the presence of hot, outflowing plasma from the central regions of compact Galactic and extragalactic X-ray sources. Additionally, it has long been noted that many of these sources exhibit an "excess" continuum component, above approx. 10 keV, usually attributed to Compton Reflection from a static medium. Motivated by these facts, as well as by recent observational constraints on the Compton reflection models - specifically apparently discrepant variability timescales for line and continuum components in some cases - we consider possible of effects of out-flowing plasma on the high-energy continuum spectra of accretion powered compact objects. We present a general formulation for photon downscattering diffusion which includes recoil and Comptonization effects due to divergence of the flow. We then develop an analytical theory for the spectral formation in such systems that allows us to derive formulae for the emergent spectrum. Finally we perform the analytical model fitting on several Galactic X-ray binaries. Objects which have been modeled with high-covering-fraction Compton reflectors, such as GS1353-64 are included in our analysis. In addition, Cyg X-3, is which is widely believed to be characterized by dense circumstellar winds with temperature of order 10(exp 6) K, provides an interesting test case. Data from INTEGRAL and RXTE covering the approx. 3 - 300 keV range are used in our analysis. We further consider the possibility that the widely noted distortion of the power-law continuum above 10 keV may in some cases be explained by these spectral softening effects.

Titarchuk, Lev↗

Intermediate Temperature Fluids Life Tests - Theory

There are a number of different applications that could use heat pipes or loop heat pipes (LHPs) in the intermediate temperature range of 450 to 750 K, including space nuclear power system radiators, and high temperature electronics cooling. Potential working fluids include organic fluids, elements, and halides, with halides being the least understood, with only a few life tests conducted. Potential envelope materials for halide working fluids include pure aluminum, aluminum alloys, commercially pure (CP) titanium, titanium alloys, and corrosion resistant superalloys. Life tests were conducted with three halides (AlBr3, SbBr3, and TiCl4) and water in three different envelopes: two aluminum alloys (Al-5052, Al-6061) and Cp-2 titanium. The AlBr3 attacked the grain boundaries in the aluminum envelopes, and formed TiAl compounds in the titanium. The SbBr3 was incompatible with the only envelope material that it was tested with, Al-6061. TiCl4 and water were both compatible with CP2-titanium. A theoretical model was developed that uses electromotive force differences to predict the compatibility of halide working fluids with envelope materials. This theory predicts that iron, nickel, and molybdenum are good envelope materials, while aluminum and titanium halides are good working fluids. The model is in good agreement with results form previous life tests, as well as the current life tests.

Tarau, Calin↗

Error in Airspeed Measurement Due to Static-Pressure Field Ahead of the Wing Tip of a Swept-Wing Airplane Model at Transonic Speeds

As part of a study of means of airspeed measurement at transonic speeds the use of static orifices located ahead of the wing tip has been investigated for possible application to service or research airspeed installations. The local static pressure and local Mach number have been measured at a distance of 1 tip chord ahead of the wing tip of a model of a swept-wing fighter airplane at true Mach numbers between 0.7 and 1.08 by the NACA wing-flow method. All measurements were made at or near zero lift. The local Mach number was found to be essentially equal to the true Mach numbers less than about 0.90. The local Mach number was found to be about 0.97 at a true Mach number of 0.95, and to be about 1.04 at a true Mach number of 1.08. The local Mach number provided a reasonable sensitive measure of true Mach number except for a restricted region near a true Mach number of 1.0 where the local Mach number did not change appreciably with true Mach number. The linear theory was found to predict qualitatively the effect of the fuselage on the static pressure ahead of the wing time but gave a reasonable prediction of the effect of the wing on the static pressure only at Mach numbers below 0.95.

Danforth, Edward C.B.↗

Free-Flight Aerodynamic-Heating Data to Mach Number 10.4 for a Modified Von Karman Nose Shape

Aerodynamic-heating data have been obtained on a modified fineness-ratio-5.0 Von Karman nose shape at free-stream Mach numbers up to 10.4 with a rocket-propelled model. Transient skin temperatures were measured at one station, 26.6 inches behind the tip of a nose 31.6 inches long. A maximum skin temperature of 1,663 deg R was measured soon after the maximum Mach number was obtained. During the periods for which experimental Stanton numbers were presented, flow parameters just outside the boundary layer at the temperature measuring station varied as follows: the local Mach number varied in the range between 0.8 and 9.0 and the local Reynolds number varied in the range between 0.8 x 10(exp 6) and 35.5 x 10(exp 6). The ratio of skin temperature to local static temperature varied between 1.0 and 3.6. The experimental Stanton numbers agreed well with Van Driest's turbulent theory while the local Reynolds number was high - that is, while the local Reynolds number varied in a range above 6.8 x 10(exp 6). For local Reynolds numbers less than 3.5 x 10(exp 6) the experimental Stanton numbers were of the magnitude predicted by Van Driest's laminar theory. Transition from turbulent to laminar flow at the temperature measuring station, as indicated by the change in the magnitude of the Stanton number, occurred as the local Reynolds number decreased from 6.8 x 10(exp 6) to 3.5 x 10(exp 6) at essentially a constant local Mach number of about 9.0.

Bland, William M., Jr.↗

Acoustic shocks in a variable area duct containing near sonic flows

Acoustic shock waves in a variable area duct which contains near sonic flows are considered. The problem is modeled after an aeroengine inlet. Area variation of a duct and high Mach number mean the flow reduces acoustical energy yielding substantial noise reduction. One possible reason for this is acoustic shock. The use of an explicit accurate numerical method which captures shocks is described. Comparison of the results are made with an existing asymptotic theory for Mach numbers close to unity. When shock occurs reduction of sound pressure levels are shown by example.

Hariharan, S. I.↗

Acoustic shocks in a variable area duct containing near sonic flows

Acoustic shock waves in a variable area duct which contains near sonic flows are considered. The problem is modeled after an aeroengine inlet. Area variation of a duct and high Mach number mean the flow reduces acoustical energy yielding substantial noise reduction. One possible reason for this is acoustic shock. The use of an explicit accurate numerical method which captures shocks is described. Comparison of the results are made with an existing asymptotic theory for Mach numbers close to unity. When shock occurs reduction of sound pressure levels are shown by example.

Hariharan, S. I.↗

The analysis and simulation of compressible turbulence

Compressible turbulent flows at low turbulent Mach numbers are considered. Contrary to the general belief that such flows are almost incompressible, (i.e., the divergence of the velocity field remains small for all times), it is shown that even if the divergence of the initial velocity field is negligibly small, it can grow rapidly on a non-dimensional time scale which is the inverse of the fluctuating Mach number. An asymptotic theory which enables one to obtain a description of the flow in terms of its divergence-free and vorticity-free components has been developed to solve the initial-value problem. As a result, the various types of low Mach number turbulent regimes have been classified with respect to the initial conditions. Formulae are derived that accurately predict the level of compressibility after the initial transients have disappeared. These results are verified by extensive direct numerical simulations of isotropic turbulence.

Erlebacher, Gordon↗