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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 1,117 records · Page 62

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NASA NTRS1991

Development of a shock noise prediction code for high-speed helicopters - The subsonically moving shock

A previously defined airfoil subsonic shock-noise prediction formula whose result depends on a mapping of the time-dependent shock surface to a time-independent computational domain is presently coded and incorporated in the NASA-Langley rotor-noise prediction code, WOPWOP. The structure and algorithms used in the shock-noise prediction code are presented; special care has been taken to reduce computation time while maintaining accuracy. Numerical examples of shock-noise prediction are presented for hover and forward flight. It is confirmed that shock noise is an important component of the quadrupole source.

Tadghighi, H.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Dynamics of helicopters with dissimilar blades

The dynamics of helicopters with dissimilar rotor blades is investigated for hingeless rotors in hover. An elastic blade model with finite element formulation is used. Hub motions are included by modeling the fuselage as a rigid body with pitch and roll degrees of freedom. The aeromechanical stability solution is solved in the fixed frame via Floquet theory. A parametric study of the effects of dissimilarity among blades' structural stiffness, mass, and damping on aeromechanical stability is presented. It is found that a slight reduction in the lag stiffness of one blade stabilizes the regressing lag mode instability.

Wang, James M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT) applied to the design of a rotorcraft flight control system

Quantitative Feedback Theory describes a frequency-domain technique for the design of multi-input, multi-output control systems which meet time or frequency domain performance criteria when specified uncertainty exists in the linear description of the vehicle dynamics. Quantitative Feedback Theory is applied to the design of the longitudinal flight control system for a linear uncertain model of the AH-64 rotorcraft. In this model, the uncertainty is assigned, and is assumed to be attributable to actual uncertainty in the dynamic model and to the changes in the vehicle aerodynamic characteristics which occur near hover. The model includes an approximation to the rotor and actuator dynamics. The design example indicates the manner in which handling qualities criteria may be incorporated into the design of realistic rotorcraft control systems in which significant uncertainty exists in the vehicle model.

Hess, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A demonstration of passive blade twist control using extension-twist coupling

The feasibility of passive blade twist control using an extension-twist-coupled composite rotor blade design has been demonstrated. A set of low-twist model-scale helicopter rotor blades has been manufactured from existing molds with the objective of demonstrating this control concept. Hover testing of the set of blades demonstrated maximum twist changes of 5.24 deg for the ballasted blade configuration, and 2.54 deg for the unballasted configurations in the atmospheric test condition. These results compared well with those obtained from a detailed FEM analysis of the rotor blade. Aerodynamic-induced effects on the blade elastic twist were found to be minimal.

Lake, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Integrated flight/propulsion control for supersonic STOVL aircraft

A technology program to investigate integrated flight/propulsion control-system design for STOVL fighter aircraft is described. Integrated control systems being developed by U.S. industry for specific STOVL concepts are discussed. Attention is given to NASA involvement in the definition of control concepts, design-methods and flying-qualities criteria, and the evaluation of these concepts and criteria in analytical design studies, in ground-based experiments, and in flight on the Harrier V/STOL research aircraft. Initial fixed-base simulation experiments conducted for two STOVL fighter concepts are discussed. These simulations defined acceptable transition flight envelopes, determined control power used during transition and hover, and provided evaluations of the integration of the flight and propulsion controls to achieve good flying qualities throughout the low-speed flight envelope.

Franklin, James A.↗

NASA NTRS1951

Empirical relation between induced velocity, thrust, and rate of descent of a helicopter rotor as determined by wind-tunnel tests on four model rotors

The empirical relation between the induced velocity, thrust, and rate of vertical descent of a helicopter rotor was calculated from wind tunnel force tests on four model rotors by the application of blade-element theory to the measured values of the thrust, torque, blade angle, and equivalent free-stream rate of descent. The model tests covered the useful range of C(sub t)/sigma(sub e) (where C(sub t) is the thrust coefficient and sigma(sub e) is the effective solidity) and the range of vertical descent from hovering to descent velocities slightly greater than those for autorotation. The three bladed models, each of which had an effective solidity of 0.05 and NACA 0015 blade airfoil sections, were as follows: (1) constant-chord, untwisted blades of 3-ft radius; (2) untwisted blades of 3-ft radius having a 3/1 taper; (3) constant-chord blades of 3-ft radius having a linear twist of 12 degrees (washout) from axis of rotation to tip; and (4) constant-chord, untwisted blades of 2-ft radius. Because of the incorporation of a correction for blade dynamic twist and the use of a method of measuring the approximate equivalent free-stream velocity, it is believed that the data obtained from this program are more applicable to free-flight calculations than the data from previous model tests.

Castles, Walter, Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Light-Flash Wind-Direction Indicator

Proposed wind-direction indicator read easily by distant observers. Indicator emits bright flashes of light separated by interval of time proportional to angle between true north and direction from which wind blowing. Timing of flashes indicates direction of wind. Flashes, from high-intensity stroboscopic lights seen by viewers at distances up to 5 miles or more. Also seen more easily through rain and fog. Indicator self-contained, requiring no connections to other equipment. Power demand satisfied by battery or solar power or both. Set up quickly to provide local surface-wind data for aircraft pilots during landing or hovering, for safety officers establishing hazard zones and safety corridors during handling of toxic materials, for foresters and firefighters conducting controlled burns, and for real-time wind observations during any of variety of wind-sensitive operations.

Zysko, Jan A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Initial piloted simulation study of geared flap control for tilt-wing V/STOL aircraft

A simulation study of a representative tilt wing transport aircraft was conducted in 1990 on the Ames Vertical Motion Simulator. This simulation is in response to renewed interest in the tilt wing concept for use in future military and civil applications. For past tilt wing concepts, pitch control in hover and low-speed flight has required a tail rotor or reaction jets at the tail. Use of mono cyclic propellers or a geared flap have also been proposed as alternate methods for providing pitch control at low speed. The geared flap is a subject of this current study. This report describes the geared flap concept, the tilt wing aircraft, the simulation model, the simulation facility and experiment setup, the pilots' evaluation tasks and procedures, and the results obtained from the simulation experiment. The pilot evaluations and comments are also documented in the report appendix.

Guerrero, Lourdes M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Lunar Lava Tube Sensing

Large (greater than 300 m diameter) lava tube caverns appear to exist on the Moon and could provide substantial safety and cost benefits for lunar bases. Over 40 m of basalt and regolith constitute the lava tube roof and would protect both construction and operations. Constant temperatures of -20 C reduce thermal stress on structures and machines. Base designs need not incorporate heavy shielding, so lightweight materials can be used and construction can be expedited. Identification and characterization of lava tube caverns can be incorporated into current precursor lunar mission plans. Some searches can even be done from Earth. Specific recommendations for lunar lava tube search and exploration are (1) an Earth-based radar interferometer, (2) an Earth-penetrating radar (EPR) orbiter, (3) kinetic penetrators for lunar lava tube confirmation, (4) a 'Moon Bat' hovering rocket vehicle, and (5) the use of other proposed landers and orbiters to help find lunar lava tubes.

York, Cheryl Lynn↗

NASA NTRS1992

Design of high speed proprotors using multiobjective optimization techniques

An integrated, multiobjective optimization procedure is developed for the design of high speed proprotors with the coupling of aerodynamic, dynamic, aeroelastic, and structural criteria. The objectives are to maximize propulsive efficiency in high speed cruise and rotor figure of merit in hover. Constraints are imposed on rotor blade aeroelastic stability in cruise and on total blade weight. Two different multiobjective formulation procedures, the Min summation of beta and the K-S function approaches are used to formulate the two-objective optimization problems.

Mccarthy, Thomas R.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Controller partitioning for integrated flight/propulsion control implementation

The notion of partitioning a centralized controller into a decentralized, hierarchical structure suitable for integrated flight/propulsion control (IFPC) implementation is discussed. A systematic procedure is developed for determining partitioned airframe and engine subsystem controllers (subcontrollers), with the desired interconnection structure, that approximate the closed-loop performance and robustness characteristics of a given centralized controller. The procedure is demonstrated by application to IFPC design for a Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft in the landing approach to hover transition flight phase.

Garg, Sanjay↗

NASA NTRS1993

Fuzzy control of an unmanned helicopter

This paper discusses an application of fuzzy control to an unmanned helicopter. The authors design a fuzzy controller to achieve semi-autonomous flight of a helicopter by giving macroscopic flight commands from the ground. The fuzzy controller proposed in this study consists of two layers: the upper layer for navigation supervising the lower layer and the lower layer for ordinary rule based control. The performance of the fuzzy controller is evaluated in experiments where an industrial helicopter Yamaha R-50 is used. At present an operator can wirelessly control the helicopter through a flight computer with eight commands such as 'hover', 'fly forward', 'turn left', 'stop', etc.

Sugeno, M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Helicopter low-speed yaw control

A system for improving yaw control at low speeds consists of one strake placed on the upper portion of the fuselage facing the retreating rotor blade and another strake placed on the lower portion of the fuselage facing the advancing rotor blade. These strakes spoil the airflow on the helicopter tail boom during hover, low speed flight, and right or left sidewards flight so that less side thrust is required from the tail rotor.

Wilson, John C.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Reduction in size and unsteadiness of a VTOL ground vortex by ground fences

A ground vortex, produced when a jet impinges on the ground in the presence of cross flow, is encountered by V/STOL aircraft hovering near the ground and is known to be hazardous to the aircraft. The objective of this research was to identify a ground-based technique by which both the mean size and fluctuation in size of the ground vortex could be reduced. A simple passive method was identified and examined in the laboratory. Specifically, one or two fine wire mesh screens (ground fences) bent in a horseshoe shape and located on the ground in front of the jet impingement point proved to be very effective. The ground fences work by decreasing the momentum of the upstream-traveling wall jet, effectively causing a higher freestream-to-jet velocity ratio (V(sub infinity)/V(sub j)) and thus, a ground vortex smaller in size and unsteadiness. At(V(sub infinity)/V(sub j)) = 0.15, the addition of a single ground fence resulted in a 70 percent reduction in mean size of the ground vortex. With two ground fences, the mean size decreased by about 85 percent. Fluctuations in size decreased nearly in proportion to the mean size, for both the single and double fence configurations. These results were consistent over a wide range of jet Reynolds number (10(exp 4) less than Re(sub jet) less than 10(exp 5)); further development and full-scale Reynolds number testing are required, however, to determine if this technique can be made practical for the case of actual VTOL aircraft.

Cimbala, John M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Transition aerodynamics for 20-percent-scale VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle

An investigation was conducted in the Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel to establish a transition data base for an unmanned aerial vehicle utilizing a powered-lift ejector system and to evaluate alterations to the ejector system for improved vehicle performance. The model used in this investigation was a 20-percent-scale, blended-body, arrow-wing configuration with integrated twin rectangular ejectors. The test was conducted from hover through transition conditions with variations in angle of attack, angle of sideslip, free-stream dynamic pressure, nozzle pressure ratio, and model ground height. Force and moment data along with extensive surface pressure data were obtained. A laser velocimeter technique for measuring inlet flow velocities was demonstrated at a single flow condition, and also a low order panel method was successfully used to numerically simulate the ejector inlet flow.

Kjerstad, Kevin J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A NASA study of the impact of technology on future multimission aircraft

A conceptual aircraft design study was recently completed which compared three supersonic multimission tactical aircraft. The aircraft were evaluated in two technology timeframes and were sized with consistent methods and technology assumptions so that the aircraft could be compared in operational utility or cost analysis trends. The three aircraft are a carrier-based Fighter/Attack aircraft, a land-based Multirole Fighter, and a Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft. This paper describes the design study ground rules used and the aircraft designed. The aircraft descriptions include weights, dimensions and layout, design mission and maneuver performance, and fallout mission performance. The effect of changing technology and mission requirements on the STOVL aircraft and the impact of aircraft navalization are discussed. Also discussed are the effects on the STOVL aircraft of both Thrust/Weight required in hover and design mission radius.

Samuels, Jeffrey J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Determination of YAV-8B Reaction Control System bleed flow usage

Using a calibrated Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine, total Reaction Control System (RCS) bleed flow rates have been measured on a YAV-8B Harrier during typical short takeoff, transition, hover and vertical landing maneuvers. Using existing aircraft instrumentation and pressure taps located in the RCS ducts, bleed flow rates at each RCS valve were also measured directly during flight and ground tests. These data were compared with the calibrated engine data and with the RCS part of a YAV-8B mathematical model used in piloted simulation at NASA Ames Research Center. Areas of disagreement were small, being confined to the estimation of closed RCS valve leakages and the modeling of the RCS butterfly valve pressure losses.

Borchers, Paul F.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Acoustic flight test experience with the XV-15 Tiltrotor aircraft with the Advanced Technology Blade (ATB)

An acoustic model that predicts the discrete frequency noise characteristics of helicopter rotors has been utilized in an analysis to help identify source characteristics. This technique incorporated a NASA Langley developed acoustic prediction technique, and a simplified flow field model to account for rotor wake reingestion in hover. The vehicle rotor system was modified to include the ATBs that were designed to provide for higher operating weights and improved maneuver load factor in helicopter and transition modes of operation.

Hoad, Danny R.↗