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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

A biased historical perspective of women in the engineering field at Dryden from 1946 to November 1992

Being a woman in engineering, and in particular, being the woman with the dubious distinction of having the most years at Dryden, gives the author a long-term perspective on the women who worked in the engineering field and their working environment. The working environment for the women was influenced by two main factors. One factor was the Dryden's growth of 14 persons (2 of them women) at the end of 1946 to the present size. The other factor was the need for programming knowledge when the digital computers came into use. Women have been involved with flight research at Dryden since the days of the first transonic and supersonic airplanes. This paper uses available records, along with memory, to document the number of women in engineering at Dryden, to comment about observed trends, and to make personal observations.

Powers, Sheryll Goecke↗
NASA NTRS1996

A historical perspective of the YF-12A thermal loads and structures program

Around 1970, the Y-F-12A loads and structures efforts focused on numerous technological issues that needed defining with regard to aircraft that incorporate hot structures in the design. Laboratory structural heating test technology with infrared systems was largely created during this program. The program demonstrated the ability to duplicate the complex flight temperatures of an advanced supersonic airplane in a ground-based laboratory. The ability to heat and load an advanced operational aircraft in a laboratory at high temperatures and return it to flight status without adverse effects was demonstrated. The technology associated with measuring loads with strain gages on a hot structure was demonstrated with a thermal calibration concept. The results demonstrated that the thermal stresses were significant although the airplane was designed to reduce thermal stresses. Considerable modeling detail was required to predict the heat transfer and the corresponding structural characteristics. The overall YF-12A research effort was particularly productive, and a great deal of flight, laboratory, test and computational data were produced and cross-correlated.

Jenkins, Jerald M.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Flow Through a Rectangular-to-Semiannular Diffusing Transition Duct

Rectangular-to-semiannular diffusing transition ducts are critical inlet components on supersonic airplanes having bifucated engine inlets. This paper documents measured details of the flow through a rectangular-to-semiannular transition duct having an expansion area ratio of 1.53. Three-dimensional velocity vectors and total pressures at the exit plane of the diffuser are presented. Surface oil-flow visualization and surface static pressure data are shown. The tests were conducted with an inlet Mach number of 0.786 and a Reynolds number based on the inlet centerline velocity and exit diameter of 3.2 x 10(exp 6). The measured data are compared with previously published computational results. The ability of vortex generators to reduce circumferential total pressure distortion is demonstrated.

Foster, Jeff↗
NASA NTRS2008

Initial Results from the Variable Intensity Sonic Boom Propagation Database

An extensive sonic boom propagation database with low- to normal-intensity booms (overpressures of 0.08 lbf/sq ft to 2.20 lbf/sq ft) was collected for propagation code validation, and initial results and flight research techniques are presented. Several arrays of microphones were used, including a 10 m tall tower to measure shock wave directionality and the effect of height above ground on acoustic level. A sailplane was employed to measure sonic booms above and within the atmospheric turbulent boundary layer, and the sailplane was positioned to intercept the shock waves between the supersonic airplane and the ground sensors. Sailplane and ground-level sonic boom recordings were used to generate atmospheric turbulence filter functions showing excellent agreement with ground measurements. The sonic boom prediction software PCBoom4 was employed as a preflight planning tool using preflight weather data. The measured data of shock wave directionality, arrival time, and overpressure gave excellent agreement with the PCBoom4-calculated results using the measured aircraft and atmospheric data as inputs. C-weighted acoustic levels generally decreased with increasing height above the ground. A-weighted and perceived levels usually were at a minimum for a height where the elevated microphone pressure rise time history was the straightest, which is a result of incident and ground-reflected shock waves interacting.

Haering, Edward A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2010

N plus 2 Supersonic Concept Development and Systems Integration

Supersonic airplanes for two generations into the future (N+2, 2020-2025 EIS) were designed: the 100 passenger 765-072B, and the 30 passenger 765-076E. Both achieve a trans-Atlantic range of about 4000nm. The larger 765-072B meets fuel burn and emissions goals forecast for the 2025 time-frame, and the smaller 765-076E improves the boom and confidence in utilization that accompanies lower seat count. The boom level of both airplanes was reduced until balanced with performance. The final configuration product is two "realistic", non-proprietary future airplane designs, described in sufficient detail for subsequent multi-disciplinary design and optimization, with emphasis on the smaller 765-076E because of its lower boom characteristics. In addition IGES CAD files of the OML lofts of the two example configurations, a non-proprietary parametric engine model, and a first-cycle Finite Element Model are also provided for use in future multi-disciplinary analysis, optimization, and technology evaluation studies.

Wedge, Harry R.↗
NASA NTRS1960

Experimental and Calculated Flow Fields Produced by Airplanes Flying at Supersonic Speeds

Results are presented of a flight investigation conducted to survey the flow field generated by airplanes flying a t supersonic speeds. The pressure signatures of an F-100, an F-104, and a B-58 airplane, representing widely varying configurations, a t distances from 120 t o 425 f e e from the generating aircraft and at Mach numbers from 1.2 t o 1.8 are shown. Calculations were made by using Whitham's method and were compared with the experimental results.

Smith, Harriet J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Inlet flow field investigation. Part 1: Transonic flow field survey

A wind tunnel investigation was conducted to determine the local inlet flow field characteristics of an advanced tactical supersonic cruise airplane. A data base for the development and validation of analytical codes directed at the analysis of inlet flow fields for advanced supersonic airplanes was established. Testing was conducted at the NASA-Langley 16-foot Transonic Tunnel at freestream Mach numbers of 0.6 to 1.20 and angles of attack from 0.0 to 10.0 degrees. Inlet flow field surveys were made at locations representative of wing (upper and lower surface) and forebody mounted inlet concepts. Results are presented in the form of local inlet flow field angle of attack, sideflow angle, and Mach number contours. Wing surface pressure distributions supplement the flow field data.

Yetter, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1952

First Landing of Bell X-2 Research Airplane

The Bell X-2 supersonic research airplane is equipped with a skid main landing gear and a nose wheel. Pending completion of the rocket engine, glide flights are being performed to determine low-speed handling qualities of the airplane and the landing characteristics with the skid-type landing gear. The present paper presents data obtained during the approach and landing of the X-2 airplane on its first flight .

Richard E. Day↗
NASA NTRS1953

A Method of Calibrating Airspeed Installations on Airplanes at Transonic and Supersonic Speeds by the Use of Accelerometer and Attitude-Angle Measurements

A method is described for calibrating airspeed installation on airplanes at transonic and supersonic speeds in vertical-plane maneuvers in which use is made of measurements of normal and longitudinal accelerations and attitude angle. In this method all the required instrumentation is carried within the airplane. An analytical study of the effects of various sources of error on the accuracy of an airspeed calibration by the accelerometer method indicated that the required measurements can be made accurately enough to insure a satisfactory calibration.

Zalovick, John A↗
NASA NTRS1959

Lift and Drag of a Swept-Wing Fighter Airplane at Transonic and Supersonic Speeds

A flight investigation was made of the lift and drag of a sweptwing fighter airplane in the basic configuration and in a slats-locked-closed configuration over a Mach number range from about 0.63 to about 1.44. At a nominal lift coefficient of 0.1 negligible drag-coefficient difference existed between the two configurations over a comparable Mach number and altitude range. For the basic configuration at zero lift the supersonic drag level was about three times as great as the subsonic drag level, which was about 0.01, whereas the drag-due-to-lift factor increased about 137 percent over the test Mach number range. At comparable Mach numbers the high-altitude data produced a larger lift-curve slope and showed a more pronounced variation of lift-curve slope in the transonic region than did the low-altitude data. For the high-altitude data the lift-curve slope at a Mach number of 1.44 was approximately 62 percent of the value at a Mach number of 0.9.

SWEPT WING↗
NASA NTRS1974

High altitude turbulence encountered by the supersonic YF-12A airplane

The present work describes the turbulence experienced by the YF-12A airplane on the basis of airplane acceleration data obtained at altitudes above 12.2 km. Data presented include the subjective intensities reported by the air crew, the portion of flight distance in turbulence, the variation of turbulence with season, and the thickness and length of turbulence patches as determined along the flight path. Compared with that experienced by subsonic jets below 12.2 km, turbulence above 12.2 km was mild, but the crew was more sensitive to gust accelerations during supersonic flight at altitudes above 12.2 km than during subsonic flight at lower altitudes. About 6-8% of the distance traveled was in turbulence between 12.2 and 16.8 km, as compared to less than 1% above 18.3 km. High-altitude turbulence increased by a factor of three from summer to winter. Turbulence patches were 0.4 km thick and 10 km long on the average.

Ehernberger, L. J.↗