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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

Fully unsteady subsonic and supersonic potential aerodynamics for complex aircraft configurations for flutter applications

A general theory for study, oscillatory or fully unsteady potential compressible aerodynamics around complex configurations is presented. Using the finite-element method to discretize the space problem, one obtains a set of differential-delay equations in time relating the potential to its normal derivative which is expressed in terms of the generalized coordinates of the structure. For oscillatory flow, the motion consists of sinusoidal oscillations around a steady, subsonic or supersonic flow. For fully unsteady flow, the motion is assumed to consist of constant subsonic or supersonic speed for time t or = 0 and of small perturbations around the steady state for time t 0.

Tseng, K.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Steady, Oscillatory and Unsteady, Subsonic and Supersonic Aerodynamics (SOUSSA) for complex aircraft configurations

The Green's function method and the computer program SOUSSA (Steady Oscillatory and Unsteady Subsonic and Supersonic Aerodynamics) are reviewed. The Green's function method is applied to the fully unsteady potential equation yielding an integro-differential-delay equation. This equation is approximated by a set of differential-delay equations in time using the finite element method. The Laplace transform is used to yield a matrix relating the velocity potential to the normal wash. The matrix of the generalized aerodynamic forces is obtained by premultiplying and postmultiplying the matrices relating generalized forces to the potential and the normal wash by the generalized coordinates. The program SOUSSA is compared with existing numerical results. Results indicate that the program is not only general, flexible, and easy to use, but also accurate and fast.

Morino, L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Wind tunnel tests on a tail-less swept wing span-distributed cargo aircraft configuration

The configuration consisted of a 30 deg -swept, untapered, untwisted wing utilizing a low-moment cambered airfoil of 20 percent streamwise thickness designed for low wave drag at M = 0.6, C sub L = 0.4. The tests covered a range of Mach numbers 0.3 to 0.725 and chord Reynolds number 1,100,000 to 2,040,000, angles of attack up to model buffet and sideslip angles + or - 4 deg. Configuration build up, wing pod filleting, airfoil modification and trailing edge control deflection effects were briefly investigated. Three wing tip vertical tail designs were also tested. Wing body filleting and a simple airfoil modification both produced increments to maximum lift/drag ratio. Addition of pods eliminated pitch instability of the basic wing. While the magnitude of these benefits probably was Reynolds number sensitive, they underline the potential for improving the aerodynamics of the present configuration. The cruise parameter (product of Mach number and lift/drag ratio) attained a maximum close to the airfoil design point. The configuration was found to be positively stable with normal control effectiveness about all three axes in the Mach number and C sub L range of interest.

Rao, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Computational transonic flow about realistic aircraft configurations

A numerical method has been developed to compute transonic flows about realistic wing-fuselage configurations. The finite difference scheme employs an improved small disturbance flow equation. A unique grid embedding technique, which was heretofore applied to airfoils and wings, has been extended to include the treatment of both body and wing-body shapes. The resulting high-density mesh is shown to be a valuable asset in resolving details of the three-dimensional flow. A mathematical modeling system is used to process arbitrary fuselage geometries for body boundary conditions. Correlations with experimental data for simple isolated bodies, an isolated fuselage, and wing-fuselage combinations are included.

Boppe, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Handling qualities of large flexible control-configured aircraft

The approach to an analytical study of flexible airplane longitudinal handling qualities was to parametrically vary the natural frequencies of two symmetric elastic modes to induce mode interactions with the rigid body dynamics. Since the structure of the pilot model was unknown for such dynamic interactions, the optimal control pilot modeling method is being applied and used in conjunction with pilot rating method.

Swaim, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Handling qualities of large flexible control-configured aircraft

The effects on handling qualities of low frequency symmetric elastic mode interaction with the rigid body dynamics of a large flexible aircraft was analyzed by use of a mathematical pilot modeling computer simulation. An extension of the optimal control model for a human pilot was made so that the mode interaction effects on the pilot's control task could be assessed. Pilot ratings were determined for a longitudinal tracking task with parametric variations in the undamped natural frequencies of the two lowest frequency symmetric elastic modes made to induce varying amounts of mode interaction. Relating numerical performance index values associated with the frequency variations used in several dynamic cases, to a numerical Cooper-Harper pilot rating has proved successful in discriminating when the mathematical pilot can or cannot separate rigid from elastic response in the tracking task.

Swaim, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Flow Visualization Study of the F-14 Fighter Aircraft Configuration

Water tunnel studies were performed to qualitatively define the flow field of the F-14. Particular emphasis was placed on defining the vortex flows generated at high angles of attack. The flow visualization tests were conducted in the Northrop water tunnel using a 1/72 scale model of the F-14 with a wing leading-edge sweep of 20 deg. Flow visualization photographs were obtained for angles of attack up to 55 deg and sideslip angles up to 10 deg. The F-14 model was investigated to determine the vortex flow field development, vortex path, and vortex breakdown characteristics as a function of angle of attack and sideslip. Vortex flows were found to develop on the highly swept glove and on the upper surface of the forebody. At 10 deg of sideslip, the windward glove vortex shifted inboard and broke down farther forward than the leeward glove vortex. This asymmetric breakdown of the vortices in sideslip contributes to a reduction in the lateral stability above 20 deg angle of attack. The initial loss of directional stability is a consequence of the adverse sidewash from the windward vortex and the reduced dynamic pressure at the vertical tails.

Lorincz, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Results of a low-speed wind tunnel test of the MDC 2.2M supersonic cruise aircraft configuration

Results of a low speed test conducted in the Full Scale Tunnel at NASA Langley using an advanced supersonic cruise vehicle configuration are presented. These tests used a 10 percent scale model of a configuration that had demonstrated high aerodynamic performance at Mach 2.2 during a previous test program. The low speed model has leading and trailing edge flaps designed to improve low speed lift to drag ratios at high lift and includes devices for longitudinal and lateral/directional control. The results obtained during the low speed test program have shown that full span leading edge flaps are required for maximum performance. The amount of deflection of the leading edge flap must increase with C sub L to obtain the maximum benefit. Over 80 percent of full leading edge suction was obtained up to lift off C sub L's of 0.65. A mild pitch up occurred at about 6 deg angle of attack with and without the leading edge flap deflected. The pitch up is controllable with the horizontal tail. Spoilers were found to be preferable to spoiler/deflectors at low speeds. The vertical tail maintained effectiveness up to the highest angle of attack tested but the tail on directional stability deteriorated at high angles of attack. Lateral control was adequate for landing at 72 m/sec in a 15.4 m/sec crosswind.

Yip, L. P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Flow visualization study of spanwise blowing applied to the F-4 fighter aircraft configuration

Water tunnel studies were performed to define the changes that occur in vortex flow fields above the wing due to spanwise blowing over the inboard and outboard wing panels and over the trailing-edge flaps. Flow visualization photographs were obtained for angles of attack up to 30 deg and sideslip angles up to 10 deg. The sensitivity of the vortex flows to changes in flap deflection angle, nozzle position, and jet momentum coefficient was determined. Deflection of the leading edge flap delayed flow separation and the formation of the wing vortex to higher angles of attack. Spanwise blowing delayed the breakdown of the wing vortex to farther outboard and to higher angles of attack. Spanwise blowing over the trailing edge flap entrained flow downward, producing a lift increase over a wide range of angles of attack. The sweep angle of the windward wing was effectively reduced in sideslip. This decreased the stability of the wing vortex, and it burst farther inboard. Reduced wing sweep required a higher blowing rate to maintain a stable vortex. A vortex could be stabilized on the outboard wing panel when an outboard blowing nozzle was used. Blowing from both an inboard and an outboard nozzle was found to have a favorable interaction.

Lorincz, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Multigrid solution of the Euler equations for aircraft configurations

A multigrid scheme for solving the Euler equations is presented. The method has been successfully applied to two-dimensional airfoil calculations on both O-type and C-type meshes. In three dimensions the scheme has proved equally effective and calclations of flows over wing/body combinations are possible with convergence achieved in less than 100 cycles.

Jameson, A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Application of NCOREL to aircraft configurations

The NCOREL computer program and methodology (Grossman, 1979) modified for computation of flows over complex geometries is described. The newly introduced features include a more flexible grid-generation package, capable of generating grids for realistic wing-body cross sections, and a more general numerical method, developed for the capture of highly three-dimensional embedded, oblique shocks. In addition, an inlet capability is included, by means of which the cross section is allowed to change discontinuously with the addition of the inlet geometry. The new cross section is regridded and the potentials and their derivatives are interpolated for the marching to continue. Hence, a discontinuity in the grid or mappings is taken into account at the inlet station. The results of the flow-field computation for a realistic fighter configuration are discussed.

Siclari, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Numerical simulation of viscous flows over transonic aircraft configurations

Numerical simulation of compressible viscous flow fields is performed for a transonic transport configuration. A single structured grid system is constructed using analytical transformations such as conformal mapping, shearing/twisting/rotating/clustering/stretching transformations. The Reynolds-averaged, thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations are solved on a supercomputer, FACOM VP-400, using the LU-ADI factorization method.

Takanashi, Susumu↗
NASA NTRS1993

Supersonic aerodynamic characteristics of an advanced F-16 derivative aircraft configuration

A supersonic wind tunnel investigation was conducted in the NASA Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel on an advanced derivative configuration of the United States Air Force F-16 fighter. Longitudinal and lateral directional force and moment data were obtained at Mach numbers of 1.60 to 2.16 to evaluate basic performance parameters and control effectiveness. The aerodynamic characteristics for the F-16 derivative model were compared with the data obtained for the F-16C model and also with a previously tested generic wing model that features an identical plan form shape and similar twist distribution.

Fox, Mike C.↗