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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

Experimental study of transient dynamics of a flexible rotor

The results of an experimental program to investigate the transient response of a flexible rotor are presented. The program consisted of a series of tests conducted on a rig with a rotor designed to operate above its first bending critical speed. The purpose of the tests was to obtain experimental data on the transient behavior of a flexible rotor under conditions simulating those which might occur in a jet aircraft engine. The scope of the program included tests to measure the response of both balanced and unbalanced rotors during steady-state operation, acceleration, deceleration, and simulated blade loss.

Hibner, D. H.↗

Survey Summary of AGATE Concepts Demonstration at Annual NATA Convention March 24-26, 1997: Original Survey Data - Volume 2

An AGATE Concepts Demonstration was conducted at the Annual National Air Transportation Association (NATA) Convention in 1997. Following, a 5-minute introductory briefing, an interactive simulation of a single-pilot, single-engine aircraft was conducted. The participant was able to take off, fly a brief enroute segment, fly a Global Positioning System (GPS) approach and landing, and repeat the approach and landing segment. The participant was provided an advanced 'highway-in-the-sky' presentation on both a simulated head-up display and on a large LCD head-down display to follow throughout the flight. A single-lever power control and display concept was also provided for control of the engine throughout the flight. A second head-down, multifunction display in the instrument panel provided a moving map display for navigation purposes and monitoring of the status of the aircraft's systems.

Source record↗

Survey Summary of AGATE Concepts Demonstration at Annual NATA Convention, March 24-26, 1997: Basic Report - Volume 1

An AGATE Concepts Demonstration was conducted at the annual National Air Transportation Association (NATA) Convention in 1997. Following a 5-minute introductory briefing, an interactive simulation of a single-pilot, single-engine aircraft was conducted. The participant was able to take off, fly a brief enroute segment, fly a Global Positioning System (GPS) approach and landing, and repeat the approach and landing segment. The participant was provided an advanced "highway-in-the-sky" presentation on both a simulated head-up display and on a large LCD head-down display to follow throughout the flight. A single-lever power control and display concept was also provided for control of the engine throughout the flight. A second head-down, multifunction display in the instrument panel provided a moving map display for navigation purposes and monitoring of the status of the aircraft's systems. An estimated 100 people observed or participated in the demonstration, and 68 surveys were collected. The pilot ratings of the participants ranged from student to Air Transport Rating with an average of 6089 hours total flight time. The overwhelming response was that technologies that simplify piloting tasks are enthusiastically welcomed by pilots of all experience levels. The increase in situation awareness and use of the head-up display were universally accepted and lauded as steps in the right direction.

Source record↗

Acoustic Treatment Design Scaling Methods: Overview, Results, and Recommendations - Volume 1

Scale model fan rigs that simulate new generation ultra-high-bypass engines at about 1/5-scale are achieving increased importance as development vehicles for the design of low-noise aircraft engines. Testing at small scale allows the tests to be performed in existing anechoic wind tunnels, which provides an accurate simulation of the important effects of aircraft forward motion on the noise generation. The ability to design, build, and test miniaturized acoustic treatment panels on scale model fan rigs representative of the fullscale engine provides not only a cost-savings, but an opportunity to optimize the treatment by allowing tests of different designs. The primary objective of this study was to develop methods that will allow scale model fan rigs to be successfully used as acoustic treatment design tools. The study focuses on finding methods to extend the upper limit of the frequency range of impedance prediction models and acoustic impedance measurement methods for subscale treatment liner designs, and confirm the predictions by correlation with measured data. This phase of the program had as a goal doubling the upper limit of impedance measurement from 6 kHz to 12 kHz. The program utilizes combined analytical and experimental methods to achieve the objectives.

Kraft, R. E.↗

Analysis of aircraft engine blade subject to ice impact

The ice impact on the engine blade made of layered composite is simulated. The ice piece is modeled as an equivalent spherical object and has the velocity opposite to that of the aircraft with direction parallel to the engine axis. Near the impact region and along the leading edge, the blade is assumed to be fully stressed and undergoes large deflection. A specified portion of the blade around the impact region is modeled. The effect of ice size and velocity on the average leading edge strain are investigated for a modified SR-2 model unswept composite propfan blade. Parametric studies are performed to study the response due to ice impact at various locations along the span. Also, the effects of engine speed on the strain and impact displacements are discussed. It is found that for a given engine speed, a critical ice speed exists that corresponds to the maximum strain and this critical speed increases with increase in the engine speed.

Reddy, E. S.↗

Efficient Global Aerodynamic Modeling from Flight Data

A method for identifying global aerodynamic models from flight data in an efficient manner is explained and demonstrated. A novel experiment design technique was used to obtain dynamic flight data over a range of flight conditions with a single flight maneuver. Multivariate polynomials and polynomial splines were used with orthogonalization techniques and statistical modeling metrics to synthesize global nonlinear aerodynamic models directly and completely from flight data alone. Simulation data and flight data from a subscale twin-engine jet transport aircraft were used to demonstrate the techniques. Results showed that global multivariate nonlinear aerodynamic dependencies could be accurately identified using flight data from a single maneuver. Flight-derived global aerodynamic model structures, model parameter estimates, and associated uncertainties were provided for all six nondimensional force and moment coefficients for the test aircraft. These models were combined with a propulsion model identified from engine ground test data to produce a high-fidelity nonlinear flight simulation very efficiently. Prediction testing using a multi-axis maneuver showed that the identified global model accurately predicted aircraft responses.

Morelli, Eugene A.↗

User Selection Criteria of Airspace Designs in Flexible Airspace Management

A method for identifying global aerodynamic models from flight data in an efficient manner is explained and demonstrated. A novel experiment design technique was used to obtain dynamic flight data over a range of flight conditions with a single flight maneuver. Multivariate polynomials and polynomial splines were used with orthogonalization techniques and statistical modeling metrics to synthesize global nonlinear aerodynamic models directly and completely from flight data alone. Simulation data and flight data from a subscale twin-engine jet transport aircraft were used to demonstrate the techniques. Results showed that global multivariate nonlinear aerodynamic dependencies could be accurately identified using flight data from a single maneuver. Flight-derived global aerodynamic model structures, model parameter estimates, and associated uncertainties were provided for all six nondimensional force and moment coefficients for the test aircraft. These models were combined with a propulsion model identified from engine ground test data to produce a high-fidelity nonlinear flight simulation very efficiently. Prediction testing using a multi-axis maneuver showed that the identified global model accurately predicted aircraft responses.

Lee, Hwasoo E.↗

QCSEE under-the-wing engine-wing-flap aerodynamic profile characteristics

As part of a broad-based NASA program to provide a technology base for future propulsion requirements for powered-lift aircraft, the Quiet, Clean, Short-Haul, Experimental Engine (QCSEE) program was begun by the Lewis Research Center in 1974. The initial buildup of the under-the-wing (UTW) engine was tested by the contractor at his test site. The UTW engine was delivered to Lewis in 1978 for further testing with wing and flap segments simulating an installation on a short-haul transport aircraft. The engine was also tested alone as an aid in identifying the various noise sources and their levels. As part of these tests the aerodynamic profiles at the exhaust nozzle and on the surfaces and in the wake of the wing-flap system were measured. This report documents, in plots and tabular form, the significant results from those tests. The results are presented as tabulations of aerodynamic data for all of the test points and as profiles of pressure, temperature, velocity, and normalized velocity and pressure for selected conditions. One of the main conclusions was that the measured flap surface temperatures were surprisingly low for both approach and takeoff flap settings.

Bloomer, H. E.↗

Handling characteristics of a simulated twin tilt nacelle V/STOL aircraft

The first government-conducted piloted flight simulation of the Grumann-designed twin turbofan-powered tilt-engine V/STOL aircraft (design 698) was conducted at NASA Ames Research Center. The aircraft is discussed with an emphasis on its unique hover characteristics. These chracteristics include the adverse nonminimum phase that occurs in lateral and longitudinal translation, and the large attitude control power available. Both of these features are attributes of the control vanes (a Grumman-patented concept) buried in the fan exhaust flow. The simulation used the following NASA Ames Research Center facilities: the Vertical Motion Simulator with the interchangeable cab, the Sigma 8 computer, and the Computer-Generated Image system with a four-window display.

Wilson, S. B., III↗

Analysis of aircraft engine blade subject to ice impact

The ice impact problem on an engine blade made of layered composite is simulated. The ice piece is modeled as an equivalent spherical object and has the velocity opposite to that of the aircraft with direction parallel to the engine axis. Near the impact region and along the leading edge, the blade is assumed to be fully stressed and undergoes large deflection. A specified portion of the blade around the impact region is modeled. The effect of ice size and velocity on the average leading edge strain are investigated for a modified SR-2 model unswept composite propfan blade. Parametric studies are performed to study the response due to ice impact at various locations along the span. Also, the effects of engine speed on the strain and impact displacements are discussed. It is found that for a given engine speed, a critical ice speed exists that corresponds to the maximum strain and this critical speed increases with increase in the engine speed.

Reddy, E. S.↗

DBD Plasma Actuators for Flow Control in Air Vehicles and Jet Engines - Simulation of Flight Conditions in Test Chambers by Density Matching

Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma actuators for active flow control in aircraft and jet engines need to be tested in the laboratory to characterize their performance at flight operating conditions. DBD plasma actuators generate a wall-jet electronically by creating weakly ionized plasma, therefore their performance is affected by gas discharge properties, which, in turn, depend on the pressure and temperature at the actuator placement location. Characterization of actuators is initially performed in a laboratory chamber without external flow. The pressure and temperature at the actuator flight operation conditions need to be simultaneously set in the chamber. A simplified approach is desired. It is assumed that the plasma discharge depends only on the gas density, while other temperature effects are assumed to be negligible. Therefore, tests can be performed at room temperature with chamber pressure set to yield the same density as in operating flight conditions. The needed chamber pressures are shown for altitude flight of an air vehicle and for jet engines at sea-level takeoff and altitude cruise conditions. Atmospheric flight conditions are calculated from standard atmosphere with and without shock waves. The engine data was obtained from four generic engine models; 300-, 150-, and 50-passenger (PAX) aircraft engines, and a military jet-fighter engine. The static and total pressure, temperature, and density distributions along the engine were calculated for sea-level takeoff and for altitude cruise conditions. The corresponding chamber pressures needed to test the actuators were calculated. The results show that, to simulate engine component flows at in-flight conditions, plasma actuator should be tested over a wide range of pressures. For the four model engines the range is from 12.4 to 0.03 atm, depending on the placement of the actuator in the engine. For example, if a DBD plasma actuator is to be placed at the compressor exit of a 300 PAX engine, it has to be tested at 12.4 atm for takeoff, and 6 atm for cruise conditions. If it is to be placed at the low-pressure turbine, it has to be tested at 0.5 and 0.2 atm, respectively. These results have implications for the feasibility and design of DBD plasma actuators for jet engine flow control applications. In addition, the distributions of unit Reynolds number, Mach number, and velocity along the engine are provided. The engine models are non-proprietary and this information can be used for evaluation of other types of actuators and for other purposes.

Ashpis, David E.↗

Survey of aircraft icing simulation test facilities in North America

A survey was made of the aircraft icing simulation facilities in North America: there are 12 wind tunnels, 28 engine test facilities, 6 aircraft tankers and 14 low velocity facilities, that perform aircraft icing tests full or part time. The location and size of the facility, its speed and temperature range, icing cloud parameters, and the technical person to contact are surveyed. Results are presented in tabular form. The capabilities of each facility were estimated by its technical contact person. The adequacy of these facilities for various types of icing tests is discussed.

Olsen, W.↗

Implementation Approach for an Electrified Aircraft Concept Vehicle in a Research Flight Simulator

This paper describes a process to develop a flight simulation test capability for the SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Electrofan, a subsonic regional jet transport aircraft concept that utilizes electrified propulsion to gain benefits in fuel usage, emissions, and cost. The process, which involves the integration of independently developed models and their subsequent implementation in a flight simulator, is general and can be applied to a variety of aircraft types. However, the use of electrified propulsion architectures has the potential to add complexity beyond that of a traditional aircraft, especially with regard to the pilot interface. The way the pilot interacts with the thrust producing components could vary significantly between architectures, and the information displayed to the pilot will necessarily include additional variables beyond what is normally displayed in a traditional cockpit. This paper describes the integration process in general, as well as specific accommodations made for the architecture under consideration.

electrified aircraft propulsion↗

Implementation Approach for an Electrified Aircraft Concept Vehicle in a Research Flight Simulator

This paper describes a process to develop a flight simulation test capability for the SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Electrofan, a subsonic regional jet transport aircraft concept that utilizes electrified propulsion to gain benefits in fuel usage, emissions, and cost. The process, which involves the integration of independently developed models and their subsequent implementation in a flight simulator, is general and can be applied to a variety of aircraft types. However, the use of electrified propulsion architectures has the potential to add complexity beyond that of a traditional aircraft, especially with regard to the pilot interface. The way the pilot interacts with the thrust producing components could vary significantly between architectures, and the information displayed to the pilot will necessarily include additional variables beyond what is normally displayed in a traditional cockpit. This paper describes the integration process in general, as well as specific accommodations made for the architecture under consideration.

flight simulation↗

Distributed Engine Control Empirical/Analytical Verification Tools

NASA's vision for an intelligent engine will be realized with the development of a truly distributed control system featuring highly reliable, modular, and dependable components capable of both surviving the harsh engine operating environment and decentralized functionality. A set of control system verification tools was developed and applied to a C-MAPSS40K engine model, and metrics were established to assess the stability and performance of these control systems on the same platform. A software tool was developed that allows designers to assemble easily a distributed control system in software and immediately assess the overall impacts of the system on the target (simulated) platform, allowing control system designers to converge rapidly on acceptable architectures with consideration to all required hardware elements. The software developed in this program will be installed on a distributed hardware-in-the-loop (DHIL) simulation tool to assist NASA and the Distributed Engine Control Working Group (DECWG) in integrating DCS (distributed engine control systems) components onto existing and next-generation engines.The distributed engine control simulator blockset for MATLAB/Simulink and hardware simulator provides the capability to simulate virtual subcomponents, as well as swap actual subcomponents for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) analysis. Subcomponents can be the communication network, smart sensor or actuator nodes, or a centralized control system. The distributed engine control blockset for MATLAB/Simulink is a software development tool. The software includes an engine simulation, a communication network simulation, control algorithms, and analysis algorithms set up in a modular environment for rapid simulation of different network architectures; the hardware consists of an embedded device running parts of the CMAPSS engine simulator and controlled through Simulink. The distributed engine control simulation, evaluation, and analysis technology provides unique capabilities to study the effects of a given change to the control system in the context of the distributed paradigm. The simulation tool can support treatment of all components within the control system, both virtual and real; these include communication data network, smart sensor and actuator nodes, centralized control system (FADEC full authority digital engine control), and the aircraft engine itself. The DECsim tool can allow simulation-based prototyping of control laws, control architectures, and decentralization strategies before hardware is integrated into the system. With the configuration specified, the simulator allows a variety of key factors to be systematically assessed. Such factors include control system performance, reliability, weight, and bandwidth utilization.

DeCastro, Jonathan↗

Psychoacoustic Analysis of Synthesized Jet Noise

An aircraft noise synthesis capability is being developed so the annoyance caused by proposed aircraft can be assessed during the design stage. To make synthesized signals as realistic as possible, high fidelity simulation is required for source (e.g., engine noise, airframe noise), propagation and receiver effects. This psychoacoustic study tests whether the jet noise component of synthesized aircraft engine noise can be made more realistic using a low frequency oscillator (LFO) technique to simulate fluctuations in level observed in recordings. Jet noise predictions are commonly made in the frequency domain based on models of time-averaged empirical data. The synthesis process involves conversion of the frequency domain prediction into an audible pressure time history. However, because the predictions are time-invariant, the synthesized sound lacks fluctuations observed in recordings. Such fluctuations are hypothesized to be perceptually important. To introduce time-varying characteristics into jet noise synthesis, a method has been developed that modulates measured or predicted 1/3-octave band levels with a (<20Hz) LFO. The LFO characteristics are determined through analysis of laboratory jet noise recordings. For the aft emission angle, results indicate that signals synthesized using a generic LFO are perceived as more similar to recordings than those using no LFO, and signals synthesized with an angle-specific LFO are more similar to recordings than those synthesized with a generic LFO.

Okcu, Selen↗

Effects of inlet airframe integration on the inlet of an upper surface blowing four-engine STOL aircraft

Inlet and nacelle static pressures were measured on a 0.55-scale model of the Quiet Short-Haul Research Airplane (QSRA) in the Ames Research Center's 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel. This model is powered by four JT-15D engines located above the wing with closely spaced adjacent inlets. A fifth JT-15D engine in the fuselage provides boundary-layer control air. Each inlet was instrumented with four to eight rows of axial pressure taps located between X/R approximately plus or minus 1. The tests simulated a broad range of aircraft operating conditions, including engine-out, with lift coefficients from 0.8 to 10.0. Results indicate that the inlets perform well under most operating conditions with little interaction between inlets when the aircraft is moving. Potential problem areas identified are high sideslip angle during approach and an interaction effect between adjacent inlets with high mass flows in static conditions.

Shovlin, M. D.↗

Engine Icing Modeling and Simulation (Part 2): Performance Simulation of Engine Rollback Phenomena

Ice buildup in the compressor section of a commercial aircraft gas turbine engine can cause a number of engine failures. One of these failure modes is known as engine rollback: an uncommanded decrease in thrust accompanied by a decrease in fan speed and an increase in turbine temperature. This paper describes the development of a model which simulates the system level impact of engine icing using the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation 40k (C-MAPSS40k). When an ice blockage is added to C-MAPSS40k, the control system responds in a manner similar to that of an actual engine, and, in cases with severe blockage, an engine rollback is observed. Using this capability to simulate engine rollback, a proof-of-concept detection scheme is developed and tested using only typical engine sensors. This paper concludes that the engine control system s limit protection is the proximate cause of iced engine rollback and that the controller can detect the buildup of ice particles in the compressor section. This work serves as a feasibility study for continued research into the detection and mitigation of engine rollback using the propulsion control system.

May, Ryan D.↗