Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Test Techniques”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9

Development of flight testing techniques

A list of students involved in research on flight analysis and development is given along with abstracts of their work. The following is a listing of the titles of each work: Longitudinal stability and control derivatives obtained from flight data of a PA-30 aircraft; Aerodynamic drag reduction tests on a box shaped vehicle; A microprocessor based anti-aliasing filter for a PCM system; Flutter prediction of a wing with active aileron control; Comparison of theoretical and flight measured local flow aerodynamics for a low aspect ratio fin; In flight thrust determination on a real time basis; A comparison of computer generated lift and drag polars for a Wortmann airfoil to flight and wind tunnel results; and Deep stall flight testing of the NASA SGS 1-36.

Sandlin, D. R.↗

Flight test techniques for validating simulated nuclear electromagnetic pulse aircraft responses

An attempt has been made to determine the effects of nuclear EM pulses (NEMPs) on aircraft systems, using a highly instrumented NASA F-106B to document the simulated NEMP environment at the Kirtland Air Force Base's Vertically Polarized Dipole test facility. Several test positions were selected so that aircraft orientation relative to the test facility would be the same in flight as when on the stationary dielectric stand, in order to validate the dielectric stand's use in flight configuration simulations. Attention is given to the flight test portions of the documentation program.

Winebarger, R. M.↗

Thermal testing techniques for space shuttle thermal protection system panels

An experimental system was developed for evaluation of the effects of aerodynamic heating and cooling, vacuum, and pressure loading on candidate insulation packages proposed for use on the space shuttle. The system includes a number of design features which facilitate rapid recycle times. This is necessary to efficiently conduct extensive thermal cycling tests on these insulation packages to determine their reuse capabilities. The heart of the system is a 26-inch graphite element radiant heater. A susceptor plate functions as a uniform-temperature intermediate radiating surface. The susceptor also forms the lid of an inert atmosphere enclosure which separates the heater from the oxidizing test atmosphere. In some tests the plate properly simulates the heating from an actual flight heat-shield panel. Although other materials were used at lower required test temperatures, 2500 F was routinely achieved using a coated columbium susceptor plate.

Cox, B. G.↗

Development of a Fluid Structures Interaction Test Technique for Fabrics

Application of fluid structures interaction (FSI) computational techniques to configurations of interest to the entry, descent and landing (EDL) community is limited by two factors - limited characterization of the material properties for fabrics of interest and insufficient experimental data to validate the FSI codes. Recently ILC Dover Inc. performed standard tests to characterize the static stress-strain response of four candidate fabrics for use in EDL applications. The objective of the tests described here is to address the need for a FSI dataset for CFD validation purposes. To reach this objective, the structural response of fabrics was measured in a very simple aerodynamic environment with well controlled boundary conditions. Two test series were undertaken. The first series covered a range of tunnel conditions and the second focused on conditions that resulted in fabric panel buckling.

Zilliac, Gregory G.↗

Flight Test Techniques for Quantifying Pitch Rate and Angle of Attack Rate Dependencies

Three different types of maneuvers were designed to separately quantify pitch rate and angle of attack rate contributions to the nondimensional aerodynamic pitching moment coefficient. These maneuvers combined pilot inputs and automatic multisine excitations, and were own with the subscale T-2 and Bat-4 airplanes using the NASA AirSTAR flight test facility. Stability and control derivatives, in particular C(sub mq) and C(sub m alpha(.)) were accurately estimated from the flight test data. These maneuvers can be performed with many types of aircraft, and the results can be used to increase simulation prediction fidelity and facilitate more accurate comparisons with wind tunnel experiments or numerical investigations.

Grauer, Jared A.↗

Effect of Tunnel Configuration and Testing Technique on Cascade Performance

An investigation has been conducted to determine the influence of aspect ratio, boundary-layer control by means of slots and porous surfaces, Reynolds number, and tunnel end-wall condition upon the performance of airfoils in cascades. A representative compressor-blade section (the NACA 65-(12)(10) of aspect ratios of 1, 2, and 4 has been tested at low speeds in cascades with solid and with porous side walls. Two-dimensional flow was established in porous-wall cascades of each of the three aspect ratios tested; the flow was not two-dimensional in any of the solid-wall cascades. Turbine-blade sections of aspect ratio 0.83 were tested in cascades with solid and porous side walls and blade sections of aspect ratio 3.33 were tested in cascades with solid wall. No particular advantage was observed in the use of porous walls for the turbine cascades tested.

Erwin, John R↗

Propulsion simulation test technique for V/STOL configurations

Ames Research Center is developing the technology for turbine-powered jet engine simulators so that airframe/propulsion system interactions on V/STOL fighter aircraft and other highly integrated configurations can be studied. This paper describes the status of the compact multimission aircraft propulsion simulator (CMAPS) technology. Three CMAPS units have accumulated a total of 340 hr during approximately 1-1/2 yr of static and wind-tunnel testing. A wind-tunnel test of a twin-engine CMAPS-equipped close-coupled canard-wing V/STOL model configuration with nonaxisymmetric nozzles was recently completed. During this test approximately 140 total hours were logged on two CMAPS units, indicating that the rotating machinery is reliable and that the CMAPS and associated control system provide a usable test tool. However, additional development is required to correct a drive manifold O-ring problem that limits the engine-pressure-ratio (EPR) to approximately 3.5.

Bailey, R. O.↗

A Wind-tunnel Test Technique for Measuring the Dynamic Rotary Stability Derivatives at Subsonic and Supersonic Speeds

A method is described for measuring the dynamic stability derivatives of a model airplane in a wind tunnel. The characteristic features of this system are that single-degree-of-freedom oscillations were used to obtain combinations of rolling, yawing and pitching motions; that the oscillations were excited and controlled by velocity feedback which permitted operation under conditions unfavorable for more conventional types of oscillatory testing; and that data processing was greatly simplified by using analog computer elements in the strain-gage circuitry. A small number of experimental data are included to illustrate the general scope of results obtainable with this system.

Beam, Benjamin H↗

Dynamic Stability Test Technique for Blunt Bodies in a Magnetic Suspension and Balance System

Techniques for the measurement of subsonic dynamic stability derivatives of blunt-body re-entry capsules are being developed using a Magnetic Suspension and Balance System at NASA Langley Research Center. The measured aerodynamics of a 45-degree sphere-cone similar to configurations being considered for Mars Sample Return Earth Entry Vehicle are reported. A novel test method has been developed where forced oscillatory translation of a test article is used to excite yaw attitude oscillations. The forced motion is then halted to observe free-to-oscillate behavior of the test article. Parameter identification methods are used to extract drag as well as static and dynamic yawing moment stability characteristics from the measured forces and observed attitude histories. This combination of forced excitation followed by free-to-oscillate dynamics is a repeatable method to produce test article attitude histories that can be used to measure aerodynamic characteristics.

Entry Systems Modeling↗