Wind tunnel tests of modified cross, hemisflo, and disk-gap-band parachutes with emphasis in the transonic range

Transonic wind-tunnel studies were conducted with modified cross, hemisflo, and disk-gap-band parachute models in the wake of a cone-cylinder shape forebody. The basic cross design was modified with the addition of a circumferential constraining band at the lower edge of the canopy panels. The tests covered a Mach number range of 0.3 to 1.2 and a dynamic pressure range from 479 Newtons per square meter to 5746 Newtons per square meter. The parachute models were flexible textile-type structures and were tethered to a rigid forebody with a single flexible riser. Different size models of the modified cross and disk-gap-band canopies were tested to evaluate scale effects. Model reference diameters were 0.30, 0.61, and 1.07 meters (1.0, 2.0, and 3.5 ft) for the modified cross; and nominal diameters of 0.25 and 0.52 meter (0.83 and 1.7 ft) for the disk-gap-band; and 0.55 meter (1.8 ft) for the hemisflo. Reefing information is presented for the 0.61-meter-diameter cross and the 0.52-meter-diameter disk-gap-band. Results are presented in the form of the variation of steady-state average drag coefficient with Mach number. General stability characteristics of each parachute are discussed. Included are comments on canopy coning, spinning, and fluttering motions

Steady internal flow and aerodynamic loads analysis of shuttle thermal protection system

An analytical model for calculation of ascent steady state tile loading was developed and validated with wind tunnel data. The analytical model is described and results are given. Results are given for loading due to shocks and skin friction. The analysis included calculation of internal flow (porous media flow and channel flow) to obtain pressures and integration of the pressures to obtain forces and moments on an insulation tile. A heat transfer program was modified by using analogies between heat transfer and fluid flow so that it could be used for internal flow calculation. The type of insulation tile considered was undensified reusable surface insulation (RSI) without gap fillers, and the location studied was the lower surface of the orbiter. Force and moment results are reported for parameter variations on surface pressure distribution, gap sizes, insulation permeability, and tile thickness

Urban and regional land use analysis: CARETS and census cities experiment package

The author has identified the following significant results. Successful tentative calibration permits computer programs to be written to convert Skylab thermal tapes into line-printed graymaps showing actual surface radiation temperature distributions at the time of imaging. The calibrations will be further checked when atmospheric soundings are available. Success of Skylab calibration suggests that satellite are feasible platforms for thermal scanning and provide a much broader geographical field of view than is possible with airborne platforms

Helicopter gust response characteristics including unsteady aerodynamic stall effects

The results of an analytical study to evaluate the general response characteristics of a helicopter subjected to various types of discrete gust encounters are presented. The analysis employed was a nonlinear coupled, multi-blade rotorfuselage analysis including the effects of blade flexibility and unsteady aerodynamic stall. Only the controls-fixed response of the basic aircraft without any aircraft stability augmentation was considered. A discussion of the basic differences between gust sensitivity of fixed and rotary wing aircraft is presented. The effects of several rotor configuration and aircraft operating parameters on initial gust-induced load factor and blade vibratory stress and pushrod loads are discussed

Ultrasonic measurement models for surface wave and plate wave inspections

A complete ultrasonic measurement model for surface and plate wave inspections is obtained, where all the electrical, electromechanical, and acoustic∕elastic elements are explicitly described. Reciprocity principles are used to describe the acoustic∕elastic elements specifically in terms of an integral of the incident and scattered wave fields over the surface of the flaw. As with the case of bulk waves, if one assumes the incident surface waves or plate waves are locally planar at the flaw surface, the overall measurement model reduces to a very modular form where the far‐field scattering amplitude of the flaw appears explicitly

Ultrasonic phased array system modeling-issues and solutions

In modeling ultrasonic phased array inspection systems one needs to characterize the electrical and electromechanical components of the system and the radiation properties of the individual array elements since both of these properties are important in being able to model the overall response of the array to any flaws present. Models for determining each of these elements will be obtained and issues unique to phased array systems will be discussed

Transmission of an Ultrasonic Beam Through a Fluid-Solid Interface

In immersion ultrasonic testing, a beam of sound must pass through a liquid-solid interface before it can interact with subsurface defects. In modern quantitative NDE studies, it is essential to know the beam properties in the solid so that flaw scattering variations, transducer diffraction corrections, etc. can be estimated. Using high frequency asymptotics and the method of stationary phase, we show here that analytical expressions can be derived for the wavefield radiated by a piston transducer, where the transducer is oriented normal to a plane liquid-solid interface (Fig. 1). In the main beam of the transducer these expressions will be shown to be equivalent to the solutions Schoch obtained for a single fluid medium [1]