Space shuttle wing leading edge heating environment prediction derived from development flight data

An analytical program is in progress at Rockwell International to revise wing leading edge heating predictions in order to improve correlation with STS-1 to -5 flight radiometer data. This paper discusses the methods that have been used to improve agreement between prediction and flight and summarizes the aerodynamic correlations which, when updated, will be used to analyze future orbiter missions

Automatic thermal switch

An automatic thermal switch to control heat flow includes two thermally conductive plates and a thermally conductive switch saddle pivotally mounted to the first plate. A flexible heat carrier is connected between the switch saddle and the second plate. A phase-change power unit, including a piston coupled to the switch saddle, is in thermal contact with the first thermally conductive plate. A biasing element biases the switch saddle in a predetermined position with respect to the first plate. When the phase-change power unit is actuated by an increase in heat transmitted through the first place, the piston extends and causes the switch saddle to pivot, thereby varying the thermal conduction between the two plates through the switch saddle and flexible heat carrier. The biasing element, switch saddle, and piston can be arranged to provide either a normally closed or normally opened thermally conductive path between the two plates

Automatic thermal switch

An automatic thermal switch to control heat flow includes a first thermally conductive plate, a second thermally conductive plate and a thermal transfer plate pivotally mounted between the first and second plates. A phase change power unit, including a plunger connected to the transfer plate, is in thermal contact with the first thermally conductive plate. A biasing element, connected to the transfer plate, biases the transfer plate in a predetermined position with respect to the first and second plates. When the phase change power unit is actuated by an increase in heat transmitted through the first plate, the plunger extends and pivots the transfer plate to vary the thermal conduction between the first and second plates through the transfer plate. The biasing element, transfer plate and piston can be arranged to provide either a normally closed or normally open thermally conductive path between the first and second plates

Exploration of an oculometer-based model of pilot workload

Potential relationships between eye behavior and pilot workload are discussed. A Honeywell Mark IIA oculometer was used to obtain the eye data in a fixed base transport aircraft simulation facility. The data were analyzed to determine those parameters of eye behavior which were related to changes in level of task difficulty of the simulated manual approach and landing on instruments. A number of trends and relationships between eye variables and pilot ratings were found. A preliminary equation was written based on the results of a stepwise linear regression. High variability in time spent on various instruments was related to differences in scanning strategy among pilots. A more detailed analysis of individual runs by individual pilots was performed to investigate the source of this variability more closely. Results indicated a high degree of intra-pilot variability in instrument scanning. No consistent workload related trends were found. Pupil diameter which had demonstrated a strong relationship to task difficulty was extensively re-exmained

Shallow grooves in journal improve air bearing performance

Bearing designs, which shape the surface to create artificial fluid-film wedges in the absence of any applied radial load, generate radial restoring forces to keep journals from whirling. Helical- or herringbone-grooved journals or rotors show most promise of stable operation, with no sacrifice in load capacity

Experimental dynamic stiffness and damping of externally pressurized gas-lubricated journal bearings

A rigid vertical shaft was operated with known amounts of unbalance at speeds to 30,000 rpm and gas supply pressure ratios to 4.8. From measured amplitude and phase angle data, dynamic stiffness and damping coefficients of the bearings were determined. The measured stiffness was proportional to the supply pressure, while damping was little affected by supply pressure. Damping dropped rapidly as the fractional frequency whirl threshold was approached. A small-eccentricity analysis overpredicted the stiffness by 20 to 70 percent. Predicted damping was lower than measured at low speeds but higher at high speeds

Experiments on rotating externally pressurized air journal bearings. Part 2 - Attitude angle and air flow

Air flow and attitude angle compared with theory for rotating externally pressurized air journal bearing

Listen to yourself! Prioritization of self-associated and own voice cues

Self‐cues such as one's own name or face attract attention, reflecting a bias for stimuli connected to self to be prioritized in cognition. Recent evidence suggests that even external voices can elicit this self‐prioritization effect; in a voice‐label matching task, external voices assigned to the Self‐identity label ‘you’ elicited faster responses than those assigned to ‘friend’ or ‘stranger’ (Payne et al., Br. J. Psychology, 112, 585‐610). However, it is not clear whether external voices assigned to Self are prioritized over participants' own voices. We explore this issue in two experiments. In Exp 1 (N = 35), a voice‐label matching task comprising three external voices confirmed that reaction time and accuracy are improved when an external voice cue is assigned to Self rather than Friend or Stranger. In Exp 2 (N = 90), one of the voice cues was replaced with a recording of the participant's own voice. Reaction time and accuracy showed a consistent advantage for the participant's own‐voice, even when it was assigned to the ‘friend’ or ‘stranger’ identity. These findings show that external voices can elicit self‐prioritization effects if associated with Self, but they are not prioritized above individuals' own voices. This has implications for external voice production technology, suggesting own‐voice imitation may be beneficial

System remotely inspects, measures, and records internal irregularities in piping

Video electromechanical probe visually inspects and measures internal offset and peaking of welds in relatively large piping. Irregularity dimensions are recorded on peripheral equipment consisting of video tape and X-Y plotter. The probe is used for inspection of vacuum-jacketed liquid lines that cannot be inspected externally

Transonic unsteady airloads on an energy efficient transport wing with oscillating control surfaces

An aspect ratio 10.8 supercritical wing with oscillating control surfaces is described. The wing is instrumental with 252 static orifices and 164 in situ dynamic pressure transducers for studying the effects of control surface deflection on steady and unsteady pressures at transonic speeds. Results from initial wind tunnel tests conducted in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel are discussed. Unsteady pressure results are presented for two trailing edge control surfaces oscillating separately at the design Mach number of 0.78. Some experimental results are compared with analytical results obtained by using linear lifting surface theory