Control law parameterization for an aeroelastic wind-tunnel model equipped with an active roll control system and comparison with experiment

Nominal roll control laws were designed, implemented, and tested on an aeroelastically-scaled free-to-roll wind-tunnel model of an advanced fighter configuration. The tests were performed in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel. A parametric study of the nominal roll control system was conducted. This parametric study determined possible control system gain variations which yielded identical closed-loop stability (roll mode pole location) and identical roll response but different maximum control-surface deflections. Comparison of analytical predictions with wind-tunnel results was generally very good

Close-Range Photogrammetric Measurement of Static Deflections for an Aeroelastic Supercritical Wing

Close range photogrammetric measurements were made for the lower wing surface of a full span aspect ratio 10.3 aeroelastic supercritical research wing. The measurements were made during wind tunnel tests for quasi-steady pressure distributions on the wing. The tests were conducted in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel at Mach numbers up to 0.90 and dynamic pressures up to 300 pounds per square foot. Deflection data were obtained for 57 locations on the wing lower surface using dual non-metric cameras. Representative data are presented as graphical overview to show variations and trends of spar deflection with test variables. Comparative data are presented for photogrammetric and cathetometric results of measurements for the wing tip deflections. A tabulation of the basic measurements is presented in a supplement to this report

Unsteady pressure and structural response measurements of an elastic supercritical wing

Results are presented which define unsteady flow conditions associated with high dynamic response experienced on a high aspect ratio elastic supercritical wing at transonic test conditions while being tested in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel. The supercritical wing, designed for a cruise Mach number of 0.80, experienced the high dynamic response in the Mach number range from 0.90 to 0.94 with the maximum response occurring at a Mach number of approximately 0.92. At the maximum wing response condition the forcing function appears to be the oscillatory chordwise movement of strong shocks located on both the wing upper and lower surfaces in conjunction with the flow separating and reattaching in the trailing edge region

Investigation of transonic region of high dynamic response encountered on an elastic supercritical wing

Unsteady aerodynamic data were measured on an aspect ratio 10.3 elastic supercritical wing while undergoing high dynamic response above a Mach number of 0.90. These tests were conducted in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel. A previous test of this wing predicted an unusual instability boundary based on subcritical response data. During the present test no instability was found, but an angle of attack dependent narrow Mach number region of high dynamic wing response was observed over a wide range of dynamic pressures. The effect on dynamic wing response of wing angle of attack, static outbound control surface deflection and a lower surface spanwise fence located near the 60 percent local chordline was investigated. The driving mechanism of the dynamic wing response appears to be related to chordwise shock movement in conjunction with flow separation and reattachment on both the upper and lower surfaces

Characteristics of vertical and lateral tunnel turbulence measured in air in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel

Preliminary measurements of the vertical and lateral velocity components of tunnel turbulence were obtained in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel test section using a constant-temperature anemometer equipped with a hot-film X-probe. For these tests air was the test medium. Test conditions included tunnel velocities ranging from 100 to 500 fps at atmospheric pressure. Standard deviations of turbulence velocities were determined and power spectra were computed. Unconstrained optimization was employed to determine parameter values of a general spectral model of a form similar to that used to describe atmospheric turbulence. These parameters, and others (notably break frequency and integral scale length), were determined at each test condition and compared with those of Dryden and Von Karman atmospheric turbulence spectra. When the data were discovered to be aliased, the spectral model was modified to account for and 'eliminate' the aliasing

Geometrical and structural properties of an Aeroelastic Research Wing (ARW-2)

Transonic steady and unsteady pressure tests were conducted on a large elastic wing known as the DAST ARW-2 wing. The wing has a supercritical airfoil, an aspect ratio of 10.3, a leading edge sweepback angle of 28.8 deg and is equipped with two inboard and one outboard trailing edge control surfaces. The geometrical and structural characteristics are presented of this elastic wing, using a combination of measured and calculated data, to permit future analyst to compare the experimental surface pressure data with theoretical predictions

Investigation and suppression of high dynamic response encountered on an elastic supercritical wing

The DAST Aeroelastic Research Wing had been previously in the NASA Langley TDT and an unusual instability boundary was predicted based upon supercritical response data. Contrary to the predictions, no instability was found during the present test. Instead a region of high dynamic wing response was observed which reached a maximum value between Mach numbers 0.92 and 0.93. The amplitude of the dynamic response increased directly with dynamic pressure. The reponse appears to be related to chordwise shock movement in conjunction with flow separation and reattachment on the upper and lower wing surfaces. The onset of flow separation coincided with the occurrence of strong shocks on a surface. A controller was designed to suppress the wing response. The control law attenuated the response as compared with the uncontrolled case and added a small but significant amount of damping for the lower density condition

Measurements of unsteady pressure and structural response for an elastic supercritical wing

Results are presented which define unsteady flow conditions associated with the high-dynamic structural response of a high-aspect-ratio, elastic, supercritical wing at transonic speeds. The wing was tested in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel with a heavy gas test medium. The supercritical wing, designed for a cruise lift coefficient of 0.53 at a Mach number of 0.80, experienced the high-dynamic structural response from Mach 0.90 to 0.94 with the maximum response occurring at about Mach 0.92. At the maximum response conditions of the wing, the forcing function appears to be the oscillatory chordwise movement of strong shocks located on the upper and lower surfaces of the wing in conjunction with the flow separation on the lower surface of the wing in the trailing-edge cove region

Unsteady-Pressure and Dynamic-Deflection Measurements on an Aeroelastic Supercritical Wing

Transonic steady and unsteady pressure tests were conducted on a large elastic wing. The wing has a supercritical airfoil, a full span aspect ratio of 10.3, a leading edge sweepback angle of 28.8 degrees, and two inboard and one outboard trailing edge control surfaces. Only the outboard control surface was deflected statically and dynamically to generate steady and unsteady flow over the wing. The unsteady surface pressure and dynamic deflection measurements of this elastic wing are presented to permit correlations of the experimental data with theoretical predictions

Steady pressure measurements on an Aeroelastic Research Wing (ARW-2)

Transonic steady and unsteady pressure tests have been conducted in the Langley transonic dynamics tunnel on a large elastic wing known as the DAST ARW-2. The wing has a supercritical airfoil, an aspect ratio of 10.3, a leading-edge sweep back angle of 28.8 degrees, and two inboard and one outboard trailing-edge control surfaces. Only the outboard control surface was deflected to generate steady and unsteady flow over the wing during this study. Only the steady surface pressure, control-surface hinge moment, wing-tip deflection, and wing-root bending moment measurements are presented. The results from this elastic wing test are in tabulated form to assist in calibrating advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) algorithms