A technique for simulating turbulence for aerospace vehicle flight simulation studies

An atmospheric turbulence model which accommodates variability of turbulence properties along an aerospace vehicle trajectory was developed. The technique involves the use of Dryden spectral forms in which the defining parameters are the standard deviations (sigma) and integral scales (L) of turbulence. These spectra are expressed as nondimensional functions of the nondimensional frequency Omega = omega L/V where omega is dimensional radian frequency and V is the true air speed of the aerospace vehicle. The nondimensional spectra are factored by standard techniques to obtain nondimensional linear recursive filters in the time domain whereby band-limited white-like noise can be operated upon to obtain nondimensional longitudinal, lateral, and vertical turbulence velocities, as functions of nondimensional time, tV/L, where t is time. Application of the technique to the simulation of the space shuttle orbiter entry flight phase is discussed

The responses of balloon and falling sphere wind sensors in turbulent flows

Responses of balloon and falling sphere wind sensors in atmospheric turbulence, analyzed with Fourier transformatio

Spherical balloon response to three-dimensional time-dependent flows

The concept of the Lagrangian displacement of a balloon is introduced. It is shown that the general balloon response problem is extremely complicated because the wind-forcing functions in the balloon equations of motion are functions of the wind velocity vector and its Eulerian first derivatives evaluated at the location of the balloon. The linear perturbation equations for a spherical balloon are derived by perturbing the components of velocity of the balloon about a terminal velocity state which is in equilibrium with a space-time invariant mean horizontal flow. The atmospheric flow is also perturbed such that the resulting equations can be used to analyze the responses of spherical balloons to three-dimensional time-dependent flows. The wind field is represented in terms of a four-fold Fourier integral that involves three orthogonal wave numbers and a frequency, while the balloon components of velocity are represented as Fourier integrals involving a frequency which, in turn, is a function of the wind field wave numbers and frequency and the unperturbed flow components of velocity

Simplified model of statistically stationary spacecraft rotation and associated induced gravity environments

A stochastic model of spacecraft motion was developed based on the assumption that the net torque vector due to crew activity and rocket thruster firings is a statistically stationary Gaussian vector process. The process had zero ensemble mean value, and the components of the torque vector were mutually stochastically independent. The linearized rigid-body equations of motion were used to derive the autospectral density functions of the components of the spacecraft rotation vector. The cross-spectral density functions of the components of the rotation vector vanish for all frequencies so that the components of rotation were mutually stochastically independent. The autospectral and cross-spectral density functions of the induced gravity environment imparted to scientific apparatus rigidly attached to the spacecraft were calculated from the rotation rate spectral density functions via linearized inertial frame to body-fixed principal axis frame transformation formulae. The induced gravity process was a Gaussian one with zero mean value. Transformation formulae were used to rotate the principal axis body-fixed frame to which the rotation rate and induced gravity vector were referred to a body-fixed frame in which the components of the induced gravity vector were stochastically independent. Rice's theory of exceedances was used to calculate expected exceedance rates of the components of the rotation and induced gravity vector processes

Rough-to-smooth transition of an equilibrium neutral constant stress layer

Purpose of research on rough-to-smooth transition of an equilibrium neutral constant stress layer is to develop a model for low-level atmospheric flow over terrains of abruptly changing roughness, such as those occurring near the windward end of a landing strip, and to use the model to derive functions which define the extent of the region affected by the roughness change and allow adequate prediction of wind and shear stress profiles at all points within the region. A model consisting of two bounding logarithmic layers and an intermediate velocity defect layer is assumed, and dimensionless velocity and stress distribution functions which meet all boundary and matching conditions are hypothesized. The functions are used in an asymptotic form of the equation of motion to derive a relation which governs the growth of the internal boundary layer. The growth relation is used to predict variation of surface shear stress

Instrument concept for geophysical fluid flow experiments on the first spacelab mission

A concept is provided for a geophysical fluid flow cell (GFFC) and sufficient detail is given to allow the start of a design effort. A brief background of the scientific studies to be conducted with the GFFC and its theoretical basis for operation are also included

Spacecraft Dynamics as Related to Laboratory Experiments in Space

Proceedings are presented of a conference sponsored by the Physics and Chemistry Experiments in Space Working Group to discuss the scientific and engineering aspects involved in the design and performance of reduced to zero gravity experiments affected by spacecraft environments and dynamics. The dynamics of drops, geophysical fluids, and superfluid helium are considered as well as two phase flow, combustion, and heat transfer. Interactions between spacecraft motions and the atmospheric cloud physics laboratory experiments are also examined

MSFC Doppler Lidar Science experiments and operations plans for 1981 airborne test flight

The flight experiment and operations plans for the Doppler Lidar System (DLS) are provided. Application of DLS to the study of severe storms and local weather penomena is addressed. Test plans involve 66 hours of flight time. Plans also include ground based severe storm and local weather data acquisition

Stochastic simulation of vertically nonhomogeneous gusts

The small-scale horizontal gust structure of detailed wind profiles along the vertical in the first 20 km of the atmosphere is a vertically nonhomogeneous process. A linear stochastic model was developed based on the process covariance function. This model was formulated through the use of a scaling hypothesis which transforms the nonhomogeneous gust process into a nondimensional gust process which is homogeneous in a nondimensional gust height coordinate. The velocity scaling parameter for the gust process is the gust standard deviation, and the length scale used to nondimensionalize the altitude is the vertical space lag associated with the first zero of the gust covariance function. State space theory was used to derive a digital filter from the model, which can be readily used to simulate gusts for space vehicle design applications

Spacelab 3: Research in microgravity

The Spacelab 3 mission, which focused on research in microgravity, took place during the period April 29 through May 6, 1985. Spacelab 3 was the second flight of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's modular Shuttle-borne research facility. An overview of the mission is presented. Preliminary scientific results from the mission were presented by investigators at a symposium held at Marshall Space Flight Center on December 4, 1985. This special issue is based on reports presented at that symposium