<p>This dissertation covers a computational investigation into hypersonic flight vehicle geometric imperfections, with a focus on wing-elevon-cove configurations. The primary region of focus for the overall research was the cove region at the juncture of the main wing element and the elevon. This region is associated with the shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction produced by the control surface deflection. There also exists a centrifugal instability at the cove, due to streamline curvature, which is associated with the production of Görtler vortices. The content includes three projects revolving around hypersonic wing-elevon-cove flows. These flows were computed with improved delayed detached-eddy simulation.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The first project was a computational investigation simulating the NASA experimental study done by W.D. Deveikis and W. Bartlett in 1978. This experiment consisted of hypersonic high Reynolds number wind tunnel tests for a shuttle-type reentry vehicle. The computational aerothermodynamic surface loadings for this project were compared to the experimental published data. Grounded with the agreement with mean surface data, this project expanded on the topics explored in the experimental study to include topics such as flow visualization and statistical analysis. The second and third project are extensions of this work and were done in collaboration with Purdue University and the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI). A swept wing-elevon-cove model was designed by Carson Lay, of Purdue University, and is currently being employed in ongoing experiments in the Purdue Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel (BAM6QT) and at the Tennessee Aerothermodynamics Laboratory (TALon). A computational investigation on hypersonic high Reynolds number wing-elevon-cove flows was conducted with this model, where both corresponding experimental facility conditions were employed. At this time, the experimental data are limited; however, future experimental and computational collaboration is expected.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The motivation behind this research was to expand the knowledge on hypersonic wing-elevon-cove flows, gap heating, and the low-frequency unsteadiness in shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions. Therefore, the intended goal of this work was to provide an accurate characterization of the three hypersonic wing-elevon-cove flows. This was accomplished by using computational data to produce flowfield visualizations, analyze aerothermodynamic loadings, and conduct statistical flow analyses. The results on the three hypersonic wing-elevon-cove computations are presented, analyzed, and discussed throughout this dissertation.</p>

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The thesis aims to provide an evaluation on the Volvo 1/5th scaled wind tunnel regarding its potentials and capabilities in aerodynamic study. The flow quality in the test section was evaluated. The experiments were performed included measurements of airspeed stability, tunnel-wall boundary layer profile and horizontal buoyancy. A numerical model was developed to predict the boundary layer thickness on the test floor. Repeatability tests were also conducted to establish the appropriate operating regime.A correlation study between the 1/5th scaled wind tunnel (MWT) and full scale wind tunnel (PVT) was performed using steady force and unsteady pressure measurements. The Volvo Aero 2020 concept car was selected to be the test model.The Reynolds effect and the tunnel-wall boundary layer interference were identified in the steady force measurements. Unsteady near-wake phenomena such as wake pumping and wake flapping were discussed in the unsteady base pressure measurements.

This dissertation presents shape and structural optimization studies on flapping wings for micro air vehicles. The design space of the optimization includes the wing planform and the structural properties that are relevant to the wing model being analyzed. The planform design is parameterized using a novel technique called modified Zimmerman, which extends the concept of Zimmerman planforms to include four ellipses rather than two. Three wing types are considered: rigid, plate-like deformable, and membrane. The rigid wing requires no structural design variables. The structural design variables for the plate-like wing are the thickness distribution polynomial coefficients. The structural variables for the membrane wing control the in-plane distributed forces which modulate the structural deformation of the wing. The rigid wing optimization is performed using the modified Zimmerman method to describe the wing. A quasi-steady aerodynamics model is used to calculate the thrust and input power required during the flapping cycle. An assumed inflow model is derived based on lifting-line theory and is used to better approximate the effects of the induced drag on the wing. A multi-objective optimization approach is used since more than one aspect is considered in flapping wing design. The the epsilon-constraint approach is used to calculate the Pareto optimal solutions that maximize the cycle-average thrust while minimizing the peak input power and the wing mass. An aeroelastic model is derived to calculate the aerodynamic performance and the structural response of the deformable wings. A linearized unsteady vortex lattice method is tightly coupled to a linear finite element model. The model is cost effective and the steady-state solution is solved by inverting a matrix. The aeroelastic model is used to maximize the thrust produced over one flapping cycle while minimizing the input power. / Ph. D.

We model different nonlinear systems, analyze their nonlinear aspects and discuss their applications. First, we present a semi-analytical, geometrically-exact, unsteady potential flow model is developed for airfoils undergoing large amplitude maneuvers. Towards this objective, the classical unsteady theory of Theodorsen is revisited by relaxing some of the major assumptions such as (1) flat wake, (2) small angle of attack, (3) small disturbances to the mean flow components, and (4) time-invariant free-stream. The kinematics of the wake vortices is simulated numerically while the wake and bound circulation distribution and, consequently, the associated pressure distribution are determined analytically. The steady and unsteady behaviors of the developed model are validated against experimental and computational results. The model is then used to determine the lift frequency response at different mean angles of attack. Second, we investigate the nonlinear characteristics of an autoparametric vibration system. This system consists of a base structure and a cantilever beam with a tip mass. The dynamic equations for the system are derived using the extended Hamilton's principle. The method of multiple scales is then used to analytically determine the stability and bifurcation of the system. The effects of the amplitude and frequency of the external force, the damping coefficient and frequency of the attached cantilever beam and the tip mass on the nonlinear responses of the system are determined. As an application, the concept of energy harvesting based on the autoparametric vibration system consisting of a base structure subjected to the external force and a cantilever beam with a tip mass is evaluated. Piezoelectric sheets are attached to the cantilever beam to convert the vibrations of the base structure into electrical energy. The coupled nonlinear distributed-parameter model is developed and analyzed. The effects of the electrical load resistance on the global frequency and damping ratio of the cantilever beam are analyzed by linearizion of the governing equations and perturbation method. Nonlinear analysis is performed to investigate the impacts of external force and load resistance on the response of the harvester. Finally, the concept of harvesting energy from ambient and galloping vibrations of a bluff body is investigated. A piezoelectric transducer is attached to the transverse degree of freedom of the body in order to convert the vibration energy to electrical power. A coupled nonlinear distributed-parameter model is developed that takes into consideration the galloping force and moment nonlinearities and the base excitation effects. The aerodynamic loads are modeled using the quasi-steady approximation. Linear analysis is performed to determine the effects of the electrical load resistance and wind speed on the global damping and frequency of the harvester as well as on the onset of instability. Then, nonlinear analysis is performed to investigate the impact of the base acceleration, wind speed, and electrical load resistance on the performance of the harvester and the associated nonlinear phenomena. Short- and open-circuit configurations for different wind speeds and base accelerations are assessed. / Ph. D.

Measurements have been performed to understand the sound source mechanism in turbulent boundary layer flow over two and three-dimensional surface discontinuities whose height is smaller than the incoming boundary layer thickness. The work was performed in two different types of boundary layers: a wall-jet flow and a conventional high Reynolds boundary layer. In the wall-jet flow, measurements of far field sound from two-dimensional forward facing steps, gaps with rounded corners and swept forward facing steps with rounded corners were made. The sound from a forward facing step is shown to exhibit effects of non-compactness. Rounding the step corner results in consistent drop in sound levels but the directivity of the sound field remains unchanged. The sound from gaps is dominated by the forward step component and remains unaffected by rounding of the backward step portion. The sound from swept forward facing steps was found to approximately obey an acoustic sweep independence principle up to a sweep angle of 30 deg when the spanwise inhomogeneity in the flow is accounted for using a simple source distribution model. Sweep independence is also observed for steps with corner rounding radii up to 25% of the step height. The work performed in the high Reynolds number boundary layer included measurements on forward facing steps with rounded corners and a three-dimensional circular embossment with the same height as the forward step. The highest Reynolds number based on discontinuity height achieved in this work was approximately 93,000. The results show that rounding the forward step corner has the same qualitative effect on far field sound as in the wall-jet boundary layer. Quantitatively, for similar boundary layer edge velocity the sound is higher than in the wall-jet flow. The near field measurements show that the separation bubble downstream of the step shrinks as the step corner is rounded while the bubble upstream remains unaffected by it. The unsteady surface force in the lower half of the vertical face of the step was found to be independent of corner rounding. The force on the downstream surface shows similar character within the separation bubble for each rounding but decays faster with increasing downstream distance due to reduced bubble size. The unsteady force measurements were applied to the theory of Glegg et al. (2014) and the resultant of the unsteady forces on the vertical face and downstream surface placed at the top corner of the step is shown to qualitatively describe the far field sound. The acoustic sweep independence principle was applied to the far field sound from the circular embossment and it has been shown that the sound from the three-dimensional geometry can be predicted with reasonable accuracy using sound from a two-dimensional forward step with the same span. / Ph. D.