An investigation was conducted to assess the usefulness of anti-optimization in the process of validating of aerodynamic codes. Anti-optimization is defined here as the intentional search for regions where the computational and experimental results disagree. Maximizing such disagreements can be a useful tool in uncovering errors and/or weaknesses in both analyses and experiments. The codes chosen for this investigation were an airfoil code and a lifting line code used together as an analysis to predict three-dimensional wing aerodynamic coefficients. The parameter of interest was the maximum lift coefficient of the three-dimensional wing, CL max. The test domain encompassed Mach numbers from 0.3 to 0.8, and Reynolds numbers from 25,000 to 250,000. A simple rectangular wing was designed for the experiment. A wind tunnel model of this wing was built and tested in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel. Selection of the test conditions (i.e., Mach and Reynolds numbers) were made by applying the techniques of response surface methodology and considerations involving the predicted experimental uncertainty. The test was planned and executed in two phases. In the first phase runs were conducted at the pre-planned test conditions. Based on these results additional runs were conducted in areas where significant differences in CL max were observed between the computational results and the experiment — in essence applying the concept of anti-optimization. These additional runs were used to verify the differences in CL max and assess the extent of the region where these differences occurred. The results of the experiment showed that the analysis was capable of predicting CL max to within 0.05 over most of the test domain. The application of anti-optimization succeeded in identifying a region where the computational and experimental values of CL max differed by more than 0.05, demonstrating the usefulness of anti-optimization in process of validating aerodynamic codes. This region was centered at a Mach number of 0.55 and a Reynolds number of 34,000. Including considerations of the uncertainties in the computational and experimental results confirmed that the disagreement was real and not an artifact of the uncertainties. / Ph. D.

Today's high performance aircraft are operating in expanded flight envelopes, often maneuvering at high angular rates at high angles-of-attack, even above maximum lift. Current aerodynamic models are inadequate in predicting flight characteristics in the expanded envelope, such as rapid aircraft departures and other unusual motions. Unsteady flows of aircraft are of real concern. The ability to accurately measure aerodynamic loads directly impacts the ability to accurately model and predict flight. Current wind tunnel testing techniques do not adequately address the data fidelity of a test point under the influence of fluctuating loads and moments. Additionally, forced oscillation test techniques, one of the primary tools used to develop dynamic models, do not currently provide estimates of the uncertainty of the results during an oscillation cycle. Further, in testing models across a range of flight conditions, there are frequently parts of the envelope which are well behaved and require few data points to arrive at a sound answer, and other parts of the envelope where the responses are much more active and require a large sample of data to arrive at an answer with statistical significance. Currently, test methods do not factor changes of flow physics into data acquisition schemes, so in many cases data are obtained over more iterations than required, or insufficient data may be obtained to determine a valid estimate. Methods of providing a measure of data integrity for static and forced oscillation test techniques are presented with examples. A method for optimizing required forced oscillation cycles based on decay of uncertainty gradients and balance tolerances is also presented. / Master of Science

This volume covers the phases from design to manufacturing of a wind tunnel testsupport structure for a conceptual blended wingbodyUAV designed by KTH GreenRaven Project students. The innovative aircraft design demonstrates sustainabilitywithin aviation by utilizing a hybrid electricfuelcell propulsion system. The windtunnel test to be conducted at Bristol University will produce data to evaluate theaerodynamic properties of the model for design verification. The wind tunnel modelis a smallscaled1.5mspanmodel supported by struts that change the pitch andyaw angles during testing. An external force balance provided by Bristol Universitymeasures the loads and moments experienced by the model. The main requirementsfor the structure are to withstand the aerodynamic loads imposed by the model andto change the model’s orientation while maintaining wind speed during the test. Themaximum aerodynamic loads were provided in a matrix, the largest of which was usedas the load condition for the support equating to a 512N lift at 14◦ AOA. Trade studieswere conducted to determine the mechanisms to satisfy the requirements while stayingwithin budget. The chosen design for the support structure includes a circular baseplate constrained by a locking ring with positioning pins to change the yaw angle. Themain strut is mounted at the the center of the circular base plate. A hinge bracketat the top of the strut interfaces with another hinge bracket within the model viaa clevis pin. An electric linear actuator mounted downstream of the main strut isused to vary the pitch angle, with the center of rotation at the clevis pin. Once thedesign was finalized, finite element analysis was done to verify the structural stabilityof the design. The FEA results were compared to EulerBernoulliapproximations fordeflection. Manufacturing of the components was outsourcedwhile assembly andprogramming of the actuator was done inhouse. / Det här examensarbetet är en del av ett projekt som omfattar processen från designtill tillverkning av en vindstunnelstödstruktur för en konceptuell UAV av typenflygande vinge, designad av KTH Green Raven Projectstudenter.Den innovativaflygplanskonstruktionen visar hållbarhet inom flygindustrin genom att användahybridbränsleceller som framdrivningssystem. Vindtunneltest som genomförs vidBristol University kommer att producera data för att utvärdera de aerodynamiskaegenskaperna hos modellen för verifiering av designen. Vindtunnelmodellen är ennedskalad modell på 1,5 m som stöds av stag som ändrar anfallsochgirvinklarnaunder testningen. En extern mätsond från Bristol University mäter de krafter ochmoment som modellen utsätts för. De viktigaste kraven för konstruktionen är attmotstå de aerodynamiska lasterna som modellen påför och att ändra modellensorientering samtidigt som vindhastigheten bibehålls under testet. De maximalaaerodynamiska belastningarna tillhandahölls i en matris; varav den största användessom lastfall för stödet motsvarande en 512N lyftkraft vid 14◦ anfallsvinkel. Jämförandestudier genomfördes för att bestämma mekanismerna för att uppfylla kraven samtidigtsom de låg inom budgeten. Den valda konstruktionen för stödkonstruktionenbestår av en cirkulär basplatta som fixeras med hjälp av en låsring, och som harpositioneringsstift för att ändra girvinkeln. En huvudstång är monterad i mitten avbasplattan upp till ett gångjärnsfäste i modellen. Bakom detta sitter ett linjärt ställdonsom dras ut och skjuts ihop för att ändra modellens attityd med rotationscentrum viddet övre fästet på huvudstaget. När designen slutfördes gjordes en finit elementanalysför att verifiera dess strukturella stabilitet. FEAresultatenjämfördes med EulerBernoulliuppskattningarför utböjning. Tillverkningen av komponenterna överlätstill extern part, medan monteringen och programmeringen av ställdonet gjordesinternt.

Force and moment balances have proved to be essential in the measurement and calculation of aerodynamic properties during wind tunnel testing. With the recent advancements of technology, new fiber optic sensors have been designed to replace the conventional foil strain gage sensors commonly found on balances, thereby offering several distinct advantages. The use of fiber optic sensors on a balance brings with it some potential advantages over conventional strain gage balances including increased resolution and accuracy, insensitivity to electromagnetic interference, and the capability of use at high temperatures. By using the fiber optic sensors, some of the limitations of the conventional balance can be overcome, leading to a better overall balance design. This thesis considers an initial trial application of new fiber optic sensors on a conventional, six-component sting balance while retaining the original foil strain gage sensors for comparison. Tests were conducted with a blunt, 10º half-angle cone model in the Virginia Tech 9x9 inch Supersonic Wind Tunnel at Mach 2.4 with a total pressure of 48 psia and ambient total temperature of 25.3ºC. Results showed a close comparison between the foil strain gages and the fiber optic sensor measurements, which were set up to measure the normal force and pitching moment on the blunt cone model. A Finite Element Model (FEM) of the sting balance was produced in order to determine the best locations for the fiber optic sensors on the sting balance. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was also used in order to predict and compare the results acquired from all of the sensors. / Master of Science

Unsteady aerodynamic modeling is indispensable in the design process of rotary air vehicles, flapping flight and agile unmanned aerial vehicles. Undesirable vibrations can cause high-frequency variations in motion variables whose effects cannot be well predicted using quasi-steady aerodynamics. Furthermore, one may exploit the lift enhancement that can be generated through an unsteady motion for optimum design of flapping vehicles. Additionally, undesirable phenomena like the flutter of fixed wings and ensuing limit cycle oscillations can be exploited for harvesting energy. In this dissertation, we focus on modeling the unsteady nonlinear aerodynamic response and present various applications where unsteady aerodynamics are very relevant. The dissertation starts with experiments for measuring unsteady loads on an NACA-0012 airfoil undergoing a plunging motion under various operating conditions. We supplement these measurements with flow visualization to obtain better insight into phenomena causing enhanced lift. For the model, we present the frequency response function for the airfoil at various angles of attack. Experiments were performed at reduced frequencies between 0.1 and 0.95 and angles of attack up to 65 degrees. Then, we formulate an optimization problem to unify the transfer function coefficients for each regime independently to obtain one model that represents the global dynamics. An optimization-based finite-dimensional (fourth-order) approximation for the frequency responses is developed. Converting these models to state-space form and writing the entries of the matrices as polynomials in the mean angle of attack, a unified unsteady model was developed. In the second set of experiments, we measured the unsteady plunging forces on the same airfoil at zero forward velocity. The aim is to investigate variations of the added forces associated with the oscillation frequency of the wing section for various angles of attack. Data of the measured forces are presented and compared with predicted forces from potential flow approximations. The results show a significant departure from those estimates, especially at high frequencies indicating that viscous effects play a major role in determining these forces. In the second part of this dissertation, we consider different applications where unsteady loads and nonlinear effects play an important role. We perform a multi-objective aerodynamic optimization problem of the wing kinematics and planform shape of a Pterosaur replica ornithopter. The objective functions included minimization of the required cycle-averaged aerodynamic power and maximization of the propulsive efficiency. The results show that there is an optimum kinematic parameter as well as planform shape to fulfill the two objectives. Furthermore, the effects of preset angle of attack, wind speed and load resistance on the levels of harvested power from a composite beam bonded with the piezoelectric patch are determined experimentally. The results point to a complex relation between the aerodynamic loading and its impact on the static deflection and amplitudes of the limit cycle oscillations as well as the level of power harvested. This is followed by testing of a centimeter scale micro wind turbine that has been proposed to power small devices and to work as a micro energy harvester. The experimental measurements are compared to predicted values from a numerical model. The methods developed in this dissertation provide a systematic approach to identifying unsteady aerodynamic models from numerical or experimental data that may work within different regimes. The resulting reduced-order models are expressed in a state-space form, and they are, therefore, both simple and efficient. These models are low-dimensional linear systems of ordinary differential equations so that they are compatible with modern flight dynamic models. The specific form of the obtained added force model, which defines the added forces as a function of plunging velocity and drag forces, guarantees that the resulting model is accurate over a range of high frequencies. Moreover, presented applications give a sense of the broad range of application of unsteady aerodynamics. / Ph. D.

Transition is an important phenomenon in large scale, commercial, wind tunnel testing at low speeds because it is an excellent indicator of an airfoil performance. It is difficult to estimate transition through numerical techniques because of the complex nature of viscous flow. Therefore experimental techniques can be essential. Over the transition region the rate of heat transfer shows significant increases which can be detected using infrared thermography. This technique has been used predominantly at high speeds, on small models made of insulated materials, and for short test runs. Large scale testing has not been widely undertaken because the high sensitivity of transition to external factors makes it difficult to detect. The present study records the process undertaken to develop, implement and validate a transition detection system for continual use in the Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel: a low speed, commercial wind tunnel where large, aluminium models are tested. The final system developed comprises of two high resolution FLIR A655sc infrared cameras; four 63.5-mm diameter circular windows; aluminium models covered in 0.8-mm silicone rubber insulation and a top layer of ConTact© paper; and a series of 25.4-mm wide rubber silicone fiberglass insulated heaters mounted inside the model and controlled externally by experimenters. This system produces images or videos of the model and the associated transition location, which is later extracted through image processing methods to give a final transition location in percentage chord. The system was validated using two DU96-W-180 airfoils of different chord lengths in the Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel, each tested two months apart. The system proved to be robust and efficient, while not affecting the airfoil performance or any other system in use in the wind tunnel. Transition results produced by the system were compared to measurements obtained from pressure data and stethoscope tests as well as the numerical predictions of XFOIL. The transition results from all four methods showed excellent agreement with each other for the two models, for at least two Reynolds numbers and for several angles of attack on both suction and pressure side of the model. The agreement of data obtained under such different conditions and at different times suggests that the infrared thermography system efficiently and accurately detects transition for large aluminium models at low speeds. / Master of Science

Thesis (MScEng (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The aerodynamic performance of an existing wind turbine blade optimised for low wind speed conditions is investigated. The aerodynamic characteristics of four span locations are determined from surface pressure measurements and wake surveys with a traversed five-hole probe performed in a low speed wind tunnel for chord Reynolds numbers ranging from 360,000 - 640,000. Two-dimensional modelling of the wind tunnel tests is performed with the commercial computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT. The predictive accuracies of five eddy-viscosity turbulence models are compared. The computational results are compared to each other and experimental data. It is found that agreement between computational and experimental results varies with turbulence model. For lower Reynolds numbers, the Transitional-SST turbulence model accurately predicted the presence of laminar separation bubbles and was found to be superior to the fully turbulent models considered. This highlighted the importance of transitional modelling at lower Reynolds numbers. With increasing angles of attack the bubbles were found to move towards the leading edge and decrease in length. This was validated with experimental data. For the tip blade section, computations implementing the k-ε realizable turbulence model best predicted experimental data. The two-dimensional panel method code, XFOIL, was found to be optimistic with significantly higher lift-to-drag ratios than measured. Three-dimensional modelling of the rotating wind turbine rotor is performed with the commercial computational fluid dynamics code NUMECA. The Coefficient of Power (Cp) predicted varies from 0.440 to 0.565 depending on the turbulence model. Sectional airfoil characteristics are extracted from these computations and compared to two-dimensional airfoil characteristics. Separation was found to be suppressed for the rotating case. A lower limit of 0.481 for Cp is proposed based on the experimental data. / Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies

Aerodynamic analysis is an important area of survivability studies. There is a desire to be able to predict the aerodynamic effects of a given damage scenario on an aircraft wing with minimal wind tunnel testing or computational simulations. Due to the limited nature of previous studies, this has not generally been possible. The original contribution of this thesis is a predictive technique developed to estimate the aerodynamic effects of a simulated battle damage hole on an aircraft wing, resulting from a range of attack directions. This technique was successfully validated against experimental data. Testing under two-dimensional conditions was undertaken on a NASA LS(1)-0417MOD aerofoil at a Reynolds number of 500,000. This project simulates the effect of attack direction by varying the offset between upper and lower surface damage holes in both chordwise and spanwise directions. Damage was modelled using circular holes. Lift, drag and pitching moment coefficients were measured and supplemented with surface flow visualisation and surface pressure measurements. Coefficient increments, defined as the difference between the damage cases and a datum undamaged case were used to quantify the effects of the damage, with the performance qualified in terms of weak and strong jets. Weak jets were found to have little effect on the flow and aerodynamic properties, while strong jets caused significant disruption. The effects increased in magnitude with hole size, incidence and proximity of the upper surface hole to the pressure peak. Spanwise offset on the holes had little effect on the jet strength but introduced asymmetry into the surface flow. This effect was found to be due to the behaviour of the flow within the cavity. Three-dimensional testing was undertaken at a Reynolds number of 1,000,000 on a half wing model in order to investigate any changes in the aerodynamic characteristics of the damage when applied to a more representative aircraft wing. The higher Reynolds number exploited the larger wind tunnel working section and provided a value more representative of typical unmanned aerial vehicles. As the damage was moved towards the tip its effects were lessened and the transition from weak jet to strong jet delayed. Spanwise pressure variation from the tip also introduced asymmetry into the jet s surface flow features. Plotting coefficient increments for all attack directions against the pressure coefficient difference between upper and lower surfaces from an undamaged wing, across the equivalent damage hole region highlighted significant trends, which were used as the basis of a predictive technique for a range of hole sizes and attack directions. The validity of the technique was assessed by predicting a previously untested damage case and comparing it against subsequent wind tunnel tests. The results from this validation proved encouraging.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, May 2016 / The present work describes the practical implementation of systems identification techniques to the development of a linear aerodynamic model for a small low-cost UAV equipped with a basic navigational and inertial measurement systems. The assessment of the applicability of the techniques were based on determining whether adequate aerodynamic models could be developed to aid in the reduction of wind tunnel testing when characterising new UAVs. The identification process consisted of postulating a model structure, flight test manoeuvre design, data reconstruction, aerodynamic parameter estimation, and model validation. The estimators that were used for the post-flight identification were the output error maximum likelihood method and an iterated extended Kalman filter with a global smoother. SIDPAC and FVSysID systems identification toolboxes were utilised and modified where appropriate. The instrumentation system on board the UAV consisted of three-axis accelerometers and gyroscopes, a three-axis vector magnetometer and GPS tracking while data was logged at 25 Hz. The angle of attack and angle of sideslip were not measured directly and were estimated using tailored data reconstruction methods. Adequate time domain lateral model correlation with flight data was achieved for the cruise flight condition. Adequacy was assessed against Theil’s inequality coefficients and Theil’s covariance. It was found that the simplified estimation algorithms based on the linearized equations of motion yielded the most promising model matches. Due to the high correlation between the pitch damping derivatives, the longitudinal analysis did not yield valid model parameter estimates. Even though the accuracy of the resulting models was below initial expectations, the detailed data compatibility analysis provided valuable insight into estimator limitations, instrumentation requirements and test procedures for systems identification on low-cost UAVs. / MT2016

Desde o início da década de 2010, o aumento do preço do combustível de aviação e a pressão da sociedade para redução da emissão de gases nocivos ao meio ambiente, junto com a necessidade de redução de ruído durante as fases de decolagem e pouso, levaram as companhias aéreas a buscar aeronaves mais eficientes. Para suprir essa demanda, os fabricantes de aviões comerciais solucionaram esse problema através do uso de motores de maior desempenho, que apresentam maior diâmetro que motores de gerações passadas. Desse modo, foi necessário projetar asas com maior diedro na região da raiz, possibilitando a instalação desses novos motores, e diedro menor após a seção do motor, adotando assim a solução de asa em gaivota. O presente trabalho visa analisar o impacto de diferentes tipos de asas em gaivota nos coeficientes aerodinâmicos de uma aeronave de configuração comercial típica. Para tanto, foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica dos estudos envolvendo asas em gaivota. Numa primeira fase foi feito um estudo analítico das características aerodinâmicas de alguns modelos de aeronaves com asa em gaivota, e em uma segunda fase, foram empregadas ferramentas computacionais para analisar seus comportamentos aerodinâmicos. Posteriormente, em uma terceira fase, esses modelos foram ensaiados no túnel de vento do LAE (Laboratório de Aerodinâmica da EESC/USP), e os resultados das três fases foram comparados. / Since the beginning of the 2010s, the increasing price of aviation fuel and the pressure of society to reduce the emission of harmful gases into the environment, coupled with the need of noise reduction during the takeoff and landing, induce carrier companies to look for more efficient airplanes. To furnish this demand, the airplane manufacturers solved the problem using high performance engines, which present a larger diameter than the engines from previous generations. Thereby, it was necessary to project wing with higher dihedral on the root portion, enabling the installation of these new engines, and a lower dihedral after the engine section, thus adopting a gull wing solution. This research project aims at analyzing the impact of different types of gull wing on the aerodynamic coefficients of a typical commercial configuration airplane. For this purpose, a bibliographic review about the studies related to gull wings was performed. In a first phase, an analytical analysis of the aerodynamic characteristics of some airplane model with gull wings was done, and in a second phase, computational programs was used to study their aerodynamic behavior. Later, in a third phase, these models were tested in the wind tunnel of LAE (Laboratory of Aerodynamics of EESC/USP), and the results from the three phases were compared.