This thesis introduces the Deterministic Disturbance Generator (DDG) and its development process. The DDG performs two motions and five pitch rates. The flap motion, which rotates the airfoil from 0◦ to 20◦ and back, and the ramp motion, which rotates it from 0◦ to 20◦ with a dwell of 1s before returning to 0◦. To determine the angle of attack, a Matlab function converted thrust rod displacement into the assumed angle, validated against true angle of attack measurements on the DDG. Mean angular displacements were plotted, and standard deviations of the 95% confidence intervals were calculated within ±1.3◦ for all motions. The mechanical force on the actuator was computed to be 77N. Aerodynamic forces on the DDG were determined to be 15N and 19N for flap and ramp motions respectively. The total force on the system did not exceed 100N in any case, staying below the peak force capacity, while acceleration reached its limit. Flow velocimetry in the Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel (VTSWT) employed a time-resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to study the effects of 20◦ flap and ramp motions, with mean actuation times of 63ms and 37ms. Flap motion showed a significant deficit in mean streamwise velocities, and the ramp motion exhibited similar behavior until its dwell position, generating a large wake region due to airfoil stall after its peak. Comparison of data from the Goodwin Hall Subsonic Tunnel (GHST) with VTSWT data for overlapping domains revealed similar flow field features when normalized based on the boundary layer velocity (43mm plane from wall) of the latter. Considering actuation time differences, the freestream normalized GHST data was combined with VTSWT data.
The cohesive PIV domain offered a broader perspective on the missing flow features. / Master of Science / A Deterministic Disturbance Generator (DDG) was designed to generate consistent largescale transversal transient disturbances in the wall boundary layer of the Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel. It comprises an airfoil connected to an actuator through a rotating mechanism. The rotating mechanism can be controlled by manipulating the actuator to induce motion. The rotational speed of the airfoil is regulated by a program provided to the actuator. The DDG motions were validated to achieve nearly identical motion profiles to ensure it produced consistent turbulence wakes. The linear displacement of the actuator and airfoil was measured using a laser sensor, and a code was developed to convert this data into the observed angle of attack. Tests were conducted to verify repeatability and fine-tune the system's motions. A comprehensive description of the fabrication process, hardware and software setup, and calibration procedures involved in developing the DDG are provided.
Using aerodynamic models, a computational study is performed to determine the forces associated with the airfoil and actuator. Subsequently, the DDG was subjected to testing in two wind tunnels: the Goodwin Hall Subsonic Tunnel for preliminary characterization and error mitigation and the Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel for final assessment of the DDG's performance. Flow velocimetry data obtained from both tests are analyzed, revealing similarities in the induced motions. Mean flow fields and turbulence values are determined, and the effects of different pitch rates are also assessed. Finally, the mean flow fields corresponding to identical motion types from both datasets were integrated into a cohesive plot. This resulted in a comprehensive understanding of the flow field.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/116167 |
| Date | 30 August 2023 |
| Creators | Palanganda, Shaheen Thimmaiah |
| Contributors | Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Alexander, William Nathan, Borgoltz, Aurelien, Devenport, William J. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
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