ground testing technical committee gttc newsletter july 2011
TRANSCRIPT
Ground Testing Technical Committee
GTTC Newsletter
July 2011
Issue No. 32 Summer 2011
Issue No. 32 Summer 2011
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GTTC Chairman’s Message
Thank you for picking up the 32nd edition of the Ground Test Technical
Committee (GTTC) Newsletter. This newsletter is utilized to keep the AIAA
members and others informed on the GTTC activities, membership, and the
activities of the membership organizations. I hope that you will find that it
serves its purpose well. Special thanks go to the newsletter editor, Tony Skaff, of Sierra Lobo, Inc.
The GTTC meetings at the 47th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit will be busy as usual
with general meetings of the entire GTTC, subcommittee meetings, working group meetings, and many technical sessions.
We like to say we put the “T” in TC, so try to come to our technical sessions to see what kinds of testing activities are
being presented and documented. The technical sessions are listed in the conference program as GT-1 through GT-5, and
19 papers are to be presented in them. We utilize our working groups to prepare testing methodology documentation for
publication by AIAA. All are welcome to attend the working group meetings and actively participate in this process.
It is not all work and no play as at the last summer meeting in Chicago we attended a Cubs baseball game. That went so
well that we will attend a Padres game as a group while we are in San Diego. We also are taking a field trip to Triumph
Aerospace Systems to see their strain gage balance fabrication and calibration capabilities and to the San Diego Air &
Space Technology Low Speed Wind Tunnel for a tour.
We will be selecting new members for the GTTC at the upcoming Aerospace Sciences Meeting in Nashville, TN, during
January. If you are interested in becoming a GTTC member, applications can be input through the AIAA web site,
www.aiaa.org. We are particularly looking for people with a propulsion ground testing background.
I hope you enjoy this issue of the GTTC newsletter. We are always looking for ways to improve the GTTC and our
overall value to the aerospace community. Your ideas and participation are greatly appreciated. If you have questions or
want information about the GTTC, you can contact me directly at [email protected] or by phone at 770-494-4158. If
you have an opportunity, check out our website linked off the AIAA Technical Committees page on the AIAA web site
(www.aiaa.org).
Thank you,
Joe Patrick
GTTC Chairman
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About the GTTC
The GTTC is one of more than 60 technical committees
sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics (AIAA). It is made up of approximately 50
professionals working in various areas of the ground
testing world.
Our membership addresses important technical issues
that affect ground testing through several means,
including the development of guides and standards,
dissemination of information through technical sessions
at conferences, and the development and sponsorship of
short courses.
The GTTC also participates in Congressional Visits Day,
which is a vital tool for making sure that aeronautics and
space-related research and testing is supported at
required levels.
One of the primary functions of every technical
committee is the sponsorship and development of
conferences and technical sessions. The GTTC supports
two conferences each year. Every January, the GTTC
meets at the Aerospace Sciences Meeting, where we
sponsor several technical sessions (typically a dozen or
more). In the summer, the GTTC alternates between the
Joint Propulsion Conference (odd-numbered years) and
the Advanced Measurement Technology and Ground
Testing Conference (even-numbered years).
GTTC Working Groups
Flow Quality Working Group
Chair: Iwan Philipsen
Vice-Chair: Dale Belter
Model Attitude and Deformation Working Group
Chair: Stewart Lumb
Vice-Chair: Joe Norris
Wind Tunnel Database Working Group
Chair: Jeff Haas
Vice-Chair: Richard White
Ground Test Technical Committee (GTTC)
Chair: Joe Patrick
Vice-Chair: Ray Castner
Secretary: Steve Dunn
Steering Subcommittee
Chair: Joe Patrick
Vice Chair: Ray Castner
Membership Subcommittee
Chair: Ray Castner
Vice Chair: Steve Dunn
Aerodynamics Subcommittee
Chair: Vic Canacci
Vice Chair: Jerry Kegelman
Propulsion Subcommittee
Chair: King Molder
Vice Chair: Mike Wrenn
Awards Subcommittee
Chair: Joe Norris
Vice-Chair: Wink Baker
Conferences Subcommittee
Chair: Amber Favaregh
Vice Chair: Tom Wayman
Publications Subcommittee
Chair: Julien Weiss
Vice-Chair: Oliver Leembruggen
Standards Subcommittee
Chair: Doyle Veazey
Vice Chair: Rich White
Education and Student Activities Subcommittee
Chair: Stewart Lumb
Vice Chair: Justin Smith
GTTC Subcommittees
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Turbine-Based Combined Cycle Engine Large-
Scale Inlet Mode Transition Experiment
By Christine Pastor and Scott Williamson
To date, the problem of Turbine Based Combined Cycle
(TBCC) mode transition has not been addressed in any
serious fashion for a hypersonic vehicle utilizing this
type of high-performance propulsion system. Successful
demonstration of mode transition will provide enabling
technology for the development of future hypersonic
cruise and space access vehicles. Experimental
demonstrations of the process are necessary to provide
the confidence necessary to undertake a major combined
cycle propulsion system development program.
Hypersonic propulsion research has been a major focus
of the NASA Aeronautics program for many years. In
the area of hypersonic inlet design, programs such as the
sidewall compression inlet research performed at the
NASA Langley Research Center, the NASA Mach 5
Inlet program tested at the NASA Glenn Research
Center (GRC) 10’x10’ Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT),
the National Aerospace Plane (NASP) program, and
several other high-speed cruise and space access designs
by industry have addressed the problems of inlet design
for hypersonic propulsion systems.
Concept Space Access Design
These prior research efforts were generally limited to
only high-speed conditions and did not fully cover the
entire flight regime. While previous programs have
provided detailed designs for the ramjet/scramjet inlet,
no large-scale effort has previously addressed the split-
flow problem of the hybrid (over/under) inlet design in
any great detail.
The current test series at the GRC 10’x10’ Supersonic
Wind Tunnel is the turbine-based Combined Cycle
Engine Large-Scale Inlet Mode Transition Experiment
(CCE-LIMX) project. TBCC systems are of interest for
the first stage of a two-stage-to-orbit vehicle. For this
test, the CCE-LIMX test bed has a common inlet that
supplies flow to a turbine engine and a dual-mode ramjet
engine in an over/under configuration. The turbine
engine provides thrust from take-off to Mach 4. at which
speed the turbine engine shuts down and the ramjet /
scramjet engine develops full thrust to accelerate the
vehicle to the staging speed of Mach 7. The CCE-LIMX
test bed will be a tool to investigate integrated
propulsion system and controls technology objectives.
The main objectives of the tests are to demonstrate
turbine-based combined-cycle mode-transition and to
build an experimental database for physics-based
modeling. The near term emphasis is to understand,
demonstrate, and control the mode transition between
the low speed turbine engine and the dual mode
ram/scramjet engine for a relevant TBCC over/under
propulsion configuration. Four phases of testing are
planned.
Phase (1) Characterize the CCE-LIMX isolated inlet
performance, operability, and stability: Cold pipes and
mass flow plugs are used to simulate engine
backpressures for both the low-speed and high-speed
flow paths. The process of switching the flow from the
turbine to the dual-mode ramjet engine is known as inlet
mode-transition. The CCE-LIMX inlet is a two-
dimensional design in which inlet mode-transition
occurs through the rotation of a splitter cowl. Fully
closing the splitter cowl “cocoons” the turbine engine.
The CCE-LIMX model was designed to match engine
requirements while maintaining both high performance
and stability. Open-loop controlled mode transition
sequences will also be demonstrated.
Phase (2) Collect inlet dynamics using system
identification techniques: Using flow perturbation with
high-speed valves, the dynamic behavior of the inlet will
be documented primarily with high-response pressure
transducers. This test phase will provide the data needed
to develop the closed loop propulsion system controller.
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Phase (3) Implement an inlet control system to
demonstrate mode-transition scenarios using the cold
pipe and mass flow plugs installed in both flow paths.
Using the data from Phases 1 and 2, a closed-loop
control system will be demonstrated for specific mode
transition scenarios for the relevant split flow path
environment.
Phase (4) Demonstrate integrated inlet/turbine engine
operation through mode-transition: After installing a
small-diameter supersonic turbine engine and a Single
Expansion Ramp Nozzle (SERN), both the inlet and
engine will be controlled through a transition at Mach 3
flight speed.
The GRC 10’x10’ wind tunnel provides a unique
capability with propulsion focus to accommodate the
complex requirements of this technically challenging
system integration effort. On March 7, 2011, Phase 1
testing of the CCE-LIMX in the GRC 10’x10’ wind
tunnel began and continues with the planned completion
of Phase 2 testing at the end of September 2011. This
test activity is providing a critical database on this
TBCC configuration and will serve to demonstrate the
controlled mode transition, which is required by an
advanced air-breathing propulsion system to enable
hypersonic flight.
CCE-LIMX Model Installed in GRC 10’x10’ SWT
By Philip Lorenz III
Imagine a lightweight and powerful precision-guided
bomb that would enable an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter
pilot to find and destroy a moving enemy target under
challenging conditions – like during a powerful dust
storm at night with anti-aircraft rounds being launched.
And in case that first bomb fails to take out the target,
several more of these 250-pound class destructors are
available on the aircraft to finish the job.
AEDC engineers are helping to ensure Raytheon’s Small
Diameter Bomb (SDB) II is just what the warfighter
ordered. Store separation and aerodynamic testing of a
1/20th scale model of the weapon and F-15E is ongoing
in Arnold’s 4-foot transonic wind tunnel.
Dr. Andrew Frits, Raytheon project engineer, said
AEDC is the logical choice when his company wants to
conduct complex store separation testing on products
like the SDB II.
“There are advantages of coming to AEDC, most of it is
the experience-base and the fact that they’ve done so
much validation on the F-15E with other rounds
[stores],” he said. “We consider AEDC to be the
Cadillac of wind tunnel testing. You go there if you
have something that needs to be done right; testing that
carries a lot of complexity. Another thing, too, is AEDC
actually has the F-15E parent model as well.”
Ensuring the effective and efficient ejection and
trajectory of a weapon or other store from an aircraft in
flight to an enemy target is imperative to the safety of
the pilot, aircraft, and the success of the mission.
According to Dr. Frits, wind tunnel testing is critical to
the success of the Small Diameter Bomb II program and
paves the way for a safe, effective, and less costly flight
test campaign.
“[The] SDB II is the next generation air-to-ground
weapon,” he said. “It is designed to hit vehicles, trucks,
tanks [and] those types of things, either moving or not
moving in adverse weather conditions.
AEDC Team Puts New Small Diameter
Bomb to the Test
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“It has a very advanced tri-mode seeker. It’s a fully
networked weapon with a full data link capability so it
will be able to communicate with launch platforms and
off-platform targeting groups.”
Dr. Frits said work on the system has provided a weapon
that is currently in the midst of the engineering,
manufacturing, and development (EMD) phase. He said
a considerable effort went into preparing the weapon
system for the current phase of wind tunnel testing at
AEDC.
“We designed a weapon that safely separates from the
aircraft,” he said. “You won’t have any trouble of it
accidently coming back up and hitting the airplane.
“This wind tunnel test supports a flight clearance
recommendation for the full operational weapon
envelope on the F-15E. The data from this test will help
determine what additional flight test points need to be
gathered, then the flight test data along with wind tunnel
and computational fluid dynamics data, will be used to
determine the separation envelope.”
Adam Plondke, the ATA test project engineer, said the
project’s first phase was to conduct free stream testing of
the bomb, which is still in EMD phase.
“This was just the SDB II model by itself in the tunnel,
there was no aircraft present,” he explained. “We go
through a whole array of store attitudes in the tunnel,
which gives us a database of forces and moments the
store will see at these various orientations in the pure
free stream flow field by itself.”
The next phase involved the use of a captive trajectory
system (CTS) to put the bomb, mounted on a sting,
through a computer-generated series of attitudes
simulating the store deploying from the aircraft.
“With a computer, we simulate the ejector pistons
pushing on the store and the forces and moments that our
internal balance measures."
Plondke said, “This data will then be used to calculate
where the store would move next.”
The CTS allows the testers to put the SDB II model
through a full range of simulated release conditions,
including ejector and control forces as well as G-forces,
due to pull-up or push-down maneuvers of both the store
and the plane.
The system also simulates how the airflow interactions
between the aircraft and other airborne stores, including
conformal fuel tanks, other weapons, and sensors affect
the SDB II as it drops away from the aircraft. This
includes subjecting the weapon and aircraft models to a
variety of attitudes of pitch, roll, and yaw configurations.
“We do the first part of the trajectory with the fins
stowed,” Dr. Frits explained. “Then, in a tactical
trajectory – at some point shortly after the weapon
deploys – the fins will deploy, changing the
aerodynamic characteristics of our weapon, and then we
can begin steering it if we need to.”
The third phase of the test at AEDC involves a grid
survey approach in which SDB II aerodynamic loads are
measured at a pre-determined array of store positions
and attitudes. The information from this testing is used
to create a database of the spatial variation of the loads
in proximity to the F-15E.
“Our primary goal there is we want to just collect
enough data that we can build a model of the
aerodynamics of the system,” Dr. Frits said. “And from
there we get nice sets of clean data at various different
orientations, and we can build a nice computer model of
the aerodynamics at any given angular orientation
relative to the aircraft.”
David Anderson, ATA test project engineer, inspects the
1/20-scale models of an F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft and a
sting-mounted Small Diameter Bomb (SDB II), during a
break in the ongoing store separation test for the new
weapon’s development phase trials in the aerodynamic
wind tunnel 4T of the Propulsion Wind Tunnel (PWT)
facility. The test marks the second time the SDB II has
been tested at Arnold.
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Automatic Balance Calibration System with
Combined Loadings
Model Flow Control and Propulsion
Simulation System for the NASA Langley
Research Center National Transonic
Facility
By Shinji Nagai
JAXA is currently validating an automatic balance
calibration system with combined loadings. Since there
are a huge number of combination patterns for the six-
component loads, it previously took nearly one month to
perform a calibration. In contrast, with this equipment,
the calibration can be completed in a few days.
Electrical actuators allow combined patterns of the six-
component loads to be applied fully automatically, even
24 hours a day. Still, the design emphasizes operating
safety and simplicity.
The calibration body displaced by the deformation of the
balance can be repositioned with high accuracy to
maintain the direction of each loading. The control
accuracy for the position and angle are ±0.01 mm or less
and ±0.001° or less, respectively. With this control
mechanism, we can expect to realize balance calibration
with accuracy and efficiency of the highest level in the
world. The maximum load of normal force is 1 ton, and
the calibration accuracy is 0.1 % of full scale. Almost
all balances used in JAXA’s wind tunnels can be
calibrated.
One special feature of JAXA’s automatic balance
calibration system is its high-accuracy temperature
control capabilities. Since the balance output also drifts
according to temperature, the temperature of the entire
equipment is strictly controlled. In addition, the
temperature of the balance itself can be controlled within
a range of 10 to 50°C. It is possible to calibrate a
balance at conditions near those of actual wind tunnel
tests in the JAXA 2m × 2m continuous transonic wind
tunnel.
This article was written based on an article in JAXA’s
publication “Sora to Sora,” which can be downloaded
from http://www.ard.jaxa.jp/eng/info/prm/0index.html.
Combined Loading Apparatus of the JAXA Automatic
Balance Calibration System
By Roman Paryz
Active flow control continues to be a fertile research
field that holds promise to enhance the aerodynamic
performance of conventional aircraft and enable the
development of unconventional vehicles. A wide variety
of active flow control techniques are being pursued,
ranging from direct boundary layer manipulation using
steady or pulsed blowing methodologies, to indirect
methods including induced plasma flows near a surface.
Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) methods are
maturing to the point that they are being used as tools to
improve and optimize flow control techniques on
realistic configurations. CFD methods require further
refinement and validation when dealing with active flow
concepts at the very high lift coefficients that they can
produce. An industry effort has begun to highlight the
developing database that can be used for CFD
validation. As with most publically available active
flow control datasets, one shortfall that still remains is
the lack of data at realistic Reynolds numbers and data
for Reynolds number effects, thereby limiting the
scalability of the flow control techniques to flight
conditions.
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Supersonic Combustor/Afterburner
Facility Study
System Flow Setup
To address this overarching need, a research project was
begun in 2009 to develop a capability to test active flow
control concepts and propulsion simulations at high
Reynolds numbers in the National Transonic Facility
(NTF) at the NASA Langley Research Center. This
technique focused on the use of semi-span models due to
their increased model size and relative ease of routing
high-pressure air to the model.
To achieve this capability, a dual channel high-pressure
air system consisting of two independently controllable
high-pressure air lines has been designed, manufactured,
and installed into NTF. Each line has the capability to
reduce the incoming, dry 2,000 psig air to 800-1,275
psig for the high flow line and 300-800 psig for the low
flow line. The high flow line provides 0.1-20.0 lbm/sec
and the low flow line delivers 0.1-8.0 lbm/sec to the
model. The high and low flow lines use five (5) and one
(1) micron filters, respectively, to ensure a clean air
supply to the model. These air lines enter the NTF shell
separately and route to the Sidewall Model Support
System (SMSS), which uses either the NTF114S or the
NTF117S five component balance. The air supply lines
are routed through the center of the balance through
concentric bellows to an interface within the model.
Incorporated into the air delivery system is a fast acting
model protection system. The isolation and vent system
can be adjusted for maximum internal pressures that
vary from 400 to 1,200 psig to match the design pressure
limits of any given wind tunnel model. In the event of
an inadvertent pressure spike, the model over-pressure
protection system automatically isolates and vents the
wind tunnel model and provides a command to shut
down and vent the high-pressure air delivery system.
This isolation and venting of the wind tunnel model has
a reaction time of one second or less. The ventilation
valves can also be used to pre-condition the air
temperature of the system, efficiently allowing this
procedure to occur while the wind tunnel is being
brought onto condition.
To verify and validate the air station test envelope, a
standard calibration Dual Aerodynamic Nozzle (DAN)
model was developed. This model uses Stratford
calibration nozzles having known thrust characteristics
mounted to a NACA 0018 symmetrical airfoil structure.
The maximum flow rate for either leg occurs at the
lowest free stream Mach number and highest free stream
static pressure. The internal model pressure was limited
to 1,200 psig, based on the high pressure limit of the air
station piping system. The maximum mass flow rate for
the high mass flow leg was 20 lbm/sec. System
validations and DAN model testing were completed in
December 2010.
Stratford Nozzle Modeling
To validate the new air system for circulation control
model testing, a proof of concept test was performed
using the FASTMAC (Fundamental Aerodynamic
Subsonic Transonic Modular Active Control) model.
This model was designed and developed in conjunction
with the air system design and development. This test
acquired force, moment, and surface pressure data at
both cruise and takeoff/landing speeds for a variety of
conditions using circulation control concepts. It
evaluated a simplified high-lift system comprised of a
blown short-chord hinged flap, and a leading edge slat at
Mach = 0.20 and explored the drag reduction potential of
the blown flap in the stowed cruise position at transonic
speeds up to Mach = 0.88. This FASTMAC test is the
initial installment to develop a public dataset for
evaluating CFD simulation and design codes at flight
Reynolds numbers. Reynolds number effects represent a
key parameter in scaling circulation control concepts to
flight vehicles. The FASTMAC test was completed in
April 2011. The NASA researchers were very happy
with the results obtained and this FASTMAC test has
served as the pathfinder / risk reduction effort for future
testing.
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New Model Support System for JAXA’s 1
m x 1m Supersonic Wind Tunnel
Supersonic Combustor/Afterburner
Facility Testing
Submitted by Scott Meyer
On July 6, 2011, at the High Pressure Lab of the Zucrow
Complex, Adam Trebs with JP Kirkegaard achieved
ignition and sustained combustion for the first time in
the Supersonic Combustor/Afterburner facility. The
facility is designed modularly to facilitate rapid
configuration changes. The initial test campaign will
use this capability to vary the velocity profile
approaching a ramp-type injector as part of a study of
viscous effects within the combustion field downstream
of an axial vortex generator. This study will yield
insights into scramjet combustor scaling and behavior
through flight profile. The combustor entrance flow is
13 lbm/s at Mach 2 at a total temperature of 900F and a
static pressure of 19 psia using a blend of hydrogen and
silane as fuel. The High Pressure Lab’s facilities for
conducting large combustion component tests provides
unique capability for this sort of examination; the facility
has the capacity to generate measurable velocity profiles
varying from much smaller than to larger than the
injector. Adam Trebs is a PhD student under the
tutelage of Professors Stephen Heister and William
Anderson.
Supersonic Combustor/Afterburner Facility Testing
By Shinji Nagai
JAXA replaced the model support system of the 1 m by
1 m blowdown supersonic wind tunnel. The old model
support consisted of a strut heaved by a hydraulic
actuator and a sting pod with a linkage for changing
pitch angle. Skillful workers previously set the roll angle
on the model by tightening 11 M12 bolts of the ring
wedge in the sting pod.
The new model support system is driven by three
electric motors for pitch angle, roll angle, and height,
independently. Since blowdown wind tunnels have a
limited duration time, sweep tests of angle of attack are
usually conducted rather than pitch and pause tests. For
this reason, noises from the operating motors are
suppressed within DC 1 μV and AC 5 μV at the level of
non amplified signals.
The old taper joint stings were abandoned and replaced
to flange joint stings. It becomes easier to attach and
detach the sting between high Mach number tests
accompanied by large starting/stopping loads. The
model support is designed to withstand both 3 tons of
normal force and 1.5 tons of side force at the center of
the side window of the test section.
The ranges of pitch and roll angle are ±15 and ±185
degrees, respectively. The three servo motors and a
harmonic drive speed reducer give us precise control of
model attitude. Control accuracies in pitch and roll
angle are 0.03 and 0.1 degree, respectively. Pitch angle
is directly measured by an arc shape linear encoder
inside the strut with an accuracy of 0.01 degree.
By combination of pitch and roll angle motion, it
becomes possible to conduct sweep tests of angle of
attack with constant side slip angles. The rotation center
of pitch angle motion is also easily programmed by
combination of heaving motion. A unique uncertainty
identification method is proposed by changing model
height because uncertainty of supersonic wind tunnel
testing is dominated by the tunnel flow uniformity, as
shown in the JA article: Shinji Nagai and Hidetoshi
Iijima, “Uncertainty Identification of Supersonic Wind
Tunnel Testing,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 48, No.2,
2011, pp.567-577.
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NASA Ames Mitsubishi Restoration Project The figure shows the model support cart, which was
moved 2 m downstream from the tunnel running position
in order to fit the model. By replacement of the
hydraulic power to electric power, maintenance time and
effort, and above all, work safety are drastically
improved.
The New Model Support System of the JAXA 1m x 1m
Supersonic Wind Tunnel
Submitted by Steven Buchholz
In the spring of 2009, funding to NASA’s Aeronautics
Test Program (ATP) became available through the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
NASA Ames proposed using these funds for a project to
provide new Make Up Air (MUA) pumping capability at
the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnels (UPWT).
The MUA supports operations of the UPWT that went
into service in 1955 and originally comprised 3 tunnels
circuits: 11x11 Ft Transonic, and 9x7 Ft and 8x7 Ft
Supersonic. All three tunnels are variable Mach and
pressure facilities.
The existing MUA consists of a 15,000 HP motor, Clark
Brothers 2-stage Compressor and Farrel Gearbox. The
drive motor was salvaged from the Ames 16 Ft tunnel
and originally went into service December 3, 1941. It
has never been rewound but the stator was re-wedged
entirely in 1996. Major components are no longer
available and replacement parts need to be
manufactured. The equipment is decades past their
design life yet still run 2 shifts/day. This is a single
point failure waiting to happen.
A trade study was completed by Jacobs Engineering to
determine the best option for improving the MUA
pumping capability. The three options included the
following:
Move the existing Mitsubishi Heavy Industry (MHI)
compressor that was installed as part of the 12-Foot
Restoration Project in 1994. This compressor had been
sitting idle for three years, since December of 2006,
when an arc flash in the substation damaged the power
cables to the 12–Foot. The MHI was disabled and sat
idle for a significant period of time but had less than
2,000 hours of operation.
Purchase a new compressor identical to the MHI and
install it at the UPWT site.
Activate the MHI in place, run it remotely, and utilize an
existing 36-inch tie line between the 12-Foot and
Unitary MUA.
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Upgrade to the High Pressure Air System
for Jet Simulation Testing at the LaRC
UPWT
Due to cost and risk factors, the 3rd option was selected.
Specifically, restore and reactivate the MHI in place to
support UPWT operations performance specifications
drafted to meet all the original design criteria for the 12-
Foot at an initial cost estimate of $15M. The budgeted
funding from ATP was $9M.
The project defined nine work packages that need to be
addressed by the reactivation project. They were as
follows: Restore electrical power by running new cables
from National Full Scale Complex (NFAC) substation to
the 12-foot. Restore the MUA tie line between the
Unitary valve yard and the 12-Foot MUA. Determine
the health of the MHI compressor and its subsystems
and restore them to operating conditions. Update the
control system so it is compatible with the existing
Unitary Distributed Control System (DCS) and can be
networked with the Unitary Auxiliaries DCS. Update
the capacity of the MUA dryer system to meet the
moisture requirements for supersonic airflow and
improved cycle time. Restore the cooling tower to
return the system to service the MHI. Check and
calibrate the existing equipment health monitoring
sensors and electronics and restore the system
monitoring and shutdown functions. Make required
modifications and construct piping and valves to connect
the MUA tie line to the Unitary piping. Complete an
initial compressor performance test to assess the
condition of the MHI once power has been restored.
Since the machinery was nonoperational for three years,
there was a Pandora’s Box of surprises in store for the
restoration crew. The first major issue was 10 inches of
standing water found in the inlet. After disassembling
the compressor inlet piping, the project team found
severe corrosion on the bell housing and aluminum first
stage. Also there was extensive impact damage to the
leading edge of the impeller. With these revelations, the
initial performance test could not be completed.
Additionally, only three of the nine electrical feeds were
still good. More water was found in the compressor
bearing lubrication system oil tank. The control system
hard drive failed along with the process logic control to
reload the program and was too old to repair.
The damage to the impeller wasn’t as severe as
originally anticipated. It could be repaired in place so it
did not require Mitsubishi to repair or replace the
original. The inlet house was completely rebuilt with a
sloped roof to shed rain and a heater to prevent
condensation. All electrical feeds were replaced and
new power cables were laid from the National Full Scale
Facility substation to the MHI. The control system had
to be completely rebuilt to bring it up to the current
operating system in the UPWT.
The work packages now are complete. The entire
system is currently going through subsystem checkout in
preparation for Integrated System Test (IST). The MHI
is expected to be fully operation by September of this
year. It will be used to augment and/or replace the
current Unitary MUA pumping capabilities and
potentially improve efficiency of operations at the
UPWT.
Mitsubishi Compressor
Regeneration Air Dryer
Issue No. 32 Summer 2011
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Upgrade to the High Pressure Air System
for Jet Simulation Testing at the LaRC
UPWT
Validation of SLI’s Fuel Cell Powered UUV
Section at Sierra Lobo Test Facility (SLTF)
Submitted by Jerome Kegelman
The NASA Langley Research Center Unitary Plan Wind
Tunnel (UPWT) is a closed-circuit, continuous flow,
variable pressure, supersonic tunnel with two test
sections that are nominally 4-ft by 4-ft and 7 feet in
length. The high pressure air system (HPA) used for jet
simulation testing has recently been upgraded in test
section 2 (Mach number range of 2.36 to 4.63) to
provide higher pressures, temperatures, and increased
mass flow compared to the previous system. The HPA
system was designed to supply high pressure air to
models at the following conditions:
50 psia to 3800 psia
75°F to 275°F
0.02 lbm/s to 30 lbm/s
The HPA system is currently undergoing tests to
determine its operating map. Since inception, it has
already been used for a few research test programs. An
example photograph from one of the tests shows the
Supersonic Retro-Propulsion model installed in the test
section. This test program was reported on in the
following reference.
Berry, S. A., et.al., Supersonic Retro-Propulsion
Experimental Results from the NASA Langley
Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel,” AIAA Paper 2011 –
3489, June 2011
Jet Simulation Testing
By Steve Grasl
Sierra Lobo, Inc. (SLI) in Milan, OH, has completed its
validation of a fuel cell powered Unmanned Underwater
Vehicle section for future naval capabilities for the
Office of Naval Research in its Liquid Hydrogen and
Liquid Oxygen test area (SLTF). The power section
system was designed and fabricated by Sierra Lobo
engineers. The SLTF was also used to flight qualify
Sierra Lobo’s Cryo-Tracker® System with liquid
hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The SLTF will be used
later this year to continue development of Sierra Lobo’s
Thermoacoustic Stirling Heat Engine (TASHE) for the
Densified Propellant Management System (DPMS™)
and for a Venus lander power and cooling duplex
demonstrator.
Other recent tests include liquid hydrogen internal
combustion engine truck testing for the U.S. Army,
Cryocooler testing for the AFRL, and a pressure
reduction system blow down test intended to simulate a
Roll Control System (RCS) similar in concept to what
was planned for the Ascent Abort Crew Module (CM)
on the Orion spacecraft for NASA Glenn Research
Center.
For further information, contact Tony Skaff at
Fuel Cell UUV Testing
Issue No. 32 Summer 2011
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Liquid Hydrogen Gauging Tests
Successfully Completed
Multilayer Insulation/Broad Area Cooling
(MLI/BAC) Shield Venting Test Readiness
Review Completed
Submitted by Helmut Bamberger
A series of liquid hydrogen tests of two propellant
gauging technologies were successfully conducted from
April 18-29, 2011, at the NASA GRC Creek Road
cryogenic test facility known as Small Multi-Purpose
Research Facility. The gauges tested were the Radio
Frequency Mass Gauge (RFMG) and the Pressure-
Volume-Temperature (PVT) gauge. Both gauges are
being developed in-house as potential technologies for
measuring the quantity of cryogenic propellant in tanks
while in low-gravity. The tests were conducted using a
54" diameter spherical aluminum flight weight tank
suspended inside a large vacuum chamber as the test
article. This was the first set of liquid hydrogen tests at
the facility since relocating to Creek Road, and
represented a milestone achievement in itself. Four
separate liquid hydrogen fill and drain cycles were
completed, and both the RFMG and PVT technologies
were tested in parallel. A quick look at the test data
showed excellent results, which will be more thoroughly
analyzed over the next few months. Funding and support
for these tests is provided by the NASA Enabling
Technology Development and Demonstration program,
through the Cryogenic Fluid Management project.
Liquid Hydrogen Gauging Test Configuration
Submitted by Helmut Bamberger
As the environmental pressure decreases to space
vacuum during a launch vehicle’s ascent, adequate
venting of the interlayer space of the MLI system on a
cryogenic propellant tank will be important to quickly
achieve maximum insulation performance on orbit. The
presence of a BAC shield within the MLI blanket may
influence the venting of the interstitial gas in the MLI,
and the shield may itself experience flexing which could
compromise its performance. A test program is planned
at the Creek Road Cryogenic Complex Small Multi-
Purpose Research Facility (SMiRF) to investigate the
structural issues related to venting of an integrated
BAC/MLI system. Test hardware is in the final stages
of build up, and the SMiRF has been modified for the
test with the inclusion of a new pump down throttling
valve added to the vacuum train. A test readiness review
was held on June 29, 2011, to review the facility and
hardware status. Reviewers had several minor
comments which will be incorporated into the test.
Check out and test operations are planned to begin in the
next several weeks. Test results will provide insight into
structural issues associated with venting an integrated
MLI/BAC system, and will provide guidance into future
testing. This work is supported by the Cryogenic
Propellant Storage and Transfer project under the
Exploration Technology Development and
Demonstration Program.
MLI/BAC Configuration
Issue No. 32 Summer 2011
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Membership Activities
2011 AIAA Ground Test Award
Plum Brook Station’s B-2 Facility
Completes C.R.E.S.T. Testing
Submitted by Victor Canacci
The Plum Brook Station B-2 chamber is the 3rd largest
in NASA’s inventory and the only chamber in the world
capable of producing on-orbit conditions while
supporting engine testing for upper stage vehicles. The
facility recently completed testing of the Cosmic Ray
Electron Synchrotron Telescope (C.R.E.S.T.)
C.R.E.S.T. is a combined effort between Indiana,
Chicago, Michigan, Minnesota, Northern Kentucky, and
Penn State Universities designed to measure flux of
primary cosmic ray electrons greater than 1 Tera
electron-volts (TeV). The instrumentation package will
be flown via balloon over Antarctica for six weeks
starting in December of 2011. Testing consisted of
achieving environmental conditions in the chamber of a
vacuum level of 3 Torr, -32 deg C and a 22 degree
incident sun angle. Initial testing indentified a number
of test article anomalies that could have resulted in
failure of the project. These anomalies were corrected
and the test article retested successfully.
C.R.E.S.T. Test Article
B-2 Vacuum Chamber
Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Orlando, Florida
The 49th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting was held
in Orlando, FL, January 4-7, 2011, at the Orlando World
Center Marriott in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The AIAA
Ground Test Technical Committee (GTTC) conducted a
series of sessions and a full slate of meetings and related
activities as a part of this conference. The ground test
sessions consisted of 11 sessions and a total of 34
papers. The GTTC hosted one panel session and four
joint sessions with other technical committees. A total
of 15 meetings were held to conduct the business of the
GTTC during the course of this conference.
Issue No. 32 Summer 2011
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The AIAA Ground Test Committee
Congratulates the Outstanding and Best
Paper Award Winners for 2010 - 2011
2011 AIAA Ground Test Award
2011 AIAA Ground Testing Best Paper
Award
2011 AIAA Ground Test Award presented to:
Dr. Michael S. Holden
The GTTC is pleased to present the American Institute
of Aeronautics and Astronautics Ground Testing Award
for 2011 to:
Dr. Michael S. Holden
Vice President, Hypersonics
CUBRC
Buffalo, NY
“For unique contributions in the development and
construction of hypervelocity ground test facilities and
their application to experimental research over a wide
range of problems in hypersonic flow.”
The award will be presented on 3 August 2011 at the
Awards Luncheon during the 47th
AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion conference
being held 31 July - 3 August 2011 in San Diego, CA.
Congratulations Dr. Holden!
The Ground Test Award is given to an individual or
team that has made significant contributions to the field
of ground testing in the aerodynamic and propulsion
disciplines during their careers. Recipients are selected
based on several criteria including: excellence in
technical or managerial ground testing, participation in
professional societies, authoring publications and papers,
and teaching or mentoring activities. Nominations for
the 2012 Ground Test Award close on October 1, 2011.
Simply login to your AIAA account at
http://www.aiaa.org and click “Honors and Awards” to
start a new nomination for the Ground Test Award.
Please contact Joe Norris ([email protected]) for
more information.
The AIAA Ground Testing Technical Committee
annually recognizes several papers from both the
summer and winter GTTC-sponsored conferences. The
GTTC hosts paper sessions in the winter at the AIAA
Aerospace Sciences Meeting and in the summer either at
the Joint Propulsion Conference or Aerodynamics
Measurement and Ground Testing Conference. These
“Outstanding Papers” are reviewed each spring to select
one “Best Paper” for the entire year. The recipient of the
Best Paper Award is recognized during the AIAA
awards luncheon held at the summer conference.
Richard DeLoach and John Micol
of the NASA Langley Research Center
The AIAA Ground Testing Technical Committee is
proud to recognize Richard DeLoach and John Micol of
the NASA Langley Research Center for winning the
2011 AIAA Ground Testing Best Paper Award.
The authors will be recognized at the awards luncheon
on 3 August 2011 during the 47th
AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion conference
in San Diego, CA. The title of their technical paper is
"Comparison of Resource Requirements for a Wind
Tunnel Test Designed with Conventional vs. Modern
Design of Experiments Methods," AIAA Paper 2011-
1260. Congratulations!
The AIAA Ground Testing Best Paper Award is given
annually to acknowledge authors of exceptional
technical papers that have been presented in GTTC
hosted AIAA conference sessions. The GTTC hosts
sessions in the winter at the AIAA Aerospace Sciences
Meeting and in the summer either at the Joint Propulsion
Conference or Aerodynamics Measurement and Ground
Testing Conference.
Issue No. 32 Summer 2011
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2010 – 2011 AIAA Ground Testing
Outstanding Papers
Calendar of Events
Image Based Measurement Techniques of Increased
Complexity for Industrial Propeller Flow
Investigations
Eric W.M. Roosenboom and Andreas Schröder DLR, German Aerospace Center, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
27th AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement Technology and
Ground Testing Conference
28 June – 1 July 2010
Chicago, IL
An experimental comparison of different load tables
for balance calibration
Raymond Bergmann and Iwan Philipsen Instrumentation and Controls Department, German-Dutch
Wind Tunnels, Emmeloord, The Netherlands
27th AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement Technology and
Ground Testing Conference
28 June – 1 July 2010
Chicago, IL
New Topics in Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman
Scattering Gas-Phase Diagnostics: Femtosecond
Rotational CARS and Electric-Field Measurements
Sean P. Kearney and Justin R. Serrano Engineering Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories,
Albuquerque, NM 87185
Walter R. Lempert
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State
University, Columbus, OH 43202 Edward V. Barnat
Physical, Chemical and Nano Sciences Center, Sandia
National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185
27th AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement Technology and
Ground Testing Conference
28 June – 1 July 2010
Chicago, IL
Comparison of Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint
Measurement Techniques Shuo Fang, Samuel R. Long, Kevin J. Disotell, and
James W. Gregory
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210
Frank C. Semmelmayer and Robert W. Guyton Air Vehicles Directorate, US Air Force Research Laboratory,
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, 45433
27th AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement Technology and
Ground Testing Conference
28 June – 1 July 2010
Chicago, IL
Comparative Measurements of Earth and Martian
Entry Environments in the NASA Langley HYMETS
Facility
Scott C. Splinter, Kim S. Bey, and Jeffrey G. Gragg NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681
Amy Brewer Analytical Services and Materials Inc., Hampton, VA 23666
49th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting
including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition
4 - 7 January 2011
Orlando, Florida
A Comparison of the Measured and Computed Skin
Friction Distribution on the Common Research
Model
Gregory G. Zilliac, Thomas H. Pulliam, Henry Lee,
Maureen Delgado and Nettie Halcomb NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035
Melissa B. Rivers NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681
Jordan Zerr Wichita State University, Wichita, KS 67260
49th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting
including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition
4 - 7 January 2011
Orlando, Florida
Comparison of Resource Requirements for a Wind
Tunnel Test Designed with Conventional vs. Modern
Design of Experiments Methods
Richard DeLoach and John R. Micol NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, 23681
49th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting
including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition
4 - 7 January 2011
Orlando, Florida
2012
Jan 9-12: 50th
AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and
Exhibit, Nashville, TN
June 25-28: 42nd
AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference
and Exhibit, New Orleans, LA
Issue No. 32 Summer 2011
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Jennifer Allred NASA White Sands 575-524-5316 [email protected]
Wendell Baker Lockheed Martin Aeronautics 817-777-8781 [email protected]
Dale Belter Boeing 206-662-7355 [email protected]
Raymond Bergmann DNW 31 527 24 8532 [email protected]
Guy Boyet ONERA +33-1-46-73-41-14 [email protected]
Steven Buchholz NASA Ames Research Center (650) 604-3519 [email protected]
Victor Canacci Jacobs Sverdrup, GRC 216-433-6222 [email protected]
Ray Castner NASA Glenn Research Center 216-433-5657 [email protected]
Bradley Crawford NASA Langley Research Center 757-864-4549 [email protected]
Bradley DeBlauw UIUC (815) 871-2785 [email protected]
Steven Dunn Jacobs Technology, Inc., ROME Group 757-864-1116 [email protected]
Daniel Ehrlich The Aerospace Corporation 310-336-9249 [email protected]
Amber Favaregh ViGYAN, Inc. 757-864-9397 [email protected]
Sivaram Gogineni Spectral Energies 937-266-9570 [email protected]
Robert Guyton AFRL/RBAX 937-255-4201 [email protected]
Joan Hoopes Orbital Technologies Corporation 608-229-2773 [email protected]
Jerry Kegelman NASA Langley Research Center 757-864-8022 [email protected] Ahmad Farid Khorrami California Institute of Technology 626-395-4795 [email protected]
Konstantinos Kontis The University of Manchester 44-161-3065751 [email protected]
Oliver Leembruggen Jacobs - WPAFB 937-255-2691 [email protected]
Frank Lu UT - Arlington 817-272-2083 [email protected]
Stewart Lumb Boeing Huntington Beach 714-421-1724 [email protected]
Ed Marquart Raytheon Missile Systems 520-545-7879 [email protected]
Bryon Maynard NASA Stennis Space Center 228-688-2619 [email protected]
Scott Meyer Purdue University 765-496-1772 [email protected]
Banjamin Mills Aerospace Testing Alliance, AEDC (931) 454-3345 [email protected]
King Molder McKinley Climatic Lab, Eglin AFB 850-882-4383 [email protected]
Shinji Nagai Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency 81-50-3362-5144 [email protected]
Joseph Norris AEDC White Oak 301-394-6430 [email protected]
Roman Paryz NASA Langley 757-864-7576 [email protected]
Joe Patrick Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. 770-494-4158 [email protected]
Ray Rhew NASA Langley 757-864-4705 [email protected]
Dieter Schimanski ETW +49-2203-609154 [email protected]
Stephanie Simerly NASA Glenn Research Center (216) 433-6772 [email protected]
Tony Skaff Sierra Lobo Inc 419-499-9653 ext 103 [email protected]
Justin Smith Sandia National Laboratories 505-845-1134 [email protected]
Johannes van Aken Jacobs Technology, Inc. 650-604-6668 [email protected]
David Van Every Aiolos 416-674-3017 x248 [email protected]
Doyle Veazey ATA 931-454-6704 [email protected]
Vincenzo Verrelli Alliant Tech Systems, GASL, (631) 737-6100 [email protected]
Thomas Wayman Gulfstream Aerospace 912-965-6787 [email protected]
Julien Weiss University of Quebec +1 (514) 396-8886 [email protected]
Eugene Richard White ViGYAN, Inc. 757-865-1400 x202 [email protected]
Curtis Wilson US-Army ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal 973-724-5862 [email protected]
David Wishart Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Space Propulsion 561-796-8438 [email protected]
Michael Wrenn ATA 931-454-7261 [email protected]
GTTC Officers
Chair: Joe Patrick Vice Chair: Ray Castner Secretary: Steve Dunn
AIAA Ground Test Technical Committee Membership