Experimental investigations on hull-fin interferences of the LOTTE airship

In the present paper experimental aerodynamic investigations on an airship configuration at angle of attack with special emphasis on the hull-fin region are reported. In particular, visualizations of flow phenomena on both hull and fins are studied. Quantitative measurements of the integral force and moment characteristics as well as local pressure coefficients serve to establish a data pool for code validation.     

Improvement of forebody/inlet integration for hypersonic vehicle

Results of a numerical (CFD) study of the influence of the forebody shape on local flow parameters at a bottom-mounted inlet entrance are presented. The free-stream Mach number is assumed to be 3.5–7.0. Some recommendations on forebody shape optimization are provided. Main characteristics of the air inlet are evaluated.     

Simulation of streamwise vortices at the flaps of re-entry vehicles

The present study investigates separated flows in the flap region of the X-38 re-entry demonstrator with respect to the heat loads downstream reattachment induced by streamwise vortices. In a first step generic numerical flow simulations of turbulent ramp configurations with artificially induced vortex disturbances are compared with wind tunnel data of the Ludwieg tube facility in Göttingen (RWG). The results allow insight into the perturbed flow field, the associated flow topology and the influence of different flow parameters that affect the perturbations. For numerical resolution of streamwise vortices in the boundary layer of re-entry vehicles local grids are generated around the flaps of the X-38 vehicle. Extensive studies of arranging and refining the local grids demonstrate good grid convergence. For laminar cases and cases with fixed transition vortex effects on the heat transfer are observed with and without artificial vortex excitation.

Zusammenfassung

Ziel der vorgelegten Studie ist die Untersuchung abgelöster Strömungen im Klappenbereich des X-38 Wiedereintrittsdemonstrators hinsichtlich der durch Längswirbel entstehenden thermischen Belastungen stromab der Anlegelinie. Im ersten Schritt werden turbulente generische Rampenkonfiguratiorien mit künstlich induzierten Wirbelstörungen mit Windkanaldaten des Ludwierohrkanals in Göttingen (RWG) verglichen. Die Ergebnisse erlauben einen Einblick in die Störströmung, der zugehörige Strömungstopologie und der Einflüsse verschiedener Parametervariationen auf die Störströmung. Zur numerischen Auflösung der Längswirbel in der Grenzschicht von Wiedereintrittsvehikeln wurden lokale Netze um die X-38 Klappen generiert. Ausführliche numerische Studien nach Umordnung und Verfeinerung der lokalen Netze zeigen eine gute Netzkonvergenz der Ergebnisse. In laminaren Fällen und solchen mit fester Transition wurden Wirbeleinflüsse auf den Wärmestrom mit und ohne künstliche Wirbelanregung beobachtet.     

Depeaking – economic optimization of air traffic systems

More than half of all flights in and out of Frankfurt International Airport are conducted by Lufthansa airlines, as it is one of their two major hubs. The so called hub and spokes systems allow airlines to bundle major passenger flows via connecting flights across the in- and outbound traffic. The reliability of these transfer connections, and specifically the arrival punctuality at the hub airports are crucial to the economics of the daily operation.Since Frankfurt International Airport has lately been one of the most congested airports in Europe, delays (in particular arrival delays) have increased quite significantly throughout the last years. To compensate for additional queueing time in the arrival processes, the scheduled block times inbound Frankfurt were continuously adjusted upwardly keeping the arrival punctuality (and thereby the connection reliability) close to stable. The two disadvantages of this approach have been the decrease in aircraft productivity and over-deliveries in peak hours, which in turn induce either additional block time delay or ground delay programs inbound Frankfurt.This paper introduces an iterative stochastic-simulation approach that models the vicious circle of lengthening block times and increased over-deliveries. In a second step it quantifies the operational and economical effects of depeaking the schedule and illustrates the overall growth potentials for the depeaked operation of the airport. The schedule was successfully implemented in Frankfurt in summer 2004.     

Calculation of the transonic dip of airfoils using viscous-inviscid aerodynamic interaction method

A numerical procedure for the calculation of the transonic dip of airfoils in the time domain is presented. A viscous-inviscid aerodynamic interaction method is taken to calculate the unsteady aerodynamic loads. In the present case the integral boundary layer equations are coupled with the Transonic Small Disturbance (TSD) Potential Equation. The coupling between structural motion and aerodynamic loads is carried out using State Space equation. It is solved by State Transition Matrix technique. Results are presented for NACA 64A010 and NLR 7301 airfoils with structural data from Isogai and DLR, respectively. Comparisons show good agreement with other numerical results. Certain deviations of experimental data taken from literature need more insight in the detailed test conditions.     

Modelling and design of wing tip devices at various flight conditions using a databased aerodynamic prediction tool

A design study of wing tip devices at high and low speeds is described. The basis of the design study is an equivalent drag approach containing both aerodynamic drag gain and structural weight penalty. A comprehensive parameter study is carried out using a rapid aerodynamic prediction tool named Lift and Drag Component Analysis (LIDCA). Adding to an available lifting-line method a databased module for airfoil data is employed that uses results of two-dimensional flow simulations by multidimensional interpolation. Detailed validation studies of the method at high lift and high speed have demonstrated good accuracy. RANS computations of the selected wing tip designs confirm the predicted benefits at cruise condition. The results of the most effective wing tip designs are analysed at both flight conditions. Finally, options for improving the performance at take-off are suggested.     

Euler computation of the nearfield wake vortex of an aircraft in take-off configuration

Numerical simulations based on the three-dimensional Euler equations are used to investigate the predictive capability of an Euler code for calculations of the nearfield wake of a narrow-body airliner wind tunnel model in take-off configuration up to a half span behind the wing tip trailing edge. Simulation results on both structured and unstructured grids are presented. The results on the block-structured grid were obtained within the scope of the EU-project EUROWAKE. The simulation quality of the vortex formation and spatial development is analysed by comparison to wind tunnel measurements of the spanwise lift distribution available from the EU-project DUPRIN II and to experimental PIV data available from the EU-project EUROWAKE.     

Critical wake vortex encounter scenarios

A simulation-based method was developed to investigate the severity of Wake Vortex Encounters (WVEs). This paper describes an important part of this method: the determination of worst-case WVE conditions, which is referred to as Worst-Case Search (WCS). The WCS results permit to reduce time and costs of WVE severity related piloted simulator tests and allow the comparison of the hazard that vortices of different generator aircraft exert on a follower aircraft.The WCS is based on a high fidelity, offline simulation of the follower aircraft that includes the interacting wake vortex, a hazard criterion that rates the severity of each WVE, and a pilot model. It can be formulated as an optimisation problem that is solved with the optimisation tool MOPS (Multi Objective Parameter Synthesis). MOPS varies the encounter geometry until the simulation yields maximum values of the WVE hazard criterion.Worst-case encounter conditions for different parameters were investigated and sensitivity studies performed. The influence of the height above ground, the core radius, and the models for the wake vortex velocity profiles on the severity of a WVE was examined. To show the capability of the method, a comparison of the severity of a WVE behind two different heavy transport aircraft for a 20 t aircraft was made. The WCS method demonstrated its applicability and delivered the worst-case encounter geometry.

Zusammenfassung

Zur Untersuchung der Heftigkeit von Wirbelschleppen wurde eine simulationsbasierte Methode entwickelt. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt einen wichtigen Bestandteil dieser Methode: die Bestimmung der ungünstigsten (worst case) Einflugbedingungen in die Wirbelschleppe. Die Kenntnis dieser Bedingungen gestattet eine Zeit- und Kostenreduzierung bei wirbelschleppenbezogenen Simulatorversuchen mit Piloten und ermöglicht gleichzeitig einen Vergleich der vom Wirbel ausgehgehenden Gefährdung für verschiedene Kombinationen voraus- und einfliegender Flugzeuge.Die Worst-Case-Bedingungen werden mit einer Offline-Simulation des Folgeflugzeugs bestimmt, die Modelle für die Wechselwirkung mit der Wirbelschleppe und für das Pilotenverhalten sowie Kriterien für die Gefährdung durch den Wirbel umfasst. Für die Steuerung der Simulation und die Worst-Case-Suche wird die Optimierungssoftware MOPS (Multi Objective Parameter Synthesis) verwendet. MOPS variiert die Geometrie des Wirbelschleppendurchflugs bis die Simulation die maximalen Kriterienwerte für die Gefährdung durch den Wirbel liefert.Die Worst-Case-Bedingungen wurden für unterschiedliche Parameter untersucht. Der Einfluss der Höhe über Grund, des Kernradius' und der unterschiedlichen Modelle für das Wirbelgeschwindigkeitsprofil auf die von den Wirbelschleppen ausgehenden Gefährdung wurde dabei ermittelt. Um die Leistungsfähigkeit der Methode zu demonstrieren, wurde die Gefährdung von Wirbelschleppen zweier generierender Flugzeuge (heavy class) auf ein nachfolgendes 20 t Transportflugzeug verglichen. Die Anwendbarkeit der Methode wurde bestätigt und die ungünstigsten Einflugbedingungen berechnet.     

A rendezvous navigation algorithm for orbit determination, based on visual measurements by space vehicle crew members

At present, various radio navigation systems are employed during the automated approach of a transport vehicle to a space station. Experience has shown that emergency situations can occur in which it is necessary to revert to manual override of the automatic approach.Such situations have indeed occurred during flight operations of the space station Mir. The crews of the transport vehicles and the Mir used manual steering more than 30 times for successful docking, and four times for approach to the station.Successful manual steering demands absolute understanding of the relative orbit parameters. The decisive task of the crew is to determine these relative parameters. This is possible using visual observations from either the transport vehicle or the station using simple and reliable instruments. This article explains the algorithm for determining the relative orbits from visual crew observations, based on similarities of relative orbit families.     

Fuel mass penalty due to generators and fuel cells as energy source of the all-electric aircraft

The paper presents the results of an assessment of the fuel mass penalty due to generators and fuel cell systems. Based on the simulation tool SysFuel, fuel mass penalties for different mission ranges and fuel cell architectures are calculated and compared to a conventional reference architecture. Different fuel cell architectures using ram air or cabin exhaust air and different options of energy recovery are considered. As a result of the studies, target values are presented for the mass to power ratio of fuel cell systems to achieve fuel mass reductions compared to conventional generator and auxiliary power unit systems.