A short history of the European Transonic Wind Tunnel ETW

This paper is written as a contribution to the celebration of 50 years of Progress in Aerospace Sciences and of the centenary of the birth of its founder, Dietrich Küchemann. It reviews the evolution of the European Transonic Wind Tunnel, ETW, from early conceptual studies to its entry into service and its current capabilities and achievements. It traces the development, from the earliest days, of experimental aerodynamics and of the basic aerodynamic understanding that gave rise to the main periods of wind tunnel building before and after World War II. By about 1960, this activity appeared to have come to a natural halt. The paper gives an account of the role of Küchemann in arguing the need in 1968 for a further step in wind tunnel capability, to provide transonic testing at high Reynolds numbers. It describes his leading role in gaining acceptance of the concept, formulating the specification and promoting studies of alternative, radical design options for the co-operative European project that became ETW. The progress of ETW through design, construction, commissioning and into full operation is recorded. The paper discusses the many technical innovations that have been introduced in order to meet customer requirements in the challenging field of aerodynamic testing in a cryogenic environment and, finally, looks to the future and the further technical challenges that it holds.     

风力机远尾流的计算研究

基于工程上广泛使用的Park模型构造了一种新的远场尾流计算模型,同时又提出了一种CFD与制动盘理论相结合的方法对单个风力机远尾迹区的流动状况进行了数值模拟.新的尾流计算模型是由一维Park模型进行三角函数修正得到的,CFD方法是结合制动盘理论使用FLUENT提供的Fan边界数值求解整个尾流流场.给出了单台风力机尾流中风轮中心的轴向速度分布以及风力机下游不同位置处的径向速度分布,并与风洞实验结果以及Park模型的计算结果进行分析对比,表明本文的两种计算方法都能够较好地捕捉尾流的流场特性.由于新的远场尾流计算模型较之原Park模型能够更准确地反映径向尾流分布,且计算量非常小,因此可作为工程开发的有效工具.制动盘理论结合CFD的方法也能够在计算量相对较小的情况下,准确的反映远尾流的流场信息,这两种方法都可为风场微观选址和风力机排布提供参考依据.     

雷暴冲击风荷载的大涡模拟

雷暴冲击风具有同常规的大气边界层风完全不同的风场特征.为研究雷暴冲击风场中建筑物的风荷载,采用大涡模拟(LES)方法对方形截面高层建筑进行了雷暴冲击风场数值模拟,获得了高层建筑在雷暴冲击风作用下的风荷载参数.同时,对雷暴冲击风场进行了数值模拟,所得结果与理论结果吻合良好,验证了方法的可靠性.     

基于光固化快速成型技术的测压风洞模型孔道制造与性能评价

传统金属加工制造测压风洞模型存在难度大、周期长、成本高的问题,利用光固化快速成型技术,可以实现测压风洞模型气动外形-内部孔道的一体化成型制造.设计制作了不同孔径、长度的孔道结构模型,对孔道成型质量和孔道结构参数之间以及孔道半径与设计半径之间的关系进行了研究,并对孔道的气密性以及通气性进行了验证.研究得出了可成型的测压模...     

基于线性模型的风电场发电量计算与分析

针对相对平坦地形,采用线性化流体方程描述流场,并根据大气边界层特性进一步简化计算方法,即利用所谓地形影响系数快速求解感兴趣点(一般为风机位置)的流动速度;针对尾流影响,采用工程上广泛使用的修正Park模型来求解,尾流线性叠加并忽略较弱的尾流影响。文中介绍了一个已建典型海滨风电场的装机规模、地表粗糙度以及测风情况,并以此风电场为算例采用不同测风数据进行发电量计算,预测结果与实际发电量较好地吻合。最后探索了算例风电场各风机发电量不均衡原因,提出地形图大小对风场模拟准确性的影响,并从工程设计角度提出具体意见。     

Large geomagnetic storms of extreme solar event periods in solar cycle 23

During extreme solar events such as big flares or/and energetic coronal mass ejections (CMEs) high energy particles are accelerated by the shocks formed in front of fast interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs). The ICMEs (and their sheaths) also give rise to large geomagnetic storms which have significant effects on the Earth’s environment and human life. Around 14 solar cosmic ray ground level enhancement (GLE) events in solar cycle 23 we examined the cosmic ray variation, solar wind speed, ions density, interplanetary magnetic field, and geomagnetic disturbance storm time index (D_st). We found that all but one of GLEs are always followed by a geomagnetic storm with D_st  −50 nT within 1–5 days later. Most(10/14) geomagnetic storms have D_st index  −100  nT therefore generally belong to strong geomagnetic storms. This suggests that GLE event prediction of geomagnetic storms is 93% for moderate storms and 71% for large storms when geomagnetic storms preceded by GLEs. All D_st depressions are associated with cosmic ray decreases which occur nearly simultaneously with geomagnetic storms. We also investigated the interplanetary plasma features. Most geomagnetic storm correspond significant periods of southward B_z and in close to 80% of the cases that the B_z was first northward then turning southward after storm sudden commencement (SSC). Plasma flow speed, ion number density and interplanetary plasma temperature near 1 AU also have a peak at interplanetary shock arrival. Solar cause and energetic particle signatures of large geomagnetic storms and a possible prediction scheme are discussed.     

The Solar Wind and the Sun in the Past

Exposure to the solar wind can have significant long term consequences for planetary atmospheres, especially for planets such as Mars that are not protected by global magnetospheres. Estimating the effects of solar wind exposure requires knowledge of the history of the solar wind. Much of what we know about the Sun’s past behavior is based on inferences from observations of young solar-like stars. Stellar analogs of the weak solar wind cannot be detected directly, but the interaction regions between these winds and the interstellar medium have been detected and used to estimate wind properties. I here review these observations, with emphasis on what they suggest about the history of the solar wind.     

On the Radial Evolution of Alfvénic Turbulence in the Solar Wind

The observations at different solar distances and latitudes, collected in the past three decades, and the results obtained from more and more sophisticated numerical simulations allowed us to reach a good understanding on many aspects of the complex phenomenon of solar wind turbulence. Moreover, new interesting insights in the theory of turbulence have been obtained, in the past decade, from the point of view that considers a turbulent flow as a complex system, where chaotic behavior and well-established scaling laws coexist. This review aims to provide a quick overview on the state of art in this research field with particular focus on local generation mechanisms.     

On the Differences in Composition between Solar Energetic Particles and Solar Wind

Although the average composition of solar energetic particles (SEPs) and the bulk solar wind are similar in a number of ways, there are key differences which imply that solar wind is not the principal seed population for SEPs accelerated by coronal mass ejection (CME) driven shocks. This paper reviews these composition differences and considers the composition of other possible seed populations, including coronal material, impulsive flare material, and interplanetary CME material.     

VHE Gamma-ray supernova remnants

Increasing observational evidence gathered especially in X-rays and γ-rays during the course of the last few years support the notion that Supernova remnants (SNRs) are Galactic particle accelerators up to energies close to the “knee” in the energy spectrum of Cosmic rays. This review summarises the current status of γ-ray observations of SNRs. Shell-type as well as plerionic type SNRs are addressed and prospect for observations of these two source classes with the upcoming GLAST satellite in the energy regime above 100 MeV are given.