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Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics

Air Force Institute of Technology

Drag (Aerodynamics)

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

A Wind Tunnel Investigation Of Joined Wing Scissor Morphing, Christopher C. Dike Jun 2006

A Wind Tunnel Investigation Of Joined Wing Scissor Morphing, Christopher C. Dike

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Research Laboratory's Munitions Directorate has been looking to extend the range of its small smart bomb. Corneille [6] has conducted tests to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of joined wings on a missile and determine if joined wings are more beneficial than a single wing configuration. The concept of retrofitting wings on the bomb introduced an interesting problem: storage before deployment. This study conducted steady-state low speed wind tunnel testing of a joined wing configuration that morphed from a compact configuration for storage to a full extension. These steady-state tests examine differing sweep angles of the same joined …


An Analytical Study Of T-38 Drag Reduction In Tight Formation Flight, Eugene H. Wagner Jr. Mar 2002

An Analytical Study Of T-38 Drag Reduction In Tight Formation Flight, Eugene H. Wagner Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the benefits of flying in a tight formation, mimicking the natural behavior of migratory birds such as geese. The first phase of the research was to determine an optimal position for the wingman of a tight formation flight of T-38 Talon aircraft using the HASC95 vortex lattice code. A second wingman was then added to determine the benefit derived by increasing formation size. The second wingman was predicted to derive an even greater induced drag benefit than the first wingman for T-38s operating at Mach 0.54 at a 10,000-foot altitude. The predicted values were 17.5% savings for …


The Combined Effects Of Freestream Turbulence, Pressure Gradients, And Surface Roughness On Turbine Aerodynamics, Christine P. Ellering Mar 2002

The Combined Effects Of Freestream Turbulence, Pressure Gradients, And Surface Roughness On Turbine Aerodynamics, Christine P. Ellering

Theses and Dissertations

This work used scaled facsimiles of real turbine blade surfaces to characterize correlations between turbine blade roughness, freestream turbulence, pressure gradients and skin friction (Cf). Addition of roughness caused Cf to increase: up to 300% for the roughest surface. Addition of freestream turbulence resulted in 125% increase for the same surface. The combined effects showed increases up to 380%. Although decreasing roughness, freestream turbulence, and Reynolds number resulted in less dramatic results, it was concluded that the Cf increases due to combined effects were consistently higher than their corresponding sum of the parts. The combined effects of roughness and pressure …


A New Drag Measurement System For Wind Tunnel Testing Of The Racing Bicycle And Rider To Determine A Low Drag Configuration, Brian A. Parker Dec 1994

A New Drag Measurement System For Wind Tunnel Testing Of The Racing Bicycle And Rider To Determine A Low Drag Configuration, Brian A. Parker

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the application of splitter plate effects to reduce the aerodynamic drag of the racing bicycle and rider system. A sensitive, low-force, beam-type, single-component balance was developed to provide drag measurements accurate to within 0.053 N (0.012 lbf). The performance of the new system was verified by comparing the measured drag on a three-dimensioaal, right-circular cylinder model, 0.127 m (5.0 in) in diameter and 0.610 m (24 in) long, with the results from a commercial balance and a other similar data. The bicycle and rider model consisted of a full-scale mannequin comprising only the hips, legs …


The Design And Development Of A Low-Speed, Low-Force Wind Tunnel Data Acquisition System With An Application To Bicycle Front Fork Spacing, Alan W. Elledge Dec 1994

The Design And Development Of A Low-Speed, Low-Force Wind Tunnel Data Acquisition System With An Application To Bicycle Front Fork Spacing, Alan W. Elledge

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis encompassed the design, development, and application of a low-speed, low-force data acquisition system for the AFIT 5-ft Wind Tunnel. The new data acquisition system was designed and developed to measure approximately 0.045 N (about 0.01 lbf) at nearly 64.4 km/h (40 mph). Verification of the capability was obtained through testing of a cylindrical model. As part of a technology transition program with Wright Laboratory, this new system was used to investigate bicycle front fork blade spacing in order to determine the optimal spacing for minimum drag. As for the minimum drag of a bicycle with an …