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Basic Analysis Procedure |
AeroWindTunnel Examples
HL-20 Spaceplane Simulation
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Please click
Fuselage-Aerodynamics for HL-20 fuselage definition and Plot-Coefficients
to see coefficient plots and validation with HL-20 data.

Figure-2, AeroWindTunnel main
screen used to define the basic geometry of the HL-20 spacecraft.
In AeroWindTunnel simply
click Input Airframe Data to import the x-y dimensions of the HL-20
plan-view and side-view fuselage shape.

Figure-3, AeroWindTunnel Fuselage geometry import
screen. Simply define 20 plan-view and side-view station locations.
HL-20 at M = 0.30 and
Elevator Deflection set to -30 degrees
Please click
Plot-Experimental Data to see the screen containing HL-20 wind tunnel
data to be compared with AeroWindTunnel plot results.

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Figure-4a, AeroWindTunnel results compared with wind tunnel test data for the HL-20 at M = 0.3 and Elevator Deflection set to -30 degrees. Blue circle-lines represent AeroWindTunnel data for the HL-20 and the red circle-lines represent wind tunnel results. |
HL-20 at M = 0.30 and Elevator Deflection
re-set to 0.0 degrees

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Figure-4b AeroWindTunnel results compared with wind tunnel results of the HL-20 at M = 0.3 and Elevator Deflection set to 0.0 degrees. Blue circle-lines represent AeroWindTunnel data for the HL-20 and the red circle-lines represent wind tunnel results. |
X-30 Spaceplane Simulation
and Wind Tunnel Measurements
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Please click
Fuselage-Aerodynamics for X-30 fuselage definition and Plot-Coefficients
to see coefficient plots and validation with X-30 data.

Figure-5, AeroWindTunnel main
screen used to define the basic geometry of the X-30 spaceplane.
In AeroWindTunnel simply
click Input Airframe Data to import the x-y dimensions of the X-30
plan-view and side-view fuselage shape.

Figure-6, AeroWindTunnel Fuselage geometry import
screen. Simply define 20 plan-view and side-view station locations.
3-DIMENSIONAL ORTHOGRAPHIC DISPLAY OF AIRCRAFT MODEL
GEOMETRY

Figure-7, Three-dimensional wireframe display
of aircraft model geometry illustrating rotation, translation and magnification
controls.
Please click
Plot-Experimental Data to see the screen containing X-30 AeroRocket
subsonic wind tunnel
data compared with AeroWindTunnel plot results.

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Figure-8, AeroWindTunnel results compared with X-30 subsonic wind tunnel test data. Blue circle-lines represent AeroWindTunnel aerodynamic data for the X-30 and the red circle-lines represent results from testing the X-30 in the AeroRocket subsonic wind tunnel. The X-30 is pictured in Figure-9 being tested in the AeroRocket wind tunnel to determine CD, CL, L/D and Cm. |

Figure-9, X-30 NASP tested in the AeroRocket wind tunnel
to determine CD, CL, L/D and Cm aerodynamic
coefficients.
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The following series of tests were conducted
in the AeroRocket subsonic wind tunnel to determine Pitch
(nose-up/nose-down) and Yaw (side-to-side)
center of pressure location for the X-30 NASP. The AeroRocket low
friction caliper was used successfully to determine two-axis center of pressure
location. Figure-10 illustrates measurement of the Pitch center of pressure and
Figure-11 illustrates measurement of the Yaw center of pressure. The following
table of X-30 NASP center of pressure location was generated using the
AeroRocket subsonic wind tunnel with results tabulated verses AeroWindTunnel
results for the X-30 NASP. |
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Figure-10, Pitch center of pressure wind tunnel test. Mounted less than 2 mm
ahead of Xcp.

Figure-11, Yaw center of pressure wind tunnel test. Mounted less than 2 mm ahead
of Xcp.
| The following X-30 NASP drag coefficient (Cd) comparison was generated by several VisualCFD analyses and compared to AeroWindTunnel results for Cd verses Mach number. Twenty separate 2-D centerline VisualCFD analyses were performed at Mach 0.2, Mach 0.4, Mach 0.7, Mach 1, Mach 1.125, Mach 1.25, Mach 1.5, Mach 2, Mach 3, and Mach 5, angle of attack = 0.0 degrees at 150,000 feet. From comparison of Cd verses Mach number in Figure-12 it is evident the 2-D centerline assumption is most valid for supersonic flow, M>1. This comparison requires VisualCFD 3.5.1 and AeroWindTunnel for analysis. |

Figure-12,
AeroWindTunnel
(blue)
vs. 2D VisualCFD results (red)
Jet Airplane Simulation
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AeroWindTunnel is also useful for the analysis of supersonic jet airplanes
as illustrated in Figure-13.

3-D
Orthographic image of jet airplane model geometry

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Figure-13: Jet airplane zero-lift drag coefficient (CD0) compared with data from Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach by D. P. Raymer. Blue line represents AeroWindTunnel results for CD0 and red dot-line represents data from Aircraft Design. |
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AeroWindTunnel is also great for determining flight characteristics of gliders and simple airplanes using the Manual Input mode of operation. This glider was analyzed and successfully flown after being analyzed using AeroWindTunnel. |

Figure-14, AeroWindTunnel Manual Input mode
used to define the geometry of a glider for flight analysis.

Figure-15, Glider in flight.
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AeroCFD® 2D-WING bonus feature addition to AeroWindTunnel Back |
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AeroWindTunnel™ includes a new program called 2D-WING™ for the aerodynamic analysis of two-dimensional (2-D) and finite aspect ratio (AR) airfoil sections. 2D-WING uses vortex lift panels to compute CD, CL and Cm,c/4 for airfoil sections using NACA four digit airfoils, streamlined, flat plate, double wedge (D'Wedge) and imported custom shapes for a wide range of 2-D and finite AR airfoils. Several NACA five-digit airfoils from Appendix III in the book Theory of Wing Sections allow the user to rapidly specify complex imported shapes. Other useful input variables include wing Reynolds number (Re) and angle of attack in degrees. Also, 2D-WING produces filled color contour plots and line color contour plots for pressure coefficient (Cp) and U/U0 where the number of contour levels can be specified from 3 to 256 levels. In addition, the following standard plots are produced, Cp verses chord length and U/U0 verses chord length for the upper and lower airfoil surfaces. Also, CL verses AOA, CD verses AOA, CD verses CL, CL/CD verses AOA and Cm verses AOA are quickly plotted. Finally, the total number of 2-D vortex panels that define the upper and lower surfaces of an airfoil can be specified as 100, 200 or 300. |

Figure-16, A bonus feature of AeroWindTunnel
is that AeroCFD 2D-WING is included at no extra cost to determine CD, CL
and Cm for airfoils.
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SUMMARY OF FEATURES
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