Wind Tunnel Manoeuvre Rig: A Multi-DOF Test Platform for Model Aircraft

Araujo-Estrada, Sergio A.; Gong, Zheng; Lowenberg, Mark H; Neild, Simon A; Goman, Mikhail

doi:10.2514/6.2016-2119

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…In order to fill this gap, the work described in this paper is part of a broader project whose aim is to experimentally investigate the coupling between the rigid-body and structural dynamics by testing an aircraft model with different levels of wing flexibility in the University of Bristol 7x5 ft subsonic wind tunnel. The novelty of the work lies in the adoption of the 5-DOF Manoeuvre rig [15,16] (Fig. 3) that allows the aircraft to approximate the flight in the tunnel.…”

Section: Fig 1 Aspect Ratio Trend For Commercial Aircraft [6]mentioning

confidence: 99%

Low-order Aeroelastic Modelling of a High Aspect Ratio Wing Aircraft Under Constrained Motion

Pontillo

Navaratna

Ascham

et al. 2022

AIAA SCITECH 2022 Forum

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The work presented in this paper describes the modelling of a low-order aeroelastic solver, built with the aim of analysing the dynamics of very flexible wing aircraft, with a focus on the coupling between the flight dynamics and the structural dynamics. The model implements a geometrically exact, low-order nonlinear beam solver based on beam shape functions coupled with Vortex Lattice Method (VLM), specifically adapted to account for large deformations. The static solution calculated by implementing the VLM was compared with the one calculated using strip theory as aerodynamic solver, showing good agreement in magnitude, but different load distribution. The aeroelastic solver was then used to analyse the dynamics of a flexible aircraft constrained to a circular trajectory with free pitch (resembling the motion on a Pendulum Rig) and on a spherical motion with free pitch and yaw (resembling the motion on the University of Bristol 5-DOF Manoeuvre Rig), for two different values of pitch stiffness and three different flexible wings (5% deflection, 10% deflection and 15% deflection with respect to the wing semispan). The results show that when the stiffness is high, it suppresses any interaction between the flight dynamics and the structural dynamics. Therefore there is no impact of the wing flexibility on the aircraft motion. On the other hand, when lowering the value of the pitch stiffness, the interaction between the wing dynamics and the pitch dynamics become evident. However, the impact of the wing flexibility was found to be always negligible on the yaw dynamics.

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Section: Fig 1 Aspect Ratio Trend For Commercial Aircraft [6]mentioning

confidence: 99%

Low-order Aeroelastic Modelling of a High Aspect Ratio Wing Aircraft Under Constrained Motion

Pontillo

Navaratna

Ascham

et al. 2022

AIAA SCITECH 2022 Forum

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“…The dynamic 5-DOF maneuver rig (shown in figure 1) is capable of aircraft roll, pitch and yaw, as well as approximate heave and sway motions with the rotation of its arm. Continuous roll has been achieved with the assistance of arm roll provided by the arm gimbal, which would otherwise be impossible due to rotation limits of the model gimbal [4]. Specifically, the maneuver rig constrains the translational motion of the aircraft to tangential motion only, due to the fixed length of its arm (0.8m between the arm gimbal and model gimbal).…”

Section: Physical Kinematic Constraintmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The model and the constant values of the derivatives used are taken from an A-4D fighter aircraft at sea level and Mach 0.4 [14]. A 6.31% scale model is used in the simulation to match the wing span of an approximate subscale BAE Systems Hawk aircraft model, previously tested on the 5-DOF maneuver rig [4].…”

Section: A Aerodynamics Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When considering a practical implementation of this technique, delays are inevitable. For example, sources of such delays reported for the 5-DOF maneuver rig [4,9] include wireless signal transmission delays and aerodynamic compensator control surface actuation lag, which were estimated to be about 4 and 100 milliseconds respectively. Here, we investigate the influence of delay by running short-period mode simulations with delays ranging from 0 to 250 milliseconds.…”

Section: Effect Of Delayed F C Signalmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Minimally Constrained Flight Simulation in Wind Tunnel

Navaratna

Lowenberg

Neild

2019

Journal of Aircraft

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Experimental studies into aircraft stability and performance can be enhanced by using a rig in which the aircraft model support approximates free flight within a wind tunnel.Such multi-degree-of-freedom wind tunnel rigs often impose kinematic restrictions on the aircraft model's translational motion. This study investigates these kinematic effects, with particular attention to a spherical constraint where the aircraft is held at the end of a fixed length pivoting arm. Here the motions of the aircraft and kinematic constraints are derived as differential-algebraic equations and assessed numerically. The impact is found mainly on translational motion with negligible effect on the aircraft's rotation. A concept to reduce these kinematic effects on the aircraft's motion by applying an external force onto the aircraft is proposed. This compensation, which partially accounts for the constraints on the aircraft motion, is shown to reduce the effects of the arm, allowing for improved physical simulation.

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“…The sensor sampling rate was 100 Hz and all measurements were stored on board to avoid data-loss due to wireless transmission. The tests carried out focused on simple open-loop scenarios, so issues related to time-delays as mentioned by Araujo-Estrada et al 29 were not of significant concern. Moreover, since the elevator servo movement was directly measured, the time delay between the command signal and the actual actuator deflection was also not of concern.…”

Section: Model Instrumentation and Kinematicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating pitching moment stall through dynamic wind tunnel test

Pontillo

Yusuf

López

et al. 2019

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G:

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Experimental characterisation of aircraft dynamic stall can be a challenging and complex system identification activity. In this article, the authors present a method that combines dynamic wind tunnel testing with parameter estimation techniques to study the nonlinear pitching moment dynamics of a 1/12 scale Hawk model undergoing moment stall. The instrumentation setup allows direct calculation of angular acceleration terms, such as pitch acceleration, and avoids post-processing steps involving differentiation of signals. Data collected from tests, carried out at 20 m/s and 30 m/s, are used for a brief aerodynamic analysis of the observed stall hysteresis. Then an output-error-based parameter estimation process is used to parameterise dynamic stall models and furthermore, illustrate that in a scenario where the model's heave motion is constrained. The observed nonlinear behaviour arises from the nonlinear angle of attack and linear pitch rate components.

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Wind Tunnel Manoeuvre Rig: A Multi-DOF Test Platform for Model Aircraft

Cited by 7 publications

References 6 publications

Low-order Aeroelastic Modelling of a High Aspect Ratio Wing Aircraft Under Constrained Motion

Low-order Aeroelastic Modelling of a High Aspect Ratio Wing Aircraft Under Constrained Motion

Minimally Constrained Flight Simulation in Wind Tunnel

Investigating pitching moment stall through dynamic wind tunnel test

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