MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BOUNDARY-LAYER STABILIZING COATINGS-WATER APPLICATION
Abstract
INVESTIGATION CONTINUED OF ONE FACET OF A POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE IN MINIMIZING SKIN-FRICTION DRAG OF BOTH AIRCRAFT AND HYDROCRAFT. The method investigated consists in favorably modifying the natural boundarylayer flow by means of distributed damping, as opposed to the more widely investigated distributed-suction method. Several features of the distributed-damping method of laminar-flow control are of particular interest for potential vehicular applications: no pumps, associated power sources, or ducts are required within the vehicle; and the stabilizing surface coating applied to the vehicle has a smooth, impermeable surface that is not subject to clogging. The structural material of stabilizing coatings requires primarily a low modulus of elasticity combined with great resiliency, or low inherent damping. Natural rubber is unsatisfactory, since its resiliency is poor at low moduli of elasticity. It is concluded that improved hydraulic performance of the known coating designs can be achieved by using a material with appreciably less inherent damping than rubber, but equal modulus of elasticity. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0282683
Entities
People
- M.o. Kramer
Organizations
- RAND Corporation