Instrumentation for Performance, Blade Loads and Flowfield Measurement of Novel Hover-Capable Meso-Scale Aerial Platforms
Abstract
The objective of this instrumentation proposal is to develop a state-of-the-art micro-air-vehicle (MAV) test facility at Texas A and M University. This will be capable of measuring not only the fixed-frame hub loads, but also the blade airloads/surface pressure distribution in the rotating frame and the unsteady flowfield. The test rigs will be designed to have the resolution and bandwidth to accurately measure low magnitude/high-frequency airloads and also resolve highly-unsteady/vortex-dominated velocity field, which are typical of these small-scale hovering concepts such as cycloidal-rotors, flapping-wings, and conventional rotors. All the different equipment included in this proposal, such as the state-of-the-art Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system, the force transducers, high-bandwidth mems-based micro pressure sensors and data acquisition system are already in place and are currently being used to conduct high quality time-resolved measurements of the blade loads, pressure distribution/flowfield around the blade and in the wake for both steady hover and transient conditions. PI has undertaken many DoD sponsored MAV projects including one task from ARO and another one as part of Army/Navy/NASA sponsored VLRCOE at Maryland all requiring such a comprehensive test facility to understand the aeromechanics of novel MAV systems and also generate high-fidelity test data for model-validation purposes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 07, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1038671
Entities
People
- Moble Benedict
Organizations
- Texas Engineering Experiment Station