Experimental Analysis of the Performance of an Annular Peripheral Jet Vehicle in Ground Effect.

Abstract

Two annular peripheral jet air cushion models were designed, fabricated and tested in-house at the Mobility Development Laboratory (AFWAL/FIEMB) at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. The vehicles were designed to attain maximum hover height at a fixed level of available power based on Barratt Theory, and achieve maximum static hover stability. The assumptions and analytic development of Barratt Theory are discussed, as well as some design aspects to achieve vehicle cushionborn stability. Test results indicated Barratt lift predictions to be slightly conservative. Both vehicles were unstable at high hover power heights in their basic configurations. The addition of several configurations of vertical strakes compartmenting the cushion area achieved varying improvements to vehicle stability. The addition of full cushion depth cruciform strakes completely stabilized the vehicles. Vehicle instability was concluded to be caused by aerodynamic activity in the cushion area induced by shear from high momentum jet airflow.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1982
Accession Number
ADA124949

Entities

People

  • Richard J. Almassy

Organizations

  • Wright Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Aeronautical Laboratories
  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Classification
  • Equations
  • Fluid Flow
  • Geometry
  • Ground Effect
  • High Lift
  • Jet Flow
  • Mass Flow
  • Measurement
  • Pressure Measurement
  • Test Facilities
  • Vehicle Equipment

Readers

  • Aerodynamics/Aeronautics.
  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Software Engineering