Aerodynamic Load Estimation Using Distributed Shape Sensing
Abstract
As a hypersonic vehicle traverses the atmosphere, large aerodynamic and thermal loads act on its structure, leading to deformation. Measurement of aerodynamic loads acting on the vehicle is desirable to validate numerical models and to improve flight control algorithms. However, the high temperature environment prohibits the use of sensors on the outer surface of the vehicle, and the state of the vehicle is primarily assessed through inertial measurements. While aerodynamic measurements in this scenario are difficult, measuring the structural deformation is comparably easy. Thus, an inverse problem can be solved which uses the measured deformation of the vehicle as input and estimates the aerodynamic loads. Last year we were awarded funding for the Full Airframe Sensing Technology (FAST) project (1), supported by AFOSR grant FA9550-21-1-0089 under the NASA University Leadership Initiative (ULI). The project aims to estimate the aerodynamic loads acting on a hypersonic vehicle from measurements of internal surface strain. Preliminary results based on computer modeling and benchtop tests show that increasing the spatial resolution of measurements plays an important role in improving the accuracy of estimated aerodynamic loads. In addition, we identified challenges in integration of sensors inside the limited internal volume of hypersonic wind-tunnel test articles.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 29, 2024
- Source ID
- FA95502310081
Entities
People
- Jayant Sirohi
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Texas at Austin