NASA SBIR 2006 Solicitation

FORM B - PROPOSAL SUMMARY


PROPOSAL NUMBER: 06-2 A4.01-9662
PHASE 1 CONTRACT NUMBER: NNL07AA91P
SUBTOPIC TITLE: Test Measurement Technology
PROPOSAL TITLE: Measurement and Assessment of Flow Quality in Wind Tunnels

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Complere Inc
P.O. Box 541
Pacific Grove, CA 93950 - 0541
(831) 646-5370

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Kevin Owen
fkowen@complereinc.com
P.O. Box 541
Pacific Grove, CA 93950 - 0541
(831) 646-5370

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
New wind tunnel flow quality test and analysis procedures have been developed and will be used to establish standardized turbulent flow quality measurement techniques and data reduction procedures for future flow quality studies in the National Transonic Wind Tunnel (NTF) and other Aeronautics Test Program (ATP) facilities. To date, few measurements have been made of the characteristics of freestream turbulence in transonic wind tunnels, and details of the amplitude and spectra of freestream velocity and pressure fluctuations is lacking. Consequently, there is an urgent need for in-situ measurements to determine flow quality and the performance of turbulence and noise suppression devices. This information is required if we are to accurately assess and characterize ground test facility performance. To meet these challenges, a unique research program is proposed to clarify and alleviate the aerodynamic problems associated with adverse wind tunnel flow quality. It combines innovative advances in data base assessment and management, and new approaches to turbulence instrumentation and analysis. Standardized turbulence measurement techniques and data analysis procedures will be established and used to document the flow quality in our major test facilities.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Flow quality measurements are urgently needed in the Nation's major commercial test facilities if we are to successfully combat the ever increasing European test facility challenge. Wind tunnel disturbances must be measured to the highest accuracy to allow the aerodynamicist to distinguish between aerodynamic, aeroelastic, and Reynolds number effects. Measurements will help provide U.S. companies with improved characterization of the aerodynamic performance of test facilities through the understanding of facility flow quality. When adopted, these measurements will become a standard measure of flow quality. Facilities in the US and worldwide will seek to measure and certify their flow quality to these established standards.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
There is a national need to develop improved test capabilities for proposed civil and military aerospace systems. Detailed flow quality measurements and assessments of the performance of turbulence and noise suppression devices will lead to cost effective improvements in wind tunnel flow quality which will be needed to help design and ground test the proposed new generation of fuel efficient commercial transports and advanced military aircraft proposed for the new millennium. Standardized test procedures will enable meaningful assessments to be made of individual tunnel operational ranges with adequate flow quality related to specific test programs. These advances will help provide NASA with superior test capabilities at competitive cost and so attract a viable customer base that will be required for cost-effective facility operations.

NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Testing Facilities
Testing Requirements and Architectures


Form Generated on 08-02-07 14:39