NASA SBIR 2007 Solicitation
FORM B - PROPOSAL SUMMARY
PROPOSAL NUMBER: |
07-1 A2.10-8873 |
SUBTOPIC TITLE: |
Rotorcraft |
PROPOSAL TITLE: |
Computational Wind Tunnel: A Design Tool for Rotorcraft |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Sukra Helitek,Inc.
3146 Greenwood Rd
Ames, IA 50014 - 4504
(515) 292-9646
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Angela D Lestari
nappi@sukra-helitek.com
3146, Greenwood Road
Ames, IA 50014 - 4504
(515) 292-9646
Expected Technology Readiness Level (TRL) upon completion of contract:
6 to 7
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
Rotorcraft engineers traditionally use the wind tunnel to evaluate and finalize designs. Insufficient correlation between wind tunnel results and flight tests, have been often attributed in part to uncertainty in blockage corrections. Estimation of rotor blockage is significantly more complex than bluff body blockage as the correction depends on operational characteristics such as rotor RPM and thrust produced. This proposal offers to develop a design tool, which can simulate a complete rotorcraft inside a wind tunnel including all the facility effects. At the heart of the innovation are: 1. An automated hybrid grid generator. 2. A robust and economical incompressible flow solver for the grid system. 3. Momentum source based rotor model that is suitable and economical for simulating multiple rotors including the drive fans of the wind tunnel. Phase I will develop the proof-of-concept and will use unstructured Cartesian grid for the model and wind tunnel. The wind tunnel will be modeled with the diffuser, test section and nozzle. In phase II, the tool will be extended to hybrid grid with viscous grid near solid surfaces and will include drive fans of the tunnel.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The design tool to be developed under this initiative will find wide usage throughout NASA where wind tunnel testing is integral to any design study. The tool can be effectively used for rotorcrafts and V/STOL aircrafts where quantification of blockage effects is complex.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The computational wind tunnel to be developed will be an asset to other government agencies including ARMY, NASA and AIR FORCE and industry where wind tunnel testing of rotorcraft and V/STOL aircrafts is routine. In short, the tool is a compliment to all wind tunnel testing.
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.
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Form Generated on 09-18-07 17:50
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