Design and Experimental Characterization of a Gust-Generator Concept with Rotating-Slotted Cylinders in the Low-Speed Wind Tunnel DNW-NWB

ifasd2024 Tracking Number 106

Presentation:
Session: Wind tunnel testing 1
Room: Room 1.1
Session start: 13:30 Tue 18 Jun 2024

Thomas G. Schmidt   tg.schmidt@dlr.de
Affifliation: German Aerospace Center (DLR) - Institute of Aeroelasticity
Johannes Dillinger   johannes.dillinger@dlr.de
Affifliation: German Aerospace Center (DLR) - Institute of Aeroelasticity
Markus Ritter   markus.ritter@dlr.de
Affifliation: German Aerospace Center (DLR) - Institute of Aeroelasticity
Anna Altkuckatz   anna.altkuckatz@dlr.de
Affifliation: German Aerospace Center (DLR) - Institute of Aeroelasticity
Charlotte Hanke   charlotte.hanke@dlr.de
Affifliation: German Aerospace Center (DLR) - Institute of Aeroelasticity
Marc Braune   marc.braune@dlr.de
Affifliation: German Aerospace Center (DLR) - Institute of Aeroelasticity
Holger Mai   holger.mai@dlr.de
Affifliation: German Aerospace Center (DLR) - Institute of Aeroelasticity
Wolf R. Krüger   wolf.krueger@dlr.de
Affifliation: German Aerospace Center (DLR) - Institute of Aeroelasticity

Topics: - Experimental Methods in Structural Dynamics and Aeroelasticity (Experimental methods), - Wind Tunnel and Flight Testing (Experimental methods)

Abstract:

The present study focuses on the design of a gust generator based on stationary airfoils coupled with downstream rotating, slotted cylinders, specifically configured for the low-speed wind tunnel DNW-NWB. Owing to the technical requirements imposed by the test facility and the desired gust characteristics, this particular gust-generator concept is chosen. Numerical computations for both wake-flow characteristics and structural properties are performed, so as to explore various design parameters. In a subsequent step, an experimental test campaign is conducted, in which the gust generator's wake flow is characterized using an unsteady fast-response 5-hole probe. The results reveal that highly periodic gust flows are induced by the gust generator, with gust amplitudes that are sufficiently large for investigating the gust response of flexible aircraft structures, e.g., wings. Besides, the gust frequency is directly proportional to the cylinders rotational speed, whether a continuous or discrete gust is generated. Future work is dedicated towards further enhancing the present gust generator, including - but not limited to - the motor's controls that drive the rotating cylinders.