Water facilities in retrospect and prospect: An illuminating tool for vehicle designWater facilities play a fundamental role in the design of air, ground, and marine vehicles by providing a qualitative, and sometimes quantitative, description of complex flow phenomena. Water tunnels, channels, and tow tanks used as flow-diagnostic tools have experienced a renaissance in recent years in response to the increased complexity of designs suitable for advanced technology vehicles. These vehicles are frequently characterized by large regions of steady and unsteady 3-D flow separation and ensuing vortical flows. The visualization and interpretation of the complicated fluid motions about isolated vehicle components and complete configurations in a time and cost effective manner in hydrodynamic test facilities is a key element in the development of flow control concepts, and, hence, improved vehicle designs. A historical perspective of the role of water facilities in the vehicle design process is presented. The application of water facilities to specific aerodynamic and hydrodynamic flow problems is discussed, and the strengths and limitations of these important experimental tools are emphasized.
Document ID
19880013742
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Erickson, Gary E. (Eidetics International, Inc. Torrance, CA., United States)
Peake, David J. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Delfrate, John (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Skow, Andrew M. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Malcolm, Gerald N. (Eidetics International, Inc. Torrance, Calif., United States)
Date Acquired
September 5, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1987
Publication Information
Publication: AGARD, Aerodynamic and Related Hydrodynamic Studies Using Water Facilities