Numerical aerodynamic investigations on stratospheric airships of different tail configurations
Numerical investigations on stratospheric airships of different tail configurations are conducted based on the Reynolds-averaged N-S equations and k-ω SST turbulent model in the condition of the same volume and total area of the tails. The influence of tail configurations on the force and moment characteristics as well as flow phenomena on both hull and fins are analyzed. In particular, the hull-fin mutual interference effect is discussed compared to the bare hull performance. It is found that a cross-shaped tail produces a superior lift characteristic and stability at high angle but greater drag due to horizontal fins, both in pitch and yaw channels than the inverted Y and X shaped tail. The hull-fin interference generates additional hull lift, drag and an offsetting moment and causes side edge separation on the suction side of horizontal (side) fins in the cross (inverted Y and X shaped) tail configuration. The inverted Y-shaped tail provides the greatest interference drag. These investigations serve to provide references for airship configuration design.
Aerodynamic estimation techniques for aerostats and airships
A semi-empirical steady-state model of a finned axisymmetric body is developed and used to compute hull -fin mutual interference factors and cross flow drag coefficients from wind tunnel data on five aerostats and airships. The results are in general agreement with expectations from theory and provide a b asis for predicting aerodynamic coefficients. The model is extended to unsteady motion by considering the local flow on finite hull segments and the fins. This dynamic model is applicable to non-linear simulations and the computation of rotational stability derivatives for which equations are derived. For one zerostat, rotational stability derivatives calculated from static wind tunnel data are compared with experimental results from a whirl ing-arm tow tank.
Effects of reservoir volume on performance of pulse tube cooler.
A pulse tube cooler has the advantages of long-life and low-vibration over conventional cryocoolers such as G-M and Stirling coolers because of the absence of moving parts at low temperature. On the other hand, the combination of a reservoir and orifice is indispensable to optimize the performance of pulse tube coolers. In order to make the pulse tube cooler compact for practical applications, the volume of reservoir should be minimized. This paper analyzes the effects of the reservoir volume on the thermodynamic performance of various components in a simple orifice and a double-inlet pulse tube cooler by combining a linearized model with a thermodynamic analysis. Expressions of entropy production for those components are presented. The results show that the reservoir volume has a significant influence on the entropy production in the various components when the reservoir to pulse tube volume ratio is smaller than about 5. The ratio is important to determine the minimum reservoir volume for a pulse tube cooler. Optimum settings for a double-inlet pulse tube cooler are also discussed.