Defense Technical Information Center Compilation Part Notice ADP 014084 TITLE : Recognition and Correction of Sonic Fatigue Damage in Fighter Aircraft DISTRIBUTION : Approved for public release , distribution unlimited
High performance aircraft that fly aggressive low altitude or high-angle of attack maneuvers will experience high acoustic loading, especially in the presence of external stores. These high acoustic loadscan lead to rapid sonic fatigue in thin gage metallic structure. As a means of prolonging fatigue life, while at the same time restoring structural load carrying capability in damaged structure, composite bonded repairs which incorporate damping layers have been developed. These damped composite bonded repairs are installed on F-15 flight test aircraft. This paper describes ways to recognize sonic fatigue damage, and the design and flight test results of represeintative damped patches.
Life extension of F/A 18 intake nacelle using add-on dampers
Acoustic fatigue is due to very high intensity excitation as a result of pressure waves caused by either engine/or aerodynamic effects. Currently a large portion of the F/A-18 fleet has suffered from acoustic fatigue cracking in skin panel on the lower external surface of the inlet nacelle. There has been a long history of cracking in this region, which is attributed to fatigue caused by acoustic excitation of the panel during the operation of the aircraft. Efforts to alleviate these fatigue crack growth with traditional boron/epoxy patches was not successful. This paper seek to select a set of damping material suitable for the reinforcement/damping treatment to alleviate the acoustic fatigue damage of the nacelle panel of the F/A-18 aircraft. This experimental study will address the relevance of constrained layer damping reducing the incidence of acoustic fatigue problems in the nacelle region.
HYPERGOLIC REACTION MECHANISMS OF CATALYTICALLY PROMOTED FUELS WITH ROCKET GRADE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Abstract The coupling of the physical and chemical processes controlling the ignition delays (τ ign ) of hypergolic propellants complicates the direct analysis of the transient ignition processes. The transport properties of both the propellants and the ambient gas, and the heat of vaporization and reaction affect τ ign and must be considered experimentally. Furthermore, since hypergolic ignition occurs, by definition, on contact, the mechanics of initial contact and subsequent mixing can affect τ ign and must also be considered. Experimental results from a study of the hypergolic ignition of a catalytically promoted fuel with rocket grade hydrogen peroxide (RGHP) are presented. Statistical analysis of the experimental data was conducted to evaluate the relative effects of RGHP concentration, initial ambient pressure, and the ambient gas on τ ign . At RGHP concentrations of less than 92% in water, stable ignition was difficult to achieve. At sufficiently high Lewis number, an oscillatory ignition process is observed. A phenomenological model comprising mixing, RGHP decomposition, fuel heating and vaporization, and auto-ignition is presented and compared to the experimental results.