Effect of Reduced Gravity on the
Effectiveness of a Flow Control Actuator
North Carolina State University
Active flow control methods employing micro-scale disturbances are
currently the focus of many research studies due to their potential to
significantly enhance mixing, vector a jet, or delay separation. While the
focus of the current research is on applications for aircraft systems, flow
control techniques may in the future have applications in research on the
International Space Station, on satellites, or in future microgravity
experiments. These applications are not limited to fluid physics, but
include combustion science, materials science and life sciences. The
purpose of the proposed work is to conduct a technology experiment to
determine the feasibility of operating an active flow control device in a
microgravity environment. The scaling laws governing the operation of the
control devices has recently been examined, Lachowicz et al (1998). The
effectiveness of an oscillatory flow control device, will in the present
work be examined using water under microgravity conditions on the KC-135
flying, reduced-gravity, laboratory. The experiment will first be
constructed at NC State's Mars Mission Research Center. Following system
integration and ground testing, the experimental apparatus will be brought
to JSC for flight tests. (Reference: Lachowicz, J. T., Yao, C.-S., and
Wlezien, R. W., "Scaling of an Oscillatory Flow-Control Device," AIAA Paper
98-0330, January 1998.)
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