The Boeing Company

Mathew Lee Rueger

Bryan David McGranahan

Ian M Gunter

Stefan P Hovik

Bryan David Mcgranahan

A wind tunnel sting comprising a support member and a wind tunnel sting damper. The support member having a first support-member end configured for coupling with a wind tunnel, and a second support-member end configured for coupling with a balance. The wind tunnel sting damper having a reactive member, and a viscoelastic member disposed between the reactive member and the support member wherein, the reactive member is sized relative to the support member so as to radially compress the viscoelastic member against the support member.

Wind tunnel sting, wind tunnel sting damper, and method therefor

A tunable mass-damping apparatus may include a housing having an interior surface, an interior volume containing a fluid, and an axis. The housing may be configured to be coupled to a wind tunnel model. The apparatus may further include a mass configured to move back and forth in the interior volume along the axis. The mass may be configured to make an airtight seal with the interior surface of the housing, thereby dividing the interior volume into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The apparatus may include a passage fluidly connecting the upper chamber and the lower chamber and a spring configured to exert a position-dependent force upon the mass. The spring may be characterized by a variable spring constant chosen based on a variable natural frequency of a support structure of the wind tunnel model. The variable spring constant may be established with a nickel-titanium alloy spring heated to at least one calibrated temperature that corresponds to a predetermined spring constant.

Variable spring-constant tuned mass damper

A system, including methods and apparatus, of tuning a mass-damping apparatus to reduce dynamics forces on a wind tunnel model during wind tunnel testing. The mass-damping apparatus is coupled to a wind tunnel model and may comprise first and second pressure chambers containing a gas, a mass configured to move back and forth between the pressure chambers in a substantially airtight manner and thereby to alter gas pressure within each pressure chamber, at least one spring configured to exert a position-dependent force upon the mass, and a passageway configured to allow the gas to pass between the chambers.

Translational tuned mass damper with continuously adjustable damping characteristics for application to high speed wind tunnel testing

A method for designing aircraft including providing a model of the aircraft and a plurality of sensors mounted on the model. The method further includes positioning the aircraft model in a fluid tunnel at an initial attitude and measuring an initial orientation of the aircraft model while the aircraft model is at the initial attitude using a first tilt sensor of the sensors to create initial orientation information. The method also includes passing fluid over the aircraft model using the fluid tunnel and actively moving the aircraft model from the initial attitude to a subsequent attitude. In addition, the method includes measuring a subsequent orientation of the aircraft model while the aircraft model is at the subsequent attitude using a first orientation sensor of the sensors to create subsequent orientation information.

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Edwardsville, IL, United States of America

Mathew Lee Rueger