Improvements to Progressive Wave Tube Performance Through Closed-Loop Control

By National Aeronautics and Space Administration

This report documents recent improvements to the acoustic and thermal control systems of the Thermal Acoustic Fatigue Apparatus (TAFA), a progressive wave tube test facility at the NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia. A brief summary of past acoustic performance is given first to serve as a basis for comparison with the new performance data using a multiple-input, closed-loop, narrow-band controller. Performance data in the form of test section acoustic power spectral densities and coherence are presented in three of six facility configurations for a variety of input spectra. Tested spectra include uniform, two cases of pink noise, three cases of narrow-band random, a simulated launch payload bay environment for an expendable launch vehicle, and a simulated external acoustic load for the aft section of a reusable launch vehicle. In addition, a new closed-loop temperature controller and thermocouple data acquisition system are described.Rizzi, Stephen A.Langley Research CenterPERFORMANCE TESTS; TEST CHAMBERS; TEST FACILITIES; RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT; EXPERIMENTATION; RESEARCH FACILITIES; LAUNCHING; SPECTRA; SIMULATION...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1723915637
• ISBN13: 9781723915635
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 56 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.5" x 11.0"