Technical documentation update on lower stages
This commit is contained in:
		
							parent
							
								
									0725a1c16e
								
							
						
					
					
						commit
						3b7e1fcc3a
					
				@ -2233,17 +2233,28 @@ attack, this approximation provides a sufficiently accurate estimate
 | 
				
			|||||||
for the purposes of this thesis.
 | 
					for the purposes of this thesis.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
\section{Lower stage aerodynamics}
 | 
					\section{Tumbling bodies}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					% Renaming of test vs. models here:
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					%
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					% #1  ->  test 2
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					% #2  ->  test 3
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					% #3  ->  test 5
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					% #4  ->  test 4
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					% #5  ->  test 6
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					%
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					% Test 1 failed to produce a reliable result.  Dimensions:
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					% n=3, Cr=50, Ct=25, s=50, l0=10, d=18, l=74, m=8.1
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
In staged rockets the lower stages of the rocket separate from the
 | 
					In staged rockets the lower stages of the rocket separate from the
 | 
				
			||||||
main rocket body and descend to the ground on their own.  While large
 | 
					main rocket body and descend to the ground on their own.  While large
 | 
				
			||||||
rockets have parachutes also in lower stages, most model rockets rely
 | 
					rockets typically have parachutes also in lower stages, most model
 | 
				
			||||||
on the stages falling to the ground without any recovery device.  As
 | 
					rockets rely on the stages falling to the ground without any recovery
 | 
				
			||||||
the lower stages typically are not aerodynamically stable, they tumble
 | 
					device.  As the lower stages normally are not aerodynamically stable,
 | 
				
			||||||
during descent, significantly reducing their speed.
 | 
					they tumble during descent, significantly reducing their speed.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
This kind of tumbling is difficult if not impossible to model in
 | 
					This kind of tumbling is difficult if not impossible to model in
 | 
				
			||||||
6-DOF, and the orientation is typically not of interest anyway.
 | 
					6-DOF, and the orientation is not of interest anyway.
 | 
				
			||||||
For simulating the descent of aerodynamically unstable stages, it is
 | 
					For simulating the descent of aerodynamically unstable stages, it is
 | 
				
			||||||
therefore sufficient to compute the average aerodynamic drag of
 | 
					therefore sufficient to compute the average aerodynamic drag of
 | 
				
			||||||
the tumbling lower stage.
 | 
					the tumbling lower stage.
 | 
				
			||||||
@ -2252,32 +2263,29 @@ While model rockets are built in very peculiar forms, staged rockets
 | 
				
			|||||||
are typically much more conservative in their design.  The lower
 | 
					are typically much more conservative in their design.  The lower
 | 
				
			||||||
stages are most often formed of just a body tube and fins.  Five such
 | 
					stages are most often formed of just a body tube and fins.  Five such
 | 
				
			||||||
models were constructed for testing their descent aerodynamic drag.
 | 
					models were constructed for testing their descent aerodynamic drag.
 | 
				
			||||||
The physical properties of the models are listed in
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
Table~\ref{tab-lower-stages}.
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
% # fins
 | 
					Models \#1 and \#2 are identical except for the number of fins.  \#3
 | 
				
			||||||
% root chord
 | 
					represents a large, high-power booster stage.  \#4 is a body tube
 | 
				
			||||||
% tip chord
 | 
					without fins, and \#5 fins without a body tube.
 | 
				
			||||||
% fin height
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
% diameter
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
% mass
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
\begin{table}
 | 
					\begin{table}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\caption{Physical properties and drop results of the lower stage models}
 | 
				
			||||||
\label{tab-lower-stages}
 | 
					\label{tab-lower-stages}
 | 
				
			||||||
\caption{Physical properties of the lower stage models}
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
\begin{center}
 | 
					\begin{center}
 | 
				
			||||||
\parbox{85mm}{
 | 
					\parbox{80mm}{
 | 
				
			||||||
\begin{tabular}{cccccc}
 | 
					\begin{tabular}{cccccc}
 | 
				
			||||||
Model       & \#1 & \#2 & \#3 & \#4 & \#5 \\
 | 
					Model       & \#1 & \#2 & \#3 & \#4 & \#5 \\
 | 
				
			||||||
\hline
 | 
					\hline
 | 
				
			||||||
No. fins    & 3   & 3   & 4   & 0   & 3   \\
 | 
					No. fins    & 3   & 4   & 3   & 0   & 4    \\
 | 
				
			||||||
$C_r$ / mm  & 50  & 70  & 70  & -   & 200 \\
 | 
					$C_r$ / mm  & 70  & 70  & 200 & -   & 85   \\
 | 
				
			||||||
$C_t$ / mm  & 25  & 40  & 40  & -   & 140 \\
 | 
					$C_t$ / mm  & 40  & 40  & 140 & -   & 85   \\
 | 
				
			||||||
$s$ / mm    & 50  & 60  & 60  & -   & 130 \\
 | 
					$s$ / mm    & 60  & 60  & 130 & -   & 50   \\
 | 
				
			||||||
$l_0$ / mm  & 10  & 10  & 10  & -   & 25  \\
 | 
					$l_0$ / mm  & 10  & 10  & 25  & -   & -    \\
 | 
				
			||||||
$d$ / mm    & 18  & 44  & 44  & 44  & 103 \\
 | 
					$d$ / mm    & 44  & 44  & 103 & 44  & 0    \\
 | 
				
			||||||
$l$ / mm    & 74  & 108 & 108 & 100 & 290 \\
 | 
					$l$ / mm    & 108 & 108 & 290 & 100 & -    \\
 | 
				
			||||||
$m$ / g     & 8.1 & 18.0& 21.8& 6.8 &     \\
 | 
					$m$ / g     & 18.0& 22.0& 160 & 6.8 & 11.5 \\
 | 
				
			||||||
\hline
 | 
					\hline
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					$v_0$ / m/s & 5.6 & 6.3 & 6.6 & 5.4 & 5.0  \\
 | 
				
			||||||
\end{tabular}
 | 
					\end{tabular}
 | 
				
			||||||
}
 | 
					}
 | 
				
			||||||
\parbox{50mm}{
 | 
					\parbox{50mm}{
 | 
				
			||||||
@ -2286,20 +2294,82 @@ $m$ / g     & 8.1 & 18.0& 21.8& 6.8 &     \\
 | 
				
			|||||||
\end{center}
 | 
					\end{center}
 | 
				
			||||||
\end{table}
 | 
					\end{table}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
The drop tests were performed from a height of XX meters and the drop
 | 
					The models were dropped from a height of 22 meters and the drop
 | 
				
			||||||
was recorded on Full HD video.  From the video frames the position of
 | 
					was recorded on video.  From the video frames the position of
 | 
				
			||||||
the component was calculated XX times per second.  The resulting graph
 | 
					the component was determined and the terminal velocity $v_0$
 | 
				
			||||||
is presented in Figure~XX.  The terminal velocity was determined for
 | 
					calculated with an accuracy of approximately $\pm 0.3\;\rm m/s$.
 | 
				
			||||||
all models.
 | 
					During the drop test the temperature was -5$^\circ$C, relative
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					humidity was 80\% and the dew point -7$^\circ$C.  Together these yield
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					an air density of $\rho = 1.31\rm\;kg/m^3$.  The physical properties
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					of the models and their terminal descent velocities are listed in
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					Table~\ref{tab-lower-stages}.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					For a tumbling rocket, it is reasonable to assume that the drag force
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					is relative to the profile area of the rocket.  For body tubes the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					profile area is straightforward to calculate.  For three and four fin
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					configurations the minimum profile area is taken instead.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					Based on the results of models \#4 and \#5 it is clear that the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					aerodynamic drag coefficient (relative to the profile area) is
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					significantly different for the body tube and fins.  Thus we assume
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					the drag to consist of two independent components, one for the fins
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					and one for the body tube.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
At terminal velocity the drag force is equal to that of gravity:
 | 
					At terminal velocity the drag force is equal to that of gravity:
 | 
				
			||||||
%
 | 
					%
 | 
				
			||||||
\begin{equation}
 | 
					\begin{equation}
 | 
				
			||||||
C_{D*} \cdot \frac{1}{2}\rho v_0^2 A_* = mg
 | 
					\frac{1}{2}\rho v_0^2\; (C_{D,f}A_f  + C_{D,bt}A_{bt}) = mg
 | 
				
			||||||
\end{equation}
 | 
					\end{equation}
 | 
				
			||||||
%
 | 
					%
 | 
				
			||||||
From this it is easy to determine the drag coefficient $C_{D*}$ for a
 | 
					The values for $C_{D,f}$ and $C_{D,bt}$ were varied to optimize the
 | 
				
			||||||
particular reference area $A_*$.
 | 
					relative mean square error of the $v_0$ prediction, yielding a result
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					of $C_{D,f} = 1.42$ and $C_{D,bt} = 0.56$.  Using these values, the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					predicted terminal velocities varied between $3\%\ldots14\%$ from the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					measured values.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					During optimization it was noted that changing the error function
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					being optimized had a significant effect on the resulting fin drag
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					coefficient, but very little on the body tube drag coefficient.  It is
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					assumed that the fin tumbling model has greater inaccuracy in this
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					aspect.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					It is noteworthy that the body tube drag coefficient 0.56 is exactly
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					half of that of a circular cylinder perpendicular to the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					airflow~\cite[p.~3-11]{hoerner}. This is expected of a cylinder that
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					is falling at a random angle of attack.  The fin drag coefficient 1.42
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					is also similar to that of a flat plate 1.17 or an open hemispherical
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					cup 1.42 \cite[p.~3-17]{hoerner}.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					The total drag coefficient $C_D$ of a tumbling lower stage is obtained
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					by combining and scaling the two drag coefficient components:
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					%
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\begin{equation}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					C_D = \frac{C_{D,f}A_f  + C_{D,bt}A_{bt}}{\Aref}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\end{equation}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					%
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					Here $A_{bt}$ is the profile area of the body, and $A_f$ the effective
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					fin profile area, which is the area of a single fin multiplied by the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					efficiency factor.  The estimated efficiency factors for various
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					numbers of fins are listed in Table~\ref{tab-lower-stage-fins}.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\begin{table}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\caption{Estimated fin efficiency factors for tumblig lower stages}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\label{tab-lower-stage-fins}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\begin{center}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\begin{tabular}{cc}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					Number  & Efficiency \\
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					of fins & factor     \\
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\hline
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					1 & 0.50 \\
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					2 & 1.00 \\
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					3 & 1.50 \\
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					4 & 1.41 \\
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					5 & 1.81 \\
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					6 & 1.73 \\
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					7 & 1.90 \\
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					8 & 1.85 \\
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\hline
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\end{tabular}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\end{center}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					\end{table}
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					
 | 
				
			||||||
For a tumbling rocket, it is reasonable to assume that the drag force
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
is relative to the profile area of the rocket.
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
				
			|||||||
										
											Binary file not shown.
										
									
								
							
		Loading…
	
	
			
			x
			
			
		
	
		Reference in New Issue
	
	Block a user