Page 10 - Aerotech News and Review, February 4, 2022

NASA aiming to tame the BOOM!

by Doreen Zudell and Jim Russell ogy (CST) project recently used
NASA Glenn a small-scale model of the X-59
in NASA Glenn’s 8- by 6-foot Su-
NASA hopes the ban on commer- personic Wind Tunnel, to visualize
cial supersonic flight over land can the agency’s boom-reducing technol-
be lifted by replacing the loud sonic ogy and validate its boom-predicting
boom with a softer sonic “thump.” capabilities.
A sonic boom happens when the “This is the team’s opportunity
shock waves from an object travel- to get data at the low sound levels
ing through the air faster than the produced in the tunnel,” said Clayton
speed of sound merge together be- Meyers, deputy project manager of
fore they reach the ground. Sonic the CST project. “It all comes down
booms generate enormous amounts to our ability to measure the thump.”
of sound energy, about 110 decibels, The model—measuring about a
like the sound of an explosion or a foot and a half in length—was sub-
thunderclap. jected to weeks of testing in the
Through the unique design of tunnel, producing shock waves that
the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technol- were captured by special cameras
ogy (QueSST) airplane, NASA aims mounted outside the test section and
to reduce the sonic boom to make it by a unique sensor array inside. The
much quieter. unique schlieren images from the
Engineers with the agency’s cameras provide engineers with a
Commercial Supersonic Technol- visualization of the shock waves and

NASA photograph
The X-59 small-scale model is seen in NASA Glenn’s 8-by-6-foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The model was inverted
with the shock wave sensor array mounted on the tunnel’s ceiling during the testing.

their positions as air passes around developed schlieren imaging capabil- The model will travel to Tokyo
the model. The sensor provides de- ities for flight that will also be used in March for additional wind tunnel
tailed measurement of the strength of during upcoming flight campaigns. verification testing with the Japan
the shocks. Results from the tests are “With the X-59, we want to dem- Aerospace Exploration Agency and
encouraging, as the shock waves pro- onstrate that we can reduce the an- Boeing.
duced by the model were a match, in noying sonic booms to something NASA and Lockheed Martin are
both position and strength, to those much quieter, referred to as ‘sonic currently finalizing the build of the
from earlier computer models for thumps,’” said John Wolter, lead X-59 at the Skunk Works facility in
quieter supersonic flight. researcher on the X-59 sonic boom Palmdale, Calif. In late 2022, NASA
Schlieren imagery and pressure wind tunnel test. “The goal is to pro- and Lockheed Martin will begin
vide noise and community response
measurement are both critical to data to regulators, which could result initial flight tests to prove airwor-
NASA’s ability to compare wind in new rules for overland supersonic thiness. Following flight testing,
tunnel data with computer model- flight. The test proved that we don’t NASA will then verify that the air-
ing. These capabilities improve the just have quieter aircraft design, but craft’s quiet supersonic technology
team’s capacity to understand and that we also have the accurate tools performs in flight as designed, before
predict actual sonic thumps during needed to predict the noise of future transitioning to the community over-
future X-59 flights. NASA has also aircraft.” flight phase.
Advanced air mobility for emergencies

by Teresa Whiting agement. Last year, the project sent drones into tem, alongside industry partners and the Federal vative, automated aircraft across town, between
NASA Armstrong several California fires to collect thermal data Aviation Administration. Once developed, pas- neighboring cities, or to other locations typically
about the fire for the firefighting teams and de- sengers and cargo will travel on-demand in inno- accessed today by car.
Hurricanes, floods, fires, earthquakes — our ployed tools to track the aircraft in real-world
planet faces many of these natural disasters settings.
each year that can quickly become emergency Firefighting teams across the state, includ-
response and rescue efforts. NASA’s Advanced ing the California Air National Guard, already
Air Mobility, or AAM, Mission is researching use technology like the remotely piloted MQ-9
how AAM can help when disasters strike. aircraft with infrared cameras, that can fly above
AAM has the potential to aid in disaster relief, a fire and see through smoke and ash. Several
assist in firefighting missions and provide sup- organizations also currently use helicopters for
plies to hard-to-reach areas during an emergency search, rescue, and fighting fires. The goal is to
event. This could look like a drone carrying sup- add new AAM aircraft into the mix for various
plies to local houses and hospitals when a city is uses and to increase safety for those in the com-
flooded. Potentially, it’s an air vehicle being used munities and those fighting the fires.
to rescue people trapped after an earthquake in Several projects under the AAM Mission are
a building or residential area, that is otherwise working on different elements to help make
difficult to reach. This could even look like fire- AAM a reality in emergency operations. This
fighting teams using remotely piloted drones to includes work on automation, landing and take-
drop fire retardant and spray water to fight fires in off locations like vertiport and vehicle design,
dangerous areas, along with moving people away and airspace design to keep everyone safe while
from the fires quickly in emergency situations. flying in the skies together. It’s going to take an
As part of the AAM Mission, NASA’s Scal- effort between government agencies, industry,
able Traffic Management for Emergency Re- and the public to build new highways in the sky. Several projects under NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility, or AAM, Mission are working on different
sponse Operations, or STEReO, project is already NASA’s vision is to map out a safe, acces- elements to help make AAM a reality in emergency operations. This concept graphic shows how
looking at how drones can assist in wildfire man- sible, and affordable new air transportation sys- a future AAM vehicle could aid in disaster response.

Aerotech News and Review
10 www.aerotechnews.com ........ facebook.com/aerotechnewsandreview February 4, 2022