Issue 3 - January 2007
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NASA-Ames Wind Tunnel Reopens
After three years of inactivity, the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFSAC) at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California is set to reopen for testing in February 2007. It will be operated by the U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) located in Tullahoma, Tennessee and dedicated to fixed and rotary-wing testing. Initial tests will be on the UH-60 independent blade control system.
The NFSAC facility is being re-instrumented by Jacobs Sverdrup of Tullahoma, Tennessee, with new Pacific Instruments signal conditioning. Sverdrup and NASA selected the Model 6160 for its high accuracy and 300 Volts common mode. This facility experiences high common mode potentials due to its physical size and high-power equipment. |
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NASA-Ames NFAC Reopens |
The Model 6160’s isolated excitation and input means that transducers may be floating or grounded at various locations around the facility without creating “ground-loops.” NASA employs 4-step shunt calibration, which is a standard feature of the 6160. Three sets of specific calibration resistor values are installed on a plug-in module allowing any amplifier module to be used on any channel. An integrated software package, written by Sverdrup, controls signal conditioning and amplifier operation using the Model 6160’s high-level instruction set.
NFSAC is the largest wind tunnel in the world. This subsonic tunnel, which can test planes with wing spans of up to 100 feet, is over 1,400 feet long and 180 feet high. It has two test sections: one 80 feet high and 120 feet wide, the other 40 feet high and 80 feet wide. Air is driven through these test sections by six 15-bladed fans. Each fan has a diameter equal to the height of a four-story building, and are powered by six 22,500-horsepower motors.
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FAA Type Certification for the Hawker 4000
The Raytheon Aircraft Hawker 4000 is a super-midsized business jet with composite fuselage and advanced integrated system features of a much larger airplane. As a Partner Supplier, Pacific congratulates Raytheon on another fine aircraft from its Wichita, Kansas facility. Raytheon uses Pacific’s Series 6000 signal conditioning and data acquisition system for structural and fatigue testing. |
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Raytheon Aircraft Hawker 4000 |
The 6000 system was previously used on the “Texan,” Raytheon’s advanced trainer employed by the Air Force. Through a long-running partnership, Pacific has supplied the Raytheon engineers in Wichita with data acquisition systems for their aircraft testing requirements.
Click for information on the 6000 DAS for Structural Testing.
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DAC Shunt Calibration for the 6060 and 6160 Transducer Signal Conditioning
DAC shunt calibration provides accuracies equal to using multiple precision resistors, but at a lower cost. Using a 16-bit DAC provides over 64,000 calibration steps using a single precision range resistor replacing multiple high-accuracy, high-cost resistors. It eliminates the need for multiple sets of shunt resistors to accommodate transducers with different characteristics and calibration requirements. |
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6060 & 6160 DAC Shunt Cal. |
In the case of the 6060 and 6160, Pacific has made DAC shunt calibration a no-cost option and installed it on a removable “features” card that can be taken to the laboratory for periodic calibration and verification without losing the service of an amplifier module. Accuracy comparisons, both measured and calculated, show the DAC shunt to have equal accuracy to the more traditional resistor shunt calibration techniques for signal conditioners like the 6060 and 6160 that have independent, floating excitation and inputs.
Click for information on the 6060. |
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New Release of PI580
PI580 is the software for programming, calibrating, operating and debriefing Pacific’s 5800 series transient recording systems. The 5800s are sold in configurations for laboratory and field applications. Models for field work are battery operated, ruggedized and record data while subject to 50 Gs of shock. They are frequently used for recording explosive effects data. |
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PI580 V1.2 |
| This new release, V1.2, provides several enhancements that make PI580 easier to use and improves its calibration and export capabilities. Added features include a Test Report Generator that provides a record of operating parameters and calibration data, as well as a Hardware Verification spreadsheet that points out any differences between software and hardware programming, which if undetected, could invalidate test results. A new Balance Spreadsheet enables the operator to quickly select and autobalance bridge transducers. The quality of data displays has been improved and new displays, including a bitmap picture with data overlay, have been added. New export formats have been added to support third-party analysis software.
Click for more information on PI580. |
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