THE AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A SLENDER BODY TRAVELING IN A TUBE

Slender-body theory is applied to determine the flow about a slender body of revolution traveling in a tube. A formula for the pressure distribution on an ellipsoid centered in the tube is derived and it is shown that for a body whose diameter is a large percent of the tube diameter the pressures are an order of magnitude greater than they would be for the same body traveling in free air. It follows that a body which passes from a wide to a narrow passage will experience a large impact loading. Formulas for all the static and dynamic stability derivatives are then derived for an arbitrary body of revolution in terms of its cross-sectional area distribution. These formulas are specialized to an ellipsoid of revolution as an illustrative example, and plots of the results are presented as a function of the ratio of the maximum cross-sectional area of the body to the area of the tube. For the body whose diameter is a large percent of the tube diameter the stability derivatives also become an order of magnitude greater than they would be for the same body in free air. Furthermore, a statically unstable force of attraction to the wall due to proximity to the wall is present which does not exist at all for the body in free air. The inherent aerodynamic instability of a body in free air without controls is thus exaggerated by the presence of the tube walls, and the walls may be said to exert a large effect on the aerodynamic characteristics of the body. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  Oceanics, Incorporated

  Plainview, NY  United States 
• Authors:
  • Goodman, T R
• Publication Date: 1967-1

Media Info

• Pagination: 50 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerodynamics; Pneumatic conveyors; Pressure waves; Tubing; Wave motion
• Old TRIS Terms: Tube systems; Tube vehicles
• Subject Areas: Materials; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00039004
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: TR-66-31, Technical Report
• Contract Numbers: C-265-66
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 24 2002 12:00AM