Dynamic testing in wind tunnels using the wind-driven manipulator

The Wind-Driven Dynamic Manipulator is a robotic device which executes multidimensional maneuvers of aircraft models in a wind tunnel. Tunnel freestream kinetic energy is used to power the device. Transmission of reactions to the tunnel structure is thus minimized, and power requirements are negligible compared to conventional devices. Support interference can be minimized by using slender and flexible supports and correcting for deflection errors. The concept and results achieved with the device are summarized, and a new 3-degree of freedom device is described. Several example applications are described. Transient vortex interactions are visualized quantitatively in coupled pitch-yaw maneuvers. Dynamic stability parameters are measured using a second-order dynamic model of the system. An adaptive control algorithm improves trajectory tracking and enables new dynamic characteristics to be learned. WDM design parameters are discussed, and the performance equations of the device show maneuvering rates increasing faster than the reduced frequency as tunnel speed increases.