On 2 December 2010, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) opened the world's most powerful aero-acoustic wind tunnel in collaboration with German-Dutch Wind Tunnels (Deutsch-Niederländische Windkanäle; DNW). Scientists use wind tunnels to investigate the aero-acoustic properties of objects such as aircraft engines and wings. Not only is the Braunschweig wind tunnel one of the most powerful of its kind, but also it is so versatile that it can be used for cars as well as planes. This presents new possibilities in which to record and reduce sources of noise pollution.
Credit: DNW.
Contrails are formed from water vapor together with the soot particles ejected from aircraft. After a short time, ice crystals form in the cold atmosphere. Cirrus clouds can later develop from these contrails.
Credit: DLR (CC-BY 3.0).
The PowerWall display allows designers and researchers to see future systems and components in unprecedented detail, and from all directions. With special glasses, the projections are seen in three dimensions on the screen. The projectors are located inside the PowerWall.
At DLR Göttingen, the air flow in the aircraft cabin is made visible with laser and fog particles. The main obejctive of these studies are to increase passenger comfort.
The rotor test facility at the Institute of Flight Systems.
C²A²S²E-Cluster: Europe's fastest computer for aeronautics research
Credit: DLR/Thomas Ernsting.
Since they are ideal for displaying the two separate vortices of wake turbulence, good visibility of the condensation trails at cruising altitudes above 10,000 metres was essential for carrying out the tests. Experts at the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics used the Schmidt-Appleman criterion to predict the formation of condensation trails.
After arrival at the DLR Center for Lightweight Production Technology (Zentrum für Leichtbauproduktionstechnologie; ZLP) in Stade, the 16-ton lid was mounted on the research autoclave.
What looks like a wind tunnel is actually an air intake chamber. Engine researchers use the 16-metre-long, eight metre- diameter enclosure to remove turbulence from air before it reaches the compressor of an engine during testing. This allows them to achieve optimal and repeatable conditions for their experiments.Fans and compressors are important research topics at the DLR Institute of Propulsion Technology by reason of the great influence they exert on the performance of engines and their noise emissions. The researchers are working on new designs for axial and radial compressors, and verifying their multidisciplinary development techniques using prototypes. The multi-shaft compressor test facility, shown in this image being prepared for a test, is essential for this process.
Credit: DAAD / Lannert.
Seldom do you find a group of travellers as quiet as these 63 mannequins.
The flight of birds is still largely unexplored; in particular, the movements performed during the beat of a wing and the airflow around the wing remain a puzzle to scientists. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University (Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen) and the German Armed Forces University in Munich (Universität der Bundeswehr München) is addressing this question. Starting on 26 April 2011, the scientists will be photographing the wings of an owl while in flight inside a closed room at RTWH Aachen University to obtain information about the how the shape of the bird’s wing changes during flight. This calls for basic research. Since the launch of the project in 2008, the team of scientists has succeeded in studying owl wings during gliding flight; the forthcoming measurements will be focussing on the wing beat phase.
The flight of birds is still largely unexplored; in particular, the movements performed during the beat of a wing and the airflow around the wing remain a puzzle to scientists. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University (Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen) and the German Armed Forces University in Munich (Universitaet der Bundeswehr Muenchen) is addressing this question. Starting on 26 April 2011, the scientists will be photographing the wings of an owl while in flight inside a closed room at RTWH Aachen University to obtain information about the how the shape of the bird's wing changes during flight. This calls for basic research. Since the launch of the project in 2008, the team of scientists has succeeded in studying owl wings during gliding flight; the forthcoming measurements will be focussing on the wing beat phase.
Reduced pressure on the top of the blade draws air upwards; this produces a vortex – the blade tip vortex – that is then directed downwards. When other rotor blades subsequently come into contact with these vortices, the 'chopping' or throbbing noise characteristic of helicopters is produced.
Karen Mulleners from DLR Göttingen adjusts the model of a helicopter rotor in preparation for taking measurements.
Air flows around a rectangular wing in the 50-metre-long transonic wind tunnel at Göttingen. The wing is then caused to oscillate, as can happen during flight. This leads to turbulence in the airflow, which impacts another, smaller aerofoil that also begins to oscillate.
Computer simulation of the turbulence around models of a wing and horizontal stabiliser, as would occur during a gust of wind. The red areas show strong vortices, the blue shows areas with opposite rotation.
DLR researchers Gerrit Lauenroth (front) and Felix Werner adjust the laser. This makes the airflow visible.
In the Turbine Department of the DLR Institute of Propulsion Technology, the flow over the Rolls Royce rotor is made visible through the injection of dye.
Credit: Rolls-Royce Deutschland/DLR.
Numerical simulation: Simulated pressure distribution for an airliner in landing approach.
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The primary objective of DLR aerospace research activities is to enhance the competitiveness of Germany and Europe's aerospace and air transport industries and to achieve governmental and societal objectives. In addition to fundamental research work, DLR is primarily concerned with applied aerospace research and development.
Ten aircraft and two helicopters are used by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Here, information about modifications, technical data and applications of the research aircraft and helicopters is presented clearly.
The image gallery shows images of the research aeroplanes and helicopters of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR). These sometimes highly modified aircraft form the largest civilian research aircraft fleet in Europe, operated by DLR.