Laws Allowing Establishment of AEDC Turn 70 by Bradley Hicks Years Before the Passage of These Laws
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TULLAHOMA TN Vol. 66, No. 20 Arnold AFB, Tenn. PERMIT NO. 29 October 21, 2019 Team members’ innovative methods advance test operations for AEDC hypersonic propulsion facility By Deidre Ortiz AEDC Public Affairs Improvements by team members of the AEDC Aerodynamics and Propulsion Test Unit (APTU) at Arnold Air Force Base have prevented unscheduled downtime and avoided equipment damage at the facility. Adam Webb, an electrical engineer for the Test Operations and Sustainment (TOS) contractor, National Aerospace Solutions, improved upon software for the rectifiers by enabling it to detect an unsafe condition and restore the rectifier to normal operations, preventing damage to expensive equipment. A rectifier is an electrical device that con- verts alternating current to direct current. The software was successful during a re- cent APTU test, when one of the rectifiers went into an un-commanded runaway. “A runaway is when the output current increases significantly above the set point value,” Webb said. “If left unchecked, it can cause the APTU Facility Control Sys- tem to trip the heated fuel system offline. This results in an unplanned early test ter- mination, possible damage to the Heated Fuel System and a required repeat of the test conditions. A repeat test at APTU can be expensive and could cause additional Electricians Lon Britt, left, and Robert Campbell, right, along with electrical engineer Adam Webb look at a rectifier, like degradation to the test article.” one that was responsible for an un-commanded “runaway” condition, outside the AEDC Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit at Arnold Air Force base. Webb improved the logic used in the Programmable Logic Controllers on the units to handle un-commanded “runaways,” which allowed him to identify the part at fault. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett) See , page 3 FACILITY (This image has been altered by obscuring items for security reasons.) AEDC testing cost-, time-saving water line repair method By Jill Pickett “The cost of total replacement AEDC Public Affairs is roughly 10 times the cost of this repair project,” Quattlebaum said. When it’s possible to increase Congestion in the underground operational reliability while mini- space with ducting, other utilities mizing the cost and disruption and equipment foundations com- caused by maintenance, it’s a win- plicates repairs by limiting access win. to excavate, explained Quattle- Arnold Engineering Develop- baum. This often requires holes to ment Complex team members are be repaired from inside the pipe implementing a trial run of such and forces base-wide raw water a solution to the problem of leaks outages of four to six days for each in raw water pipes at Arnold Air outage. Force Base. Raw water is used in Outages are costly both finan- the cooling systems of the test cells cially and in terms of testing time. on base. “Each outage costs the base According to Jeff Quattlebaum, tens of thousands of dollars in ef- cooling water system engineer at fort, requires personnel to crawl Arnold, the leaks are a result of into awfully long, tight spaces, and corrosion causing holes in the steel AEDC loses significant amounts of pipe. The flooding caused when a potential test time,” said Maj. Mi- leak becomes significant impacts chael Knauf, Aeropropulsion op- Dusty Pickens, from left, 2nd Lt. Adam Doyle and Andy Crum look on as Maj. Michael Knauf ex- pits, manholes and structure foun- erations officer. its a 30-inch pipe in the raw water pipe system at Arnold Air Force Base. The group conducted dations; and it causes a safety issue an inspection of pipes recently lined with a fiber-reinforced polymer, Sept. 23. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bradley Hicks) in freezing temperatures. See TESTING, page 3 Laws allowing establishment of AEDC turn 70 By Bradley Hicks years before the passage of these laws. This AEDC Public Affairs work was precipitated by the foresight of eventual General of the Air Force Henry It was 70 years ago this month that “Hap” Arnold. President Harry S. Truman signed legisla- It was during a visit to England in the tion that paved the way for the establish- spring of 1941 that Arnold, who was com- ment of Arnold Engineering Development manding general of the Army Air Forces Complex (AEDC). during World War II, observed a British On Oct. 27 and 28, 1949, Truman signed plane flying without a propeller. He wanted the Unitary Wind Tunnel Plan Act and the to bring this type of capability to the U.S. Air Engineering Development Center Act military. of 1949. The first bill authorized a unitary Realizing that developing new equip- plan for the construction of transonic and ment would require the establishment of supersonic wind tunnel facilities in an effort research and development organizations to bolster national defense. The second bill, and better testing facilities, Arnold met signed the following day, authorized the with renowned mathematician, engineer $100 million appropriated by Congress for and physicist Dr. Theodore von Kármán in the construction of the Air Engineering De- New York in 1944 to discuss the future de- velopment Center, the site that would soon fense needs of the nation. This photo shows Arnold Air Force Base as it appeared during its construction become known as the Arnold Engineering in the 1950s. During the month of October, 70 years ago, President Harry Tru- Development Center and eventually the Ar- man signed into law the bills that allowed for the establishment of what would nold Engineering Development Complex. See AEDC, page 4 become Arnold Engineering Development Center, now Arnold Engineering De- Work to bring AEDC to fruition began velopment Complex. (U.S. Air Force photo) VKF named in honor of Take steps to prevent illness von Kármán 60 years ago during cold and flu season …Page 2 …Page 5 2 • October 21, 2019 Arnold VKF named in honor of von Kármán 60 years ago Air Force By Bradley Hicks Base AEDC Public Affairs Sixty years ago, a test facility at Arnold Air Force Base was re- named in honor of the man who helped provide the blueprint that led to the construction of the now Arnold Engineering Develop- ment Complex headquartered at Col. Jeffrey Geraghty Arnold AFB. Commander During an Oct. 30, 1959, cere- Jason Austin mony, the Gas Dynamics Facility Chief, was dedicated as the von Kármán Public Affairs Gas Dynamics Facility, a hyper- sonic wind tunnel testing facility, in honor of mathematician, phys- icist and engineer Dr. Theodore Richard Tighe von Kármán. General Manager, The event marked the first National Aerospace time that the Air Force had Solutions named a major facility after a High Mach Staff: living person. Von Kármán ad- Kathy Gattis, dressed the crowd gathered for NAS Executive Editor the ceremony. “There is no doubt in my Dr. Theodore von Kármán speaks during the Oct. 30, 1959, ceremony to dedicate the Gas Dynamics Jill Pickett mind that this is the greatest hon- Facility at Arnold Air Force Base in his honor. Von Kármán helped provide the blueprint that led to NAS Editor or that I have ever experienced,” the construction of Arnold Engineering Development Complex at Arnold AFB. Seated behind von High Mach is published by von Kármán said. “But I would Kármán is Gen. Bernard Schriever, then-commander of Air Force Systems. (U.S. Air Force photo) Lakeway Publishers, Inc. a pri- vate firm in no way connected have thought the Air Force would ing, aircraft structures and wind with the U.S. Air Force, Arnold have waited a few years until I erosion of soil. Air Force Base, Arnold Engi- had the occasion to look back at Von Kármán’s work caught neering Development Complex this from beyond infinity. I think the attention of Henry “Hap” Ar- (AEDC) or National Aerospace Solutions (NAS), under exclu- that is really the tradition, that nold, the man who would later sive written contract with NAS the scientist, if he gets something become General of the Air Force. at Arnold AFB, Tenn., 37389. dedicated in his name, should al- The two had several meetings to Everything advertised in ready be dead. But I am glad the discuss the future of air research, this publication will be made and von Kármán began working available for purchase, use Air Force managed an exception or patronage without regard and gave me the opportunity to with Arnold to advance the Unit- to race, color, religion, sex, accept this honor.” ed States’ air force. national origin, age, marital sta- Von Kármán, a native Jewish In 1939, Arnold asked von tus, physical handicap, political Hungarian, was born May 11, Kármán to design a 20-foot affiliation or any other non- merit factor of the purchaser, 1881. His mathematical prowess wind tunnel for Wright Field in user or patron. was evident from an early age. Ohio. Toward the end of World The High Mach office is By the time he was 6 years old, War II, Arnold again sought located at 100 Kindel Drive, von Kármán could reportedly von Kármán’s help. This time, Suite A236, Arnold AFB, Tenn. 37389-1236. Editorial content multiply six-digit numbers in his Arnold asked him to establish a is edited and prepared by NAS. head with the speed of a calcu- scientific advisory group to de- Deadline for copy is Wednes- lator. When he was 16, he was velop a blueprint for future air day at close of business one awarded the Eotvos Prize as the research. The Gas Dynamics Facility at Arnold Air Force Base was dedi- week before publication. finest mathematics and science In spring 1945, von Kármán cated in honor of Dr.