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The DARWIN system has been developed in conjunction with new computational and experimental test technologies to provide remote access to the integrated knowledge generated from these independent systems. Version 2.5 of the DARWIN system for remote access to and analysis of aeronautics data was completed and deployed at the Ames wind tunnels in December 1999. The new and improved version was used by the Wind Tunnel Operations Division to support one of the first tests in the newly modernized 11- by 11-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel in early January 2000.
The deployment of DARWIN version 2.5 at the Ames wind tunnels concluded a year of work by the DARWIN development team on implementing enhancements to the DARWIN system. The major new feature of this release is a completely redesigned database schema. Building on 3 years of experience with the original database and on feedback from collaborators at NASA Langley, Eglin Air Force Base, and Arnold Engineering Development Center, the team developed a schema that can store values for a wide range of variables and thus flexibly capture information from disparate wind-tunnel test entries. All components of the DARWIN system, including the client, administrator, and database loader, were completely reworked to take advantage of the new database schema.
In addition to the new database, other features of this release include an improved client user interface and ability to review data from additional tunnel instrumentation suites, such as Video Model Deformation (VMD), Temperature Sensitive Paint (TSP), and Mini Tufts (see fig. 1). It also includes the capability to manage and cross-plot associated computation fluid dynamics (CFD) results with the experimental data. The new DARWIN administrator allows wind-tunnel support personnel to manage the system without requiring assistance from the development team. Finally, the automated database loading system now takes a standard file format (netCDF) as input so that accepting information produced by other data acquisition systems is easier.
Completion of the 11-foot LB435 Calibration Test in the 11- by 11-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel marked the first support of a live wind-tunnel test entry using DARWIN version 2.5. All aspects of the system performed as advertised, including the client application, the automated database loader, and the administrator application. The Wind Tunnel Operations staff made a few feature requests, which were addressed and implemented within a week or two of receipt. During the LB435 test, values for 119 variables were collected at 19,684 points in time, resulting in approximately 2.2 million recorded values. The DARWIN database now holds close to 20 million values across 18 wind-tunnel tests.
Deployment of DARWIN version 2.5 at Ames allows wind-tunnel customers, including NASA and university researchers, the U.S. military, and commercial aircraft manufacturers, to access wind-tunnel test data from remote locations. Test data are available in near real time while tests are in progress and can be compared against archival tests already in the database. The DARWIN system lowers the cost of wind-tunnel tests by reducing travel requirements and providing rapid data analysis capabilities. Advances made in the version 2.5 release facilitate DARWIN support of the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnels and the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, and also pave the way for adoption of the DARWIN system at NASA Langley Research Center.
Point of Contact: David Korsmeyer
(650) 604-3144
dkorsmeyer@mail.arc.nasa.gov
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Fig. 1. The Darwin system screen showing the oblique all wing cooperative test (210197).
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