

          TunnelSys Post Processing Application



This is the beta 1.0h version of the NASA Glenn TunnelSys 
Post Processing application program, and you are invited to participate 
in the beta testing. If you find any errors in the program or would like to suggest
improvements, please send an e-mail to Thomas.J.Benson@nasa.gov.

With this software you can investigate the design, testing, and post-processing 
of a wing model in a wind tunnel.

TunnelSys is a series of three Java applications which students can use to
explore the process of wind tunel testing. In wind tunnel testing, an engineer must 
first design and build a wind tunnel model with all of the appropriate instrumentation included.
The model is then placed in the tunnel test section and air is blown over the model.
Different diagnostic techniques may be employed during a wind tunnel test and 
the instrumentation records the desired information for the model designer. 
The engineer who conducts the wind tunnel test is not normally the same person 
who designed the model, but someone who is a specialist at wind tunnel operation.
The data from the test goes to a third engineer who performs the necessary
data reduction and produces performance plots for the initial engineer. 

RUNNING THE APPLICATION

This program is a Java application and you must have the Java JDK installed on your computer
to operate the program. An application works differently than a Java applet
available on the Internet. This program runs "stand-alone" and can read and write
files to your computer. To launch the program, you need to know the PATH to the
folder where the program has been extracted. The PATH will be something like
C:\My Programs\TunnelSys\post
To launch the application, go to C:\      
Assuming you have Java installed on your computer, type this command:

    java -cp (the PATH) Process

for our example PATH, this would look like:

    java -cp My Programs\TunnelSys\post Process


GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

This program is designed to be interactive, so you have to work with the program.
There are a variety of choices which you must make regarding the display
of results by using a choice box. A choice box has a descriptive word displayed and an arrow at 
the right of the box. To make a choice, click on the arrow, hold down and drag to
make your selection. The current values of the design variables are presented to you in boxes.
By convention, a white box with black numbers is an input box and you can change the value of the number. 
A black box with yellow or green numbers is an output box and the value is computed by the program.
To change the value in an input box, select the box by moving the cursor into the box
and clicking the mouse, then backspace over the old number, enter a new number,
then hit the <Enter> key on your keyboard. 

You must hit Enter to send the new value to the program.

For most input variables you can also use a slider located next to the input box.
Click on the slider bar, hold down and drag the slider bar to change values, or
you can click on the arrows at either end of the slider.
If you experience difficulties when using the sliders to change variables,
simply click away from the slider and then back to it. If
the arrows on the end of the sliders disappear, click in the areas
where the left and right arrow images should appear, and they should reappear.
At any time, to return to the original default conditions,
click the magenta <b>Reset</b> button at the lower left of the program.

SCREEN LAYOUT

The Data Processing Program screen is divided into four main parts:
   
   On the top left side of the screen is the Main Plotter Window.
   The plotter window displays a graph of the data obtained from the wind tunnel
   test program. Multiple plots can be displayed in this window to compare
   the results from several tests. The data appears as small dots with straight 
   lines connected the data points. You can rescale the plots by using the buttons
   at the top of the window.
  
   On the top right side of the screen is the Diagnostic Plotter Window.
   You can choose to display either a graph of the test data for
   a specific test or a "movie" of the wing in the tunnel for a given data point. 
   For a graph of the test data, the plotter shows the data points as small dots 
   plotted on the theoretical plot for the given test conditions. 
   A selected data point is shown as a red dot on the plot.
                 
   On the lower left side of the screen is the <b>Control Panel</b>.
   Details of the plot generation process are given below in "Plot Generation".
   Data can be displayed in either Imperial or Metric units by using the choice button. 
   You can start over at any time by clicking the "Restart" button at the bottom of the panel.
 
   On the lower right side of the screen is the Diagnostics Selection Panel.
   Details of the selection process are given below in the "Diagnostics" section. 

PLOT GENERATION
  
You begin post-processing by loading wind tunnel data from the Wind Tunnel Test Program.
Click on the blue button "Data File" to open a browser where you can locate the
data file generated by the Wind Tunnel Test Program. 
The form of this browser depends on your particular operating system.
We recommend that you create some naming conventions so that you can easily find your files.
You may want to create a special directory for each student. When you return from the browser,
the path to your data file will be entered into the text box to the right of the "Open File" button.
You must click "Open File" to open the test data file. The number of test plots generated by
the Wind Tunnel Test Program will be listed in the text box.
  
You select which test data you are going to plot by using the input box labeled "Select Test #". 
You then enter the test data into the plotter by clicking "Open Test". 
The number of data points in the test is shown to the right, 
plots appear in the plotter windows, and the type of test (lift versus speed, 
angle of attack, or pressure)is noted. During the wind tunnel test, the lift is 
measured as well as the tunnel conditions. A more useful parameter for design is the
lift coefficient, which is calculated by the post-processing program.
You can select to plot the lift coefficient (Cl) by using the buttons in the lower portion of 
the Control Panel.

The plot is drawn on the main plotter window and the diagnostic plotter window. You can compare
test results by hitting the "Save" button on the main plotter window.

SAVING RESULTS

If you wish to save your wind tunnel test results, you can generate a printed file for your records.

Click on the blue "Print File" button. This will open a "browser" that you can use to
locate and name the data file. When you return from the browser,
the path to your print file will be entered into the text box to the right of the "Open Print" button.
You then must click "Open Print" to open the file. It is not necessary to create and
open a print file. The print file is just for your records.

DIAGNOSTICS
   
The Diagnostic Selection Panel is at the lower right of the Post-Processing Program screen.
With the diagnostic selection panel, you can display detailed data about selected points on the
test plot. The data point is selected by using the "Increase" and "Decrease" buttons at the top of the 
panel. The test conditions, measured lift, and calculated lift coefficient are then displayed for the 
selected data point. The selected point is also shown in red on the diagnostic plot above the panel.
