Aeroelastic Load Control program: in-flight demonstration of active flow control technology

The USAF Test Pilot School (TPS) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) have partnered with Lockheed Martin and General Electric (GE) Global Research to execute the first flight test using dual bimorph synthetic jet (DBSJ) actuators in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of active flow control technology. The first phase of the aeroelastic load control (ALC) program demonstrated the use of small, electronically controlled DBSJ actuators to mitigate the effects of turbulent airflow. The USAF TPS flew three missions that were dedicated to evaluating this technology using a unique configuration on a modified F-16 test aircraft. The primary objective of this test was to validate the configuration as an effective active flow control evaluation platform. The initial results of the flight tests showed some effectiveness in reducing dynamic loads from turbulent airflow when employing the DBSJ actuators. Specifically, parameters reflected a reduction in overall sound pressure levels when the jet actuators were operational. Our data also suggested that active flow control technology merits further investigation using our test configuration, which could potentially lead to some new and innovative solutions to turbulent airflow in the aerospace industry