A subsonic wind tunnel for gust simulation and measurement will be modified and regimented with a new control system. The gust generator employed is a novel device based upon a recently patented concept, the rotation slotted cylinder. The control system and equipment will have wide applications for nonlinear aeroelastic investigations for aircraft and rotorcraft, especially for the application of aerodynamic feedback techniques to reduce aircraft and rotorcraft response. There is also the potential for the use of this gust generator and associated control system to provide a novel and improve aerodynamic or wind excitation source for scaled models of bridges and buildings. By means of a wind-tunnel gust generator, the harmonic components of aerodynamic loads acting on a rotating blade can be simulated on a non-rotating blade model. Higher harmonic control (HHC) concepts for reducing blade vibration response can therefore be investigated using the gust generator to produce aerodynamic excitation of the model at specified harmonics of a rotor blade system. The rotor blade model feedback control system will be based either on a PC-based controller similar to that planned for the gust generator system or on a simple analog feedback controller. Regardless of the controller, the system software will provide the ability to enter a simple control law algorithm or coefficients.*** //
