ACI Capabilities
     - Wind Tunnels

ACI supports various research programs in a wide variety of wind tunnels, including small-scale to full-scale, low-subsonic to hypersonic facilities. ACI also excels in design, development and operation of data acquisition systems (DAS) and various sensors. The facilities ACI supports include the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT), Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (FML) and National Full-scale Aerodynamic Complex (NFAC) at NASA/Ames Research Center, and four hypersonic wind tunnels within the Langley Aerothermodynamics Laboratories (LAL) managed by the Ground Facilities and Testing Directorate (GFTD) at NASA/Langley Research Center. ACI has also supported test programs at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC).

ACI supported a multi-year study of high angle-of-attack aerodynamics using a real F/A-18 Hornet mounted in the 80- by 120-ft Wind Tunnel at NASA/Ames Research Center. The study included post-stall directional control by fore-body blowing. ACI was responsible for over 5000 channels of pressure data acquisition.

ACI supported a parachute deployment system in the NFAC using high-speed image processing. The parachute is a part of the Entry/Descent/Landing (EDL) system of the Mars Science Lab, NASA.s new robotic Mars rover scheduled to launch in late 2011. The parachute pack was ejected from the casing by a mortar.

Movie: Mars Science
Lab (MSL) parachute