Mercedes Reaves - Career in NASA

Career in NASA

During her career in NASA, Reaves has been involved in the research on modeling and validation of smart structures, the implementation of probabilistic analysis tools for dynamic model updates, simulation of ground-induced vibration of the HSCT (High Speed Civil Transport) as it traversed a typical runway and experiments to determine static and dynamic properties of advanced aircraft tires

On August 2001 Reaves participated in a flight experiment called the Aero-structures Test Wing (ATW), conducted at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The experiment successfully demonstrated a new software data analysis tool, the flutterometer, which is designed to increase the efficiency of flight flutter testing.

The experiment consisted of an 18-inch carbon fiber test wing with surface-mounted piezoelectric strain actuators. The test wing was mounted on a special ventral flight test fixture and flown on Dryden’s F-15B Research Testbed aircraft. At each Mach number and altitude, stability estimations of the wing were made using accelerometer measurements in response to the piezoelectric actuator excitation.

Placement of the piezoelectric actuators was determined by Reaves to maximize their effectiveness. Piezoelectric actuators are devices that produce a small displacement with a high force capability when voltage is applied. The actuators were moved at different magnitudes and frequency levels to induce wing vibrations and excite the dynamics during flight. The ATW experiment represents the first time that piezoelectric actuators were used during a flight flutter test.