A Tentative Identification of Water Drop Trajectory Investigators

Published: Thu 09 November 2023
Updated: Sat 18 May 2024

tags: impingement

NACA-TN-2094 and investigators operating the water-drop-trajectory analog

Figure 15 of NACA-TN-2904. Water-drop-trajectory analog. Two investigators operate a large mechanical computer. One is seated turning a crank attached to a large cylinder labelled "Input Chart". The second operator turns another input chart crank. Another cylinder is labelled "Droplet Trajectories". There are many shafts and gears visible in the machine. Some machine parts are labelled with the differential equations of motion being solved.
Figure 15 of NACA-TN-2904

Summary

While no one is identified in Figure 15 of NACA-TN-2904, I speculate that these investigators are Helen M. Gallagher, and Dorothea E. Vogt. (I do not know which name goes with which individual). While neither Gallager nor Vogt is credited in NACA-TN-2904, it is possible that they contributed to the analysis, as they did in several other water-drop trajectory publications.

Discussion

Yes, I have used this figure a lot, as it is one of the best of the hundreds I have viewed from the NACA-era. This image is also notable in that of the hundreds of NACA-era documents that I have read, this is the only one where the people appear to be women.

I have not been able to find photos of Gallager or Vogt for comparison (and photos of any NACA-era authors are hard to find). In this photo the individuals are not at good angles for identification anyway.

The rationale for the identification is that Gallager or Vogt collaborated on other publications with Rinaldo Brun as lead author.
The publications are before and after NACA-TN-2904.

Selected publications with Brun as lead author:

  • Brun, Rinaldo J., Gallagher, Helen M., and Vogt, Dorothea E.: Impingement of Water Droplets on NACA 651-208 and 651-212 Airfoils at 4° Angle of Attack. NACA-TN-2952, 1953.
  • Brun, Rinaldo J., and Mergler, Harry W.: Impingement of Water Droplets on a Cylinder in an Incompressible Flow Field and Evaluation of Rotating Multicylinder Method for Measurement of Droplet-Size Distribution, Volume-Median Droplet Size, and Liquid-Water Content in Clouds. NACA-TN-2904, 1953.
    > review: NACA-TN-2904
  • Brun, Rinaldo J., Serafini, John S., and Gallagher, Helen M.: Impingement of Cloud Droplets on Aerodynamic Bodies as Affected by Compressibility of Air Flow Around the Body. NACA-TN-2903, 1953.
    > review: NACA-TN-2903
  • Brun, Rinaldo J., Gallagher, Helen M., and Vogt, Dorothea E.: Impingement of Water Droplets on NACA 65A004 Airfoil and Effect of Change in Airfoil Thickness from 12 to 4 Percent at 4° Angle of Attack. NACA-TN-3047, 1953.
  • Brun, Rinaldo J., Gallagher, Helen M., and Vogt, Dorothea E.: Impingement of Water Droplets on NACA 65A004 Airfoil at 8° Angle of Attack. NACA-TN-3155, 1954.
  • Brun, Rinaldo J., and Vogt, Dorothea E.: Impingement of Water Droplets on NACA 65A004 Airfoil at 0° Angle of Attack. NACA-TN-3586, 1955.

I have not found biographies of either investigator. Here are listings from worldcat.org of their publications (the listings on ntrs.nasa.gov are incomplete for these authors).

Hellen Gallager: worldcat.org

Dorthea Vogt: worldcat.org

Related

This is part of the Water Drop Impingement on Surfaces thread.

social