Engineering Commons^™

Fatigue Issues And Mitigation Strategies In Collegiate Aviation, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Julius Keller, Erik Levin, Aaron Teo

Publications

The reduction of fatigue-related accidents has been in the NTSB most wanted list since 2016 (NSTB, 2019).

Most research studies have focused on fatigue identification and management within the commercial and/or military aviation environments (Caldwell et al., 2009; Gawron, 2016; Sieberichs & Kluge, 2016).

However, collegiate aviation may be the most challenging in terms of fatigue mitigation. Flight instructors and students often have schedules which may increase the risks for fatigue.

Advanced Photogrammetric Modeling Of Dranoc Kullas Using Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, George Gebert, Liam Griffin, Justin Lawlor, Lauren Davis, Kylee Vander Velde, Sami Ali

Student Works

Small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), also known as drones, offer new capabilities for cultural heritage preservation activities. Student researchers from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University have applied photogrammetric techniques based upon sUAS captured imagery to assist with historical site documentation and cultural heritage preservation in the Republic of Kosovo. Imagery from three locations -- Isniq, Dranoc and Junik -- highlight this work. Student researchers created georectified orthomosaics and 3D virtual objects. At each of these three locations the object of interest was a type of building known as a kulla. These kullas are fortified homes built for protecting large families and are …

Comparative Analysis Of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Manuals, Stephen M. Cigal

Student Works

With over 100,000 remote pilots in the United States, individuals and companies are rapidly incorporating unmanned aircraft system technologies into their everyday life and businesses models. The companies that use these technologies must comply with federal and state regulations in order to maintain a safe environment to operate. These operations must also be accepted by the general public. Since the FAA regulations for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) went into effect in 2016, supplemented by additional state and/or local requirements, some companies have generated operations manuals (OM) to ensure consistent, safe flight that meets these requirements. By analyzing the OM’s …

Range Of Motion Evaluation Of A Final Frontier Design Iva Spacesuit Using Motion Capture, Ryan L. Kobrick, Nicholas Lopac, Chase Covello, Benjamin Banner, Theodore Southern, Nikolay Moiseev

Publications

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology Laboratory (S.U.I.T. Lab) is focused on improving human performance in spaceflight by concentrating on spacesuit research for intravehicular activities (IVA) and extravehicular activities (EVA). The design and execution of range of motion (ROM) protocols in an experimental setting will provide insight on the functions and restrictions of spacesuits, aiding in current and future designs or modification. The S.U.I.T. Lab worked with Final Frontier Design (FFD) to provide a quantitative analysis protocol for seated arm mobility of their NASA Flight Opportunities Program (FOP) IVA spacesuit. The lab used reflective tracking markers on three …

Propulsion System Testing For A Long-Endurance Solar-Powered Unmanned Aircraft, D. Dantsker, Robert Deters, Marco Caccamo

Publications

The increase in popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been driven by their use in civilian, education, government, and military applications. However, limited on-board energy storage significantly limits flight time and ultimately usability. The propulsion system plays a critical part in the overall energy consumption of the UAV; therefore, it is necessary to determine the most optimal combination of possible propulsion system components for a given mission profile, i.e. propellers, motors, and electronic speed controllers (ESC). Hundreds of options are available for the different components with little performance specifications available for most of them. In order to determine the …

The Changing Face Of Airmanship And Safety Culture Operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Tracy Lamb

Student Works

The notion of using drones for commercial purposes has evolved in the past 5 years from the initial “boom” of excitement around this, somewhat of a novelty and curiosity, to more calculated and sophisticated use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones. In the hands of true professionals, drones can offer highly efficient and profitable solutions for industrial, and commercial inspections and other data capturing tasks. The appetite for safe and efficient collection of data is a changing face of safety cultures and how teams and individuals apply airmanship principles, and how inspection crew and UAS crew interact. UAS are …

Project Atlas: A Mobile Universal Rocket Engine Test Stand, Collin Mickels, Conrad H. Wright, Noah Soderquist, Alona Prokofieva, Sattar Panahandehgar, Naveen Sri Uddanti, Alcuin Rajan

Student Works

Project Atlas is a mobile, trailer-mounted, rocket engine test stand developed by Experimental Rocket Propulsion Lab (ERPL) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach, Florida campus. The integrated test stand and automated data-acquisition and control system supports ERPL’s multitude of engine research projects, including bipropellant liquid and hybrid rocket engines. The need for an integrated universal mobile test stand stems from the inability to conduct frequent test fires on campus due to Class-3 airspace and liability issues. The test stand is designed as a horizontal thrust structure utilizing a dual flame duct to redirect and cancel reaction forces acting upon the …

Beyond 2020 Nextgen Compliance: Human Factors And Cognitive Loading Issues For Commercial And General Aviation Pilots, Mark D. Miller, Sam Holley

Publications

As previously identified by the authors, digitized flight decks have realigned SHELL model components and introduced cognitive overload con­cerns. Considering changes from implementing Next Generation air traffic management requirements in 2020, the authors assess digitized interfaces associated with cockpit displays of information integral to performance based navigation and similar operations. Focus is placed on Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, digitized communications, and expanded electronic flight bags. The ADSB (In) cockpit display will enable pilots to have flight visual awareness on aircraft, terrain, weather and hazards to flight through live satellite updates every second. Increased optical demands and cognitive loading are anticipated …

Uas Flight Operations In Complex Terrain: Assessing The Agricultural Impact From Hurricane Maria In The Central Mountainous Region Of Puerto Rico, Kevin Adkins

Publications

Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September 2017 as a Category 4 storm causing major damage to infrastructure, agriculture and natural ecosystems, as well as the loss of many lives. Among the crops hardest hit was coffee, one of the most important crops in Puerto Rico. As a perennial system, coffee takes various production forms along a gradient from high shade/biodiversity coffee farms to low shade coffee monocultures and therefore offers an ideal means for the study of resistance and resilience of an agroecosystem to weather and climate disturbance. During the summer of 2018, 14 impacted farms across the production …

A Change In The Dark Room: The Effects Of Human Factors And Cognitive Loading Issues For Nextgen Tracon Air Traffic Controllers, Mark D. Miller, Sam Holley, Bettina Mrusek, Linda Weiland

Publications

By 2020 all aircraft in United States airspace must use ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) Out. This is a key component of the Next Generation (NextGen) Air Transportation System, which marks the first time all aircraft will be tracked continuously using satellites instead of ground-based radar. Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) in the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) is a primary NextGen upgrade where digitized automation/information surrounds STARS controllers while controlling aircraft. Applying the SHELL model, the authors analyze human factors changes affecting TRACON controllers from pre-STARS technology through NextGen technologies on performance. Results of an informal survey of STARS …

An Investigation Of The Magneto-Active Slosh Control For Cylindrical Propellant Tanks Using Floating Membranes, Manikandan Vairamani, Pedro Llanos, Balaji Sivasubramanian, Somnath Nagendra, Kevin Crosby

Publications

The phenomenon of sloshing is a substantial challenge in propellant management, particularly in reduced gravity where surface tension-driven flows result in large slosh amplitudes and relatively long decay time scales. Propellant Management Devices (PMDs) such as the rigid baffles and elastomeric membranes are often employed to counteract motion of the free surface. In the present study, we investigate an active PMD that utilizes a free-floating membrane that, under an applied static magnetic field, becomes rigid and suppresses slosh. This semi-rigid structural layer can thereby replace bulky baffle structures and reduce the overall weight of the tank. In this paper, the …

Traditional Vs Gesture Based Uav Control, Sam J. Holley, Brian Sanders, Dennis Vincenzi, Yuzhong Shen

Publications

Abstract. The purpose of this investigation was to assess user preferences for controlling an autonomous system. A comparison using a virtual environment (VE) was made between a joystick based, game controller and a gesture-based system using the leap motion controller. Command functions included basic flight maneuvers and switching between the operator and drone view. Comparisons were made between the control approaches using a representative quadcopter drone. The VE was designed to minimize the cognitive loading and focus on the flight control. It is a physics-based flight simulator built in Unity3D. Participants first spend time familiarizing themselves with the basic controls …