Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Experimental Analysis Of The Integrated High-Lift Propulsor, Robert W. Deters, Byron Ward, Shreyas Narsipur

Publications

Wind tunnel testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of the Integrated High Lift Propulsor (IHLP), a novel Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) system. The IHLP integrates traditional Krueger flap/slat elements with a Distributed Electric Propulsion design, enhancing high lift performance and cruise efficiency compared to conventional pylon-mounted DEP configurations. Starting from a baseline configuration determined from pretest Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses, a parametric study was performed to determine the influence on the aerodynamic characteristics (𝐶𝑙 , 𝐶𝑥, and 𝐶𝑚). The study involved variations in flap settings, slat angles, overlap, propeller tilt, and propeller position. The impact of Reynolds number, …

Experimental Environmental Profiles And Sloshing Dynamics Aboard Zero-G Aircraft, Pedro J. Llanos, Sathya Gangadharan, Kevin Crosby

Publications

This study presents the results of a parabolic flight experiment to study the sloshing dynamics of the magneto-active propellant management device experiment. This device utilizes a magnetoactive membrane and magnets located external to the tank to effectively damp the liquid free surface motion. This research work establishes a benchmark with sloshing analytical formulation and sensor calibration methods that can be used to characterize future research parabolic flights while providing important environmental profiles measured during flight, such as accelerations, pitch angle, velocity, temperature, total volatile content, carbon dioxide, relative humidity, magnetic field, and radiation. Correlation between these flight variables and the …

Metal Organic Framework Modifications Of Structural Fibers, Marwan Al-Haik

Publications

A reinforced carbon composite can include a carbon sub­strate and a metal organic framework bonded to the carbon substrate. For example, a reinforced carbon composite can include a first layer, a second layer, and a resin adhered to the first layer and the second layer. The first layer can include a carbon substrate and a metal organic framework bonded to the carbon substrate. The second layer can include a carbon substrate and a metal organic framework bonded to the carbon substrate.

Adaptive Modified Rise-Based Quadrotor Trajectory Tracking With Actuator Uncertainty Compensation, Emmanuel Ogbanje Ijoga, William Mackunis, Krishna Bhavithavya Kidambi, Madhur Tiwari

Publications

This paper presents an adaptive robust nonlinear control method, which achieves reliable trajectory tracking control for a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle in the presence of gyroscopic effects, rotor dynamics, and external disturbances. Through novel mathematical manipulation in the error system development, the quadrotor dynamics are expressed in a control-oriented form, which explicitly incorporates the uncertainty in the gyroscopic term and control actuation term. An adaptive robust nonlinear control law is then designed to stabilize both the position and attitude loops of the quadrotor system. A rigorous Lyapunov-based analysis is utilized to prove asymptotic trajectory tracking, where the region of convergence …

Metal Organic Framework Modifications Of Structural Fibers, Marwan Al-Haik

Publications

A reinforced carbon composite can include a carbon sub­strate and a metal organic framework bonded to the carbon substrate. For example, a reinforced carbon composite can include a first layer, a second layer, and a resin adhered to the first layer and the second layer. The first layer can include a carbon substrate and a metal organic framework bonded to the carbon substrate. The second layer can include a carbon substrate and a metal organic framework bonded to the carbon substrate.

Electromagnetic Slosh And Liquid Position Detection, Eduardo Antonio Rojas

Publications

Apparatus and techniques are described for monitoring slosh of a liquid within a propellant tank. The approaches described herein can use an electromagnetic transmitter positioned at a first location on or within the tank, the electromagnetic transmitter coupled to a source of electro­magnetic energy and arranged to establish a specified elec­tromagnetic field configuration within the tank using a signal from the source, and an electromagnetic receiver positioned at a different second location on or within the tank, the electromagnetic receiver arranged to sense an electromag­netic field established within the tank by the electromagnetic transmitter. A control circuit can be coupled …

Utilizing Uas To Support Wildlife Hazard Management Efforts By Airport Operators, Flavio A. C. Mendonca, Ryan Wallace

Publications

The FAA requires airports operating under the Code of Federal Regulations Part 139 to conduct a wildlife hazard assessment (WHA) when some wildlife-strike events have occurred at or near the airport. The WHA should be conducted by a Qualified Airport Wildlife Biologist (QAWB) and must contain several elements, including the identification of the wildlife species observed and their numbers; local movements; daily and seasonal occurrences; and the identification and location of features on and near the airport that could attract wildlife. Habitats and land-use practices at and around the airport are key factors affecting wildlife species and the size of …

Viability And Application Of Mounting Personal Pid Voc Sensors To Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Cheri Marcham

Publications

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems in Emergency Response

Current sUAS Uses

• Search and rescue
• Thermal imaging
• Evaluating structural stability
• Spread of wildfires
• Storm damage

Robust Nonlinear Tracking Control For Unmanned Aircraft In The Presence Of Wake Vortex, Petr Kazarin, Vladimir Golubev, William Mackunis, Claudia Moreno

Publications

The flight trajectory of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be significantly affected by external disturbances such as turbulence, upstream wake vortices, or wind gusts. These effects present challenges for UAV flight safety. Hence, addressing these challenges is of critical importance for the integration of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS), especially in terminal zones. This work presents a robust nonlinear control method that has been designed to achieve roll/yaw regulation in the presence of unmodeled external disturbances and system nonlinearities. The data from NASA-conducted airport experimental measurements as well as high-fidelity Large Eddy Simulations of the …

Viability And Application Of Mounting Personal Pid Voc Sensors To Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Cheryl Lynn Marcham, Scott Burgess, Joseph Cerreta, Patti J. Clark, James P. Solti, Brandon Breault, Joshua G. Marcham

Publications

Using a UAS-mounted sensor to allow for a rapid response to areas that may be difficult to reach or potentially dangerous to human health can increase the situational awareness of first responders of an aircraft crash site through the remote detection, identification, and quantification of airborne hazardous materials. The primary purpose of this research was to evaluate the remote sensing viability and application of integrating existing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) sensors with small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technology to detect potentially hazardous airborne contaminants in emergency leak or spill response situations. By mounting the personal photoionization detector (PID) with volatile organic compound …

Exploring The Impact Of Composite Material Fires And Associated Response Protocol On The Material Analysis During An Aircraft Accident Investigation, Flavio A. C. Mendonca, Natalie Zimmermann, Peng Hao Wang, Julius Keller

Publications

Metals, beginning in the 1930s, have been frequently used as the material of choice for aircraft construction (Hallion, 1978; Jakab, 1999). Common metals used in the aviation industry range from alloyed and heat-treated aluminum to titanium, magnesium, and superalloys, the latter used in specialized applications (Hallion, 1978; Mouritz, 2012). Nevertheless, a shift in aircraft construction – specifically in terms of the materials used – began in the 1970s, as composite materials were introduced into commercial aircraft (Mouritz, 2012). Among others, the increased use of composited materials was – and still is – propelled by the ability to manufacture comparative lightweight …

Aerodynamic And Aeroacoustic Performance Of Small Uav Propellers In Static Conditions, William Jordan, Robert W. Deters, Shreyas Narsipur

Publications

The proliferation of small multi-rotor UAVs in commercial, recreational, and surveillance spheres has garnered significant interest in the noise produced by these vehicles. The current research aims to study the relationship between the aerodynamic performance and acoustic characteristics of small-scale UAV propellers. Three commercially available propellers for the DJI Phantom 2/3 UAV were selected for preliminary development and validation of an aeroacoustic experimental test setup and associated data reduction methods. Propeller thrust, torque, and power measurements were recorded at static conditions. Upon successful validation of the test bench, acoustic measurements were taken at the propeller disk’s upstream and in-plane locations. …

Performance Testing Of Aero-Naut Camfolding Propellers, Or D. Dantsker, Robert W. Deters, Marco Caccamo, Michael S. Selig

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. By examining a variety of …

Application Of Mounting Personal Pid Voc Sensors To Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems To Aid First Responders, Cheri Marcham

Publications

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems in Emergency Response

• Current sUAS Uses
• Search and rescue
• Thermal imaging
• Evaluating structural stability
• Spread of wildfires
• Storm damage

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.

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 …

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 …

Hybrid Magneto-Active Propellant Management Device For Active Slosh Damping Within A Vehicle Fuel Tank, Balaji Sivasubramanian, Leander Paul, Sathya Gangadharan

Publications

This disclosure includes a hybrid magneto-active mem­brane, which can be used as part of a Magneto-active Propellant Management Device (MAPMD), to actively con­trol free surface effects of liquid materials, such as fuels, and to reduce fuel slosh. The disclosed MAPMD merges aspects of a diaphragm membrane with a magneto-active inlay to control the membrane during in-flight conditions.

Experiments Of Propeller-Induced Flow Effects On A Low-Reynolds-Number Wing, Gavin K. Ananda, Robert Deters, Michael S. Selig

Publications

Novel findings are discussed in this paper that will be especially beneficial to designers and modelers of small-scale unmanned air vehicles and high-altitude long-endurance vehicles that both operate at low Reynolds numbers (Re = 50,000-300,000). Propeller-induced Oow effects in both tractor and pusher configurations on a recta ngular wing using the Wortmann FX 63-137 airfoil (a common low-Reynolds-number high-lift airfoil) are presented in this paper . Significant performance benefits can be found for a wing in the tractor configuration. Experiments, including trip tests and upper-surface oil Dow visualization, show and verify that the propeller slipstream induces early transition to turbulent …

Surgical And Medical Applications Of Drones: A Comprehensive Review, Brent Terwilliger, James C. Rosser Jr., Vudatha Vignesh, Brett C. Parker

Publications

Drones have the ability to gather real time data cost effectively, to deliver payloads and have initiated the rapid evolution of many industrial, commercial, and recreational applications. Unfortunately, there has been a slower expansion in the field of medicine. This article provides a comprehensive review of current and future drone applications in medicine, in hopes of empowering and inspiring more aggressive investigation.

Surgical And Medical Applications Of Drones: A Comprehensive Review, James C. Rosser, Vudatha Vignesh, Brent A. Terwilliger, Brett C. Parker

Publications

Background: Drones have the ability to gather real time data cost effectively, to deliver payloads and have initiated the rapid evolution of many industrial, commercial, and recreational applications. Unfortunately, there has been a slower expansion in the field of medicine. This article provides a comprehensive review of current and future drone applications in medicine, in hopes of empowering and inspiring more aggressive investigation. Database: A literature search was performed by EBSCO (Elton B. Stephens Company) Discovery Service, searching the phrases "drones," "UAV," "unmanned aerial vehicles," "UAS," and "unmanned aerial systems." A second search was used to identify sources that contained …

Algal Biofuel: The Future Of Green Jet Fuel In Air Transportation, Rajee Olaganathan

Publications

The aviation industry is one of the major contributors for the greenhouse gases. As air travel has become inevitable in this modern era, and fossil fuel usage is not sustainable, it is essential to produce renewable fuel and commercialize it to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. In order to produce an alternate aviation biofuel a lot of industrial and academic collaborations have been developed worldwide. The main concern of this collaborative research is to produce aviation biofuel from renewable resources with low environmental impacts, and which is sustainable at an economically viable price. This mini-review briefly discusses the biotechnological approaches …

Safety Analysis Of Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (Ads-B) System, Rajee Olaganathan

Publications

ADS-B is one of the significant implementation systems of NextGen, to help pilots and air traffic controllers to create a safer, and more efficient National Airspace System (NAS). First, this research paper will briefly describe the ADS-B system, its design structure, ADS-B In and ADS-B Out systems, its efficiency both in pilot applications and in air traffic control applications, and then discuss about the system safety analysis. The preliminary hazard analysis and fault tree analysis will be done for the identified and selected hazards, and will be briefly discussed. The paper will conclude by providing recommendations to prevent/mitigate the hazards …

Aerodynamic Analysis Of Low Speed Wing Design Using Taguchi L9 Orthogonal Array, Kenneth Witcher, Ian Mcandrew, Elena Vishnevskaya

Publications

The study of aerodynamics has been preoccupied with understanding flight at increasing speeds and ultimately supersonic. Today, this pursuit has advanced the science for both Hypersonic and Transonic flight to near Mach 1 supporting economical commercial flight operations. This research presents the data from a Taguchi array on low speed with twin wing designs to establish the design parameters for their use in low speed and high altitude. Also presented is how aerodynamic advantages can be achieved through understanding the interactions of parameters and their use. This is compared to operational effectiveness when applied to remotely piloted aircraft that are …

Ten Years Of The Real World Design Challenge, Robert W. Deters, Brent Terwilliger, S.C. Kleinke, Ralph K. Coppola, Jeff Coppola

Publications

Preparing students to be successful in STEM careers is important to foster continued growth in the US and the world. The Real World Design Challenge is a high school design competition focused on the area of aviation. Students work in teams to solve a real world problem using professional tools. The 2018 challenge marks the tenth anniversary of this program. The first students to compete in this competition are now in the work force. This paper describes the background of RWDC, the different challenges that have been used throughout its ten years, the current precision agriculture challenges using UAS, and …

Unmanned Aerial Systems: Research, Development, Education & Training At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Michael P. Hickey

Publications

With technological breakthroughs in miniaturized aircraft-related components, including but not limited to communications, computer systems and sensors, state-of-the-art unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have become a reality. This fast-growing industry is anticipating and responding to a myriad of societal applications that will provide new and more cost-effective solutions that previous technologies could not, or will replace activities that involved humans in flight with associated risks.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has a long history of aviation-related research and education, and is heavily engaged in UAS activities. This document provides a summary of these activities, and is divided into two parts. The first part …

Take-Off Characteristics For Naca 4612 Aerofoil In A Twin-Wing Configuration With Optimum Angles Of Attack, Elena Vishnevskaya, Kenneth L. Witcher, Ian R. Mcandrew

Publications

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are used generally at low levels and speeds. The research reported in this article investigates the possible use of twin-wing designs for higher altitudes with a focus on the possible lift capable for either short runways or high payloads. The wing aerofoil and unique Angles of Attack, AoA, are set 5o on the upper wing and 10o on the lower. There is a positive upper wing stagger of 50% of the chord length at height separation of 1 chord. These parameters have been established from previous research and this research investigates how they generate lift at take-off …

How Nationality, Weather, Wind, And Distance Affect Consumer Willingness To Fly In Autonomous Airplanes, Nadine K. Ragbir, Bradley S. Baugh, Stephen Rice, Scott R. Winter

Publications

Several studies have examined passengers’ trust in human-operated systems versus autonomous systems. Prior studies have also reported cultural differences among individuals from India and the United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate how nationality, weather, wind, and distance affect passengers’ willingness to fly in autonomous aircraft. Participants included 161 volunteers from the United States and 137 volunteers from India. In 12 different conditions, participants were asked to rate their willingness to fly in an autonomous aircraft, given information about the weather (sunny, raining, or snowing), the wind level (no wind versus strong wind), and the flight distance …

Six Degrees Of Freedom From Six Degrees Of Separation: The History Of Flight Simulators, David Keck, Morgan Lopez

Publications

Some of today's advanced flight simulators have the capacity to provide pilots with experiences of six degrees of freedom: forward/backward, up/down, or left/right (or pitching, rolling, or yawing in either direction). These incredible devices are the product of over 100 years of design developments that come from a series of technological discoveries and historical events.

Static Testing Of Propulsion Elements For Small Multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Robert W. Deters, S.C. Kleinke, Michael S. Selig

Publications

The growing use of small multirotor aircraft has increased the interest in having better performance results especially with the propulsion system. The size of the propellers used on these aircraft operate at low Reynolds numbers that are typically less than 200,000. Static performance testing of ten propeller pairs (tractor and pusher) were completed and is the beginning of a systematic test of propellers used on multirotor systems. The propellers chosen for this initial set of tests were selected from four popular quadrotors. Besides testing the propellers provided with the aircraft, propellers that are sold as replacements from third-party companies were …