Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Application Of Artificial Neural Networks For The Prediction Of Aluminium Agglomeration Processes, Tejasvi K, Y Pydi Setty, Vemana Venkateswara Rao, Kalyan Chakarvarthy

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Aluminium is universal and vital constituent in composite propellants and typically used to improve performance. Aluminum agglomeration takes place on the burning surface of aluminized propellants, which leads to reduced combustion efficiency and 2P flow losses. To understand the processes and behaviour of aluminum agglomeration, particles size distribution of composite propellants were studied using a quench particle collection technique, at 2 to 8 MPa and varying quench distances from 5mm to 71mm. To predict the agglomerate diameter of metallized/ultra-fine aluminium of composite propellants, a new artificial neural network (ANN) model was derived. Five Layered Feed Forward Back Propagation Neural Network …

Innovative Dodecacopter Design – Bulgarian Knight, Svetoslav Zabunov, Garo Mardirossian

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The current article aims at introducing a novel dodecacopter multirotor design called Bulgarian Knight. The aircraft implements a number of innovations and characteristics that give it an advantage over other contemporary multi-copters. Some of its novel characteristics are the mounting of the rotors under the fuselage by use of pusher propellers. Further, the design implements twelve rotors positioned in an optimal geometric coverage.

Robust Nonlinear Estimation And Control Applications Using Synthetic Jet Actuators, Natalie Ramos Pedroza

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Limit cycle oscillations (LCO), also known as utter, cause significant challenges in flight control of small unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs), and could potentially lead to structural damage and catastrophic failures. LCO can be described as vibrational motions in the rocking, pitching and plunging displacements of an aircraft wing. To address this, the use of synthetic jet actuators (SJAs) in UAV flight control systems is becoming popular as a practical alternative and to mechanical deflection surfaces.

Synthetic jet actuators are promising tools for LCO suppression systems in small UAVs due to their small size, ease of operation, and low cost. Uncertainties …

A Novel Approach For Missing Combat Support Aircraft Search Acceleration Using Vtol Uas, Mohammed Ba Zuhair, Wisam Yousef, Issam Samara, Vladislav Varsegov

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

In this paper, an approach to accelerate search operations for a missing combat support aircraft using a portable waterproof autonomous vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial system called “flying locator beacon” is described. The latter is connected with both flight data and cockpit voice recorders with a parallel bus and may be deployed from the empennage during extreme emergency scenarios, which is detected when few flight parameters are overrun leading to an air crash stimulating behavior. Landing of the flying locator beacon strictly takes place on global latitude and longitude coordinates only of integer values enabling significant minimization of search …

Design And Optimization Of Aircraft Configuration For Minimum Drag, Zin Win Thu, Aung Myo Thu, Phyo Wai Thaw

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This paper presents a reliable and robust optimization for minimum drag of an aircraft at the conceptual design phase. Firstly, the conceptual design code was developed and existing Single Seat Aerobatic (SSA) aircraft was chosen to validate the reliability of developed code. The resulted data from the developed code showed good agreement with the existing data. Secondly, Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) optimizer was created and employed as a tool to explore possible aircraft configurations that are more efficient and less costly than an existing design. The optimized results gave lower Drag and better performance.

Damage Characterization Of Aircraft Fuselage Using Vibrothermography Technique-Review And Analysis, Abbasali Saboktakin

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Vibrothermogrphy is a promising non-destructive technique that uses ultrasonic elastic waves to detect damages and is typically applied in the aerospace and automotive industries. This technique allows for defect selective imaging using thermal waves that are generated by ultrasound waves. In this paper, vibrothermography technique was applied to the aircraft fuselage to detect its damage. The influence of the damage on the temperature distribution at the damage region on the aluminum was investigated by finite element technique. Comprehensive understanding in edge crack in fuselage heating caused by local friction between crack surfaces was obtained.

Space Operations In The Suborbital Space Flight Simulator And Mission Control Center: Lessons Learned With Xcor Lynx, Pedro Llanos, Christopher Nguyen, David Williams, Kim O. Chambers, Erik Seedhouse, Robert Davidson

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

This study was conducted to better understand the performance of the XCOR Lynx vehicle. Because the Lynx development was halted, the best knowledge of vehicle dynamics can only be found through simulator flights. X-Plane 10 was chosen for its robust applications and accurate portrayal of dynamics on a vehicle in flight. The Suborbital Space Flight Simulator (SSFS) and Mission Control Center (MCC) were brought to the Applied Aviation Sciences department in fall 2015 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach campus. This academic and research tool is a department asset capable of providing multiple fields of data about suborbital simulated flights. …

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 …

Thermal Analysis And Control Of Small Satellites In Low Earth Orbit, Katelyn Elizabeth Boushon

Masters Theses

"Small satellites are becoming more popular in the space sector, primarily due to their lower cost and shorter development time. Much of the information available about satellite thermal analysis and control refers to larger spacecraft. Sorting through this information to find the practices specifically applicable for small satellites can be a daunting task, particularly for inexperienced engineers. This thesis study is intended to inform the reader about basic thermal control and analysis methods that relate specifically to small satellites in low Earth orbit. A case study involving a satellite designed by the Missouri University of Science and Technology Satellite Research …

Characterization Of Ionic Liquid Monopropellants For A Multi-Mode Propulsion System, Alex J. Mundahl

Masters Theses

"Multi-mode micropropulsion is a potential game-changing technology enabling rapidly composable small satellites with unprecedented mission flexibility. Maximum mission flexibility requires one shared propellant between the chemical and electric systems. A deep eutectic 1:2 molar ratio mixture of choline-nitrate and glycerol ([Cho][NO₃] - glycerol) is investigated as a fuel component in a binary mixture propellant for such a multi-mode micropropulsion. Specifically, binary mixtures of the novel ionic liquid fuel with hydroxyl-ammonium nitrate (HAN) and ammonium nitrate (AN) are considered and compared against the previously investigated propellant [Emim][EtSO₄]-HAN. Chemical rocket performance simulations predict this new propellant to have …

Effects Of Terrain-Based Altimetry On Navigation Performance, Kenneth Michael Kratzer

Masters Theses

"Navigation filters used during an entry, descent, and landing scenario often receive measurements related to the terrain over which the vehicle is traversing. Models of the terrain can be presented in varying degrees of fidelity, providing increasingly realistic and accurate models of the surface. While it is ideal to provide the filter with the most realistic model possible, the performance is limited by the strict nature of the real time scenario. Therefore, it is of interest to determine what level of fidelity is necessary to achieve an accurate filtering solution. Determining how best to incorporate terrain-related data into navigation solutions …

Quantifying On-Orbit Performance Of Cubesat Micropropulsion Systems By Observing Orbital Element Variations, Bradyn William Morton

Masters Theses

"The Advanced Propulsion Experiment mission in development by the Missouri University of Science and Technology's satellite research team (M-SAT) is a technology demonstration mission of a multi-mode propulsion system. The true test of any satellite propulsion system is the on-orbit performance. The purpose of this research is to develop methods for quantifying the on-orbit performance of the multi-mode propulsion system. This performance can be determined by observing the small variations in the orbital element parameters and using a differential corrector with the Gauss Variation of Parameter equations. Furthermore, this research could be used to determine and quantify a propulsion system's …

Developing Computational Models For Pulsed-Inductive Plasma Formation, Zachary Aaron Gill

Masters Theses

"Pulsed-inductive discharges are a common method of producing a plasma. They provide a mechanism for quickly and efficiently generating a large volume of plasma for rapid use and are seen in applications including propulsion, fusion power, and high-power lasers. However, some common designs see a delayed response time due to the plasma forming when the magnitude of the magnetic field in the device is at a minimum. New designs are difficult to evaluate due to the amount of time needed to construct a new geometry and the high monetary cost of changing the power generation circuit. To more quickly evaluate …

Development Of A Cfd Model Of The Catalytic Combustion Of A Microtube Multi-Mode Propulsion System, Andrew Paul Taylor

Masters Theses

"This thesis presents the process and results of the development of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model in ANSYS Fluent 18.1 on the catalytic decomposition of a novel liquid monopropellant in a microtube in order to gain deeper insights than what is available through the experimental data. The CFD model was created using the Euler- Euler Multiphase model in conjunction with the Heterogeneous Reaction submodel. Such a choice of modeling setting was backed up by theory and benchmark computations on multiphase and compressible flow, shown in Section 3 and Appendix A. It was found that the previously determined one-step reaction …

Meniscus Modeling And Emission Studies Of An Ionic Liquid Ferrofluid Electrospray Source Emitting From A Magneto-Electric Instability, Brandon Jackson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation presents three studies on the electrospray of ionic liquid ferrofluid. Ionic liquid ferrofluids are electrically conductive super-paramagnetic fluids which respond strongly in the presence of electric and magnetic fields. When a small reservoir of ionic liquid ferrofluid is positioned within a magnetic field, magnetic stresses will deform the fluid interface into a peak. The addition of a strong electric field will further stress the fluid interface until a threshold stress is reached at which point the surface tension cannot contain the combined stresses and a spray of fluid or ions results at the apex. This process is termed …

A New Technique To Determine Accommodation Coefficients Of Cryogenic Propellants, Kishan Bellur

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The control of propellant boil-off is essential in long-term space missions. However, a clear understanding of cryogenic propellant phase change and the values of accommodation coefficients are lacking. To that effect, a new method to determine accommodation coefficients using a combination of neutron imaging, thin film evaporation modeling and CFD modeling has been established. Phase change experiments were conducted in the BT-2 Neutron Imaging Facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) by introducing cryogenic vapor (H2 and CH4) at a set pressure into Al6061 and SS316L test cells placed inside a 70mm cryostat. Condensation is achieved by …

Study Of Biomimetic Micro And Macro Structures For Drag Reduction, Justin S. Schrout

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The ever increasing demand for global travel coupled with increasing costs of fuels have prompted many researchers to study new methods to save fuel to make travel more efficient. One of the proverbial low-hanging fruits for fuel efficiency is aerodynamic drag reduction. Simple changes in the shape or placement of structures on the surface of different types of vehicles have been shown to increase fuel efficiency by reducing drag (e.g., add-on lower and aft wake fairings on tractor trailers which have seen a tremendous rise in popularity on US highways in recent years). Areas of interest in drag reduction have …

New Dimensions For A Challenging Security Environment: Growing Exposure To Critical Space Infrastructure Disruption Risk, Adrian V. Gheorghe, Alexandru Georgescu, Olga Bucovetchi, Marilena Lazăr, Cezar Scarlat

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Space systems have become a key enabler for a wide variety of applications that are vital to the functioning of advanced societies. The trend is one of quantitative and qualitative increase of this dependence, so much so that space systems have been described as a new example of critical infrastructure. This article argues that the existence of critical space infrastructures implies the emergence of a new category of disasters related to disruption risks. We inventory those risks and make policy recommendations for what is, ultimately, a resilience governance issue.

Erosion Degradation Characteristics Of A Linear Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator Under A High-Frequency Turbulent Flow Field, Yuan Li, Shaoping Wang, Mileta M. Tomovic, Chao Zhang

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The paper proposes a performance degradation analysis model based on dynamic erosion wear for a novel Linear Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator (LEHA). Rather than the traditional statistical methods based on degradation data, the method proposed in this paper firstly analyzes the dominant progressive failure mode of the LEHA based on the working principle and working conditions of the LEHA. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method, combining the turbulent theory and the micro erosion principle, is used to establish an erosion model of the rectification mechanism. The erosion rates for different port openings, under a time-varying flow field, are obtained. The piecewise linearization …

Guardian Condor, Jake Stefanick, Matt Wallace, Dan Bologna, Kevin Bayonnet

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The group was tasked with designing a 3D printed glider. The scope of this assignment is to someday use the developed glider design and equip it with electronics and controls to deliver medical materials to remote areas in drone-like fashion. The glider was to be designed so that it could be printed using a lower-end, compact, and relatively portable 3D printer for optimal field efficiency. For this reason, the makerbot 3D printer was selected. The compact base plate of the makerbot printer left the team with strict size limitations, so the glider was printed in a series of nine parts …