Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Terminal Guidance Of Autonomous Parafoils In High Wind-To-Airspeed Ratios, Nathan Slegers, O A. Yakimenko

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Autonomous precision placement of parafoils is challenging because of their limited control authority and sensitivity to winds. In particular, when wind speed is near the airspeed, guidance is further complicated by the parafoils inability to penetrate the wind. This article specifically addresses the terminal phase and develops an approach for generating optimal trajectories in real-time based on the inverse dynamics in the virtual domain. The method results in efficient solution of a two-point boundary-value problem using only a single optimization parameter allowing the trajectory to be generated at a high rate, mitigating effects of the unknown winds. It is shown …

Tethered Aerostat Modeling Using An Efficient Recursive Rigid-Body Dynamics Approach, Brad Hembree, Nathan Slegers

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

A tethered aerostat model is developed using a computationally efficient recursive tether model. The recursive rigid-body tether model results in unconstrained ordinary differential equations and maintains much of the simplicity of simple lumped-mass tether models, while avoiding numerical difficulties associated with using many stiff elastic elements with low mass. Further efficiency is achieved by treating each tether link as a body of revolution and assuming that tether spin is negligible to the dynamics. The tether is attached to a six-degree-of-freedom aerostat model using a single viscoelastic element. The final recursive tethered aerostat model is well suited for a variety of …

Get Away Special: Microgravity Research Team, Getaway Special Team

Education and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Report For 2011 Urco Funded Experiment: Development Of Optimal Bubble-Seeding Microheaters To Study Nucleate Boiling Heat Transfer In Microgravity, Ryan Martineau

Reports and Proposals

No abstract provided.

Space Trajectories Optimization Using Variable-Chromosome-Length Genetic Algorithms, Ahmed H. Gad

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The problem of optimal design of a multi-gravity-assist space trajectories, with free number of deep space maneuvers (MGADSM) poses multi-modal cost functions. In the general form of the problem, the number of design variables is solution dependent. To handle global optimization problems where the number of design variables varies from one solution to another, two novel genetic-based techniques are introduced: hidden genes genetic algorithm (HGGA) and dynamic-size multiple population genetic algorithm (DSMPGA).

In HGGA, a fixed length for the design variables is assigned for all solutions. Independent variables of each solution are divided into effective and ineffective (hidden) genes. Hidden …

Influence Of Initial Mean Helicity On Homogeneous Turbulent Shear Flow, Frank G. Jacobitz, Kai Schneider, Wouter J. T. Bos, Marie Farge

School of Engineering: Faculty Scholarship

Helicity statistics are studied in homogeneous turbulent shear flow. Initial mean helicity is imposed on an isotropic turbulence field using a decomposition of the flow into complex-valued helical waves. The initial decay of the turbulent kinetic energy is weakened in the presence of strong mean helicity, consistent with an analytic analysis of the spectral tensor of velocity correlations. While exponential growth of the mean turbulent kinetic energy is obtained, the mean helicity decays. Probability distribution functions (PDFs) of helicity are skewed and show that the imposed mean helicity prevails throughout the simulations. A wavelet-based scale-dependent analysis shows a trend to …

Development Of Optimal Bubble-Seeding Microheaters To Study Nucleate Boiling Heat Transfer In Microgravity, Ryan Martineau

Reports and Proposals

No abstract provided.

Optimal Attitude Control Management For A Cubesat, Michael James Develle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CubeSats have become popular among universities, research organizations, and government agencies due to their low cost, small size, and light weight. Their standardized configurations further reduce the development time and ensure more frequent launch opportunities. Early cubesat missions focused on hardware validation and simple communication missions, with little requirement for pointing accuracy. Most of these used magnetic torque rods or coils for attitude stabilization. However, the intrinsic problems associated with magnetic torque systems, such as the lack of three-axis control and low pointing accuracy, make them unsuitable for more advanced missions such as detailed imaging and on-orbit inspection. Threeaxis control …

Enhancing Cnt-Composites With Raman Spectroscopy, Gregory J. Freihofer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) have been the subject of intense research for their potential to improve a variety of material properties when developed as nano-composites. This research aims to address the challenges that limit the ability to transfer the outstanding nano-scale properties of CNTs to bulk nano-composites through Raman characterization. These studies relate the vibrational modes to microstructural characterization of CNT composites including stress, interface behavior, and defects. The formulation of a new fitting procedure using the pseudo-Voigt function is presented and shown to minimize the uncertainty of characteristics within the Raman G and D doublet. Methods for optimization of manufacturing …

Focusing Of Longitudinal Ultrasonic Waves In Air With An Aperiodic Flat Lens, John T. Welter, Shamachary Sathish, Daniel Christensen, Philip Brodrick, Jason D. Heebl, Matthew Cherry

United States Air Force: Publications

Modeling and experimental results of an ultrasonic aperiodic flat lens for use in air are presented. Predictive modeling of the lens is performed using a hybrid genetic-greedy algorithm constrained to a linear structure. The optimized design parameters are used to fabricate a lens. A method combining a fiber-disk arrangement and scanning laser vibrometer measurements is developed to characterize the acoustic field distribution generated by the lens. The focal spot size is determined to be 0.88 of the incident wavelength of 8090 kHz at a distance of 2.5 mm from the lens. Theoretically computed field distributions, optimized frequency of operation, and …

Flight Control Design For A Tailless Aircraft Using Eigenstructure Assignment, Clara Nieto-Wire, Kenneth Sobel

Publications and Research

We apply eigenstructure assignment to the design of a flight control system for a wind tunnel model of a tailless aircraft. The aircraft, known as the innovative control effectors (ICEs) aircraft, has unconventional control surfaces plus pitch and yaw thrust vectoring. We linearize the aircraft in straight and level flight at an altitude of 15,000 feet and Mach number 0.4. Then, we separately design flight control systems for the longitudinal and lateral dynamics. We use a control allocation scheme with weights so that the lateral pseudoinputs are yaw and roll moment, and the longitudinal pseudoinput is pitching moment. In contrast …

A Midsummer Night’S Dream (With Flying Robots), Robin Murphy, Dylan Shell, Amy Guerin, Brittany Duncan, Benjamin Fine, Kevin Pratt, Takis Zourntos

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Seven flying robot “fairies” joined human actors in the Texas A&M production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The production was a collaboration between the departments of Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Theater Arts. The collaboration was motivated by two assertions. First, that the performing arts have principles for creating believable agents that will transfer to robots. Second, the theater is a natural testbed for evaluating the response of untrained human groups (both actors and the audience) to robots interacting with humans in shared spaces, i.e., were believable agents created? The production used two types …

Preliminary Design Of A Pressurization System For Small Bipropellant Rocket Engines, Steven Stanley

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

A study was conducted on the feasibility of developing a device or system that would improve the performance of small, bipropellant rockets through pressurization of the propellants. Due to the limitations in the space industry, namely high development costs and resistance to change, the new approach needed to be as simple and robust as possible. After reviewing several different potential methodologies, a concept was developed from first principles based on small gas turbine engine fuel injection approaches. The concept is simple and has heritage in the field of gas turbine engines, but it is new for the field of rocket …

Analysis Of Pulse Detonation Turbojet Engines, Ronnachai Vutthivithayarak

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Research over the last two decades has shown the potential advantages of pulse detonation engines (PDEs) over existing aero-engines in terms of improved thermodynamics efficiency, improved thrust performance, simplicity of design, and exibility to operate over a wide speed range. The inherently unsteady characteristic of PDEs makes it difficulty to analyze and evaluate their performance. The conventional method that relies on steady-state assumptions cannot be directly applied. PDE studies have to employ unsteady gasdynamics behavior. In this study, the thermodynamic cycle of a PDE, which can be called the ZND cycle, is theoretically analyzed. A parametric analysis of turbojet PDEs …

Mode Truncation Analysis In Forced Response Of Structural Dynamics, Sravan Kumar Neela

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Mode truncation in Modal analysis is an important problem and should be addressed with an effective truncation criterion. The truncation errors are considered as error forces and these error limits can be used to select the number of modes in the solution. Usually frequency based approach is used in selection of modes. But this method ignores the error forces in truncation and not effective if the cutoff frequency is greater than highest natural mode. An effective criterion would limit error forces, thereby minimizing errors in the response solution. To overcome the inaccuracies due to truncation, Mode Truncation Augmentation was used …

Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of Transesterification Of Vegetable Oil With A Continuous Flow Capillary Reactor, Rachaneewan Charoenwat

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Biodiesel, Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME), is a renewable fuel that is a promising alternative to fossil fuels in the future. Biodiesel not only has similar properties to diesel derived from fossil fuel, but it also provides more environmentally friendly due to lower carbon monoxide and sulfur emissions. Biodiesel is composed of methyl esters which can be synthesized from various fatty acid sources with a present of catalyst. Typical feed-stocks include vegetable oils, such as waste cooking oil, animal fats, and even oil from algae. Four primary ways to use vegetable oil as a fuel are direct use, blending with …

Modeling And Control Of Automatic Transmission With Planetary Gears For Shift Quality, Patinya Samanuhut

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Automatic transmission is a major component in a vehicle that transmits the power source from the engine to the drive wheels of the vehicle. To improve fuel economy, reduce emission and enhance driving performance, many researchers have made tremendous efforts on new technologies for automatic transmission with planetary gear sets. Among these new technologies, system dynamics and control methodologies are extremely important tools to realizing the fuel economy, emission and driving performance. This research effort focuses on the modeling and control of an automatic transmission with planetary gear sets. A Lagrange-based method is developed to derive the equations of motion …

Buckling Analysis Of Thin Plates With Or Without A Hole Under Arbitrary Boundary Conditions Using The Galerkin Method, Srider Thirupachoor Comerica

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

This thesis demonstrates how to find the critical buckling load value of thin plates with or without a hole under different boundary conditions using the Galerkin method. The use of symbolic software is essential due to the lengthy computations involved because of the complexity of the problems. Firstly, the lateral deflection of the plate is expressed in a series of polynomials each of which satisfies the given boundary conditions. Then by using the Galerkin method, the coefficients of these polynomials are found and with the help of symbolic algebra system, the matrices for the corresponding eigenvalue problem are built from …

A One Dimensional Dry Friction Microconveyor Platform: Modelling And Analysis Of Micropart Motion Due To Surface Excitation, Moshin Rizwan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Many approaches are used for micropart manipulation ranging from individual pick and place to manipulation through a workcell comprising of arrays of actuators. Existing approaches provide discrete actuation and have limitations on the lower bound on the size of the micropart to be handled. In this research, the active surface concept for non-contact micropart manipulation is investigated. The active surface deformation is generated by a set of controlled microactuators and provides for continuous micromanipulation while alleviating limitations of existing approaches. The drastic increase of surface area to volume ratio from macroscale to microscale requires the consideration of surface forces (such …

High Speed Edgewise Rotor Computational Analysis And Optimization At High Inflow Velocities Achieved Through Forward Mast Tilt, Cory Michael Hitte

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Increased forward flight speed has long been the desire of the rotorcraft industry. Novel designs, such as compounds and tilt rotors have allowed for speed envelope expansion, but not without incurring performance hindrances unique to each configuration. Designs that utilize low disc loading edgewise rotors, which offer efficient flight at high speeds while maintaining hover performance, are desirable. Such designs require increased flapping capability and/or mast tilt in order to achieve the necessary thrust orientation required for overcoming aircraft drag. The combination of speed and thrust vector inclination yields a relatively undocumented region of rotorcraft performance. In particular, the effects …