Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Determining The Runway Point-Of-No-Return For Landing Roll Go-Around In Transport Category Airplanes, Nihad E. Daidzic

Aviation Department Publications

No abstract provided.

Early Afternoon Concurrent Panel Sessions: Commercial Space Industry Snapshot: Presentation: Small Catapult-Assisted Horizontal-Launch Reusable Rbcc Ssto Spaceplane For Economical Short-Duration Leo Access, Nihad E. Daidzic,

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

This article discusses the conceptual design, flight trajectory calculations, and utilization of the possible future horizontally-launched reusable Single-Stage-to-Orbit (SSTO) spaceplane for small payload short-duration manned/unmanned access to Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO). The 10,000 lb spaceplane would use 5,000 ft catapult-assist horizontal-launch facility and conduct powered approach and landing on conventional horizontal paved runways following the gliding atmospheric re-entry. To increase the economy of operation, the launch facility located at high elevations (4,000+ ft) equatorial region is required, such as, the plateaus in Kenya and Tanzania in Africa and/or Ecuador in South America. A 500-lb payload, including pilot-commander, is envisioned. The propulsion cycle …

Apollo 13: The Longest Hour, Sy Libergot

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

The epic story of Apollo 13 is well known, but hear the inside details from the NASA flight controller who was on duty when the unthinkable happened. Author of Apollo EECOM, Journey of a Lifetime, Sy Libergot’s space experience began in 1966 and spanned the entire Apollo Lunar Program; Skylab; the Apollo-Soyuz project; early Shuttle and even the International Space Station, but Apollo 13 would become the unwelcome highlight of his flight controller career. Don’t miss this exciting talk by the man who was at the console when it all happened.

Design And Development Of The Sunswift Eve Solar Vehicle: World's Fastest Long-Range Electric Car, Sam Paterson, Pujith Vijayaratnam, Charith Perera, Graham Doig

Aerospace Engineering

The Sunswift project of the University of New South Wales, Australia, exists to provide university students with a multi-disciplinary engineering challenge, enhancing the true educational value of their degree with a unique hands-on real-world experience of creating solar–electric hybrid vehicles. The design and development of the low-drag ‘solar supercar’ Sunswift eVe car are described here, detailing the student-led process from initial concept sketches to the completed performance vehicle. eVe was designed to demonstrate the potential of effective solar integration into a practical passenger-carrying vehicle. It is a two-seater vehicle with an on-body solar array area of 4 m² and …

Interactions Of Shock Tube Exhaust Flows With Laminar And Turbulent Flames, Joel E.C. Chan, Paul M. Giannuzzi, Kaveh R. Kabir, Michael J. Hargather, Graham Doig

Aerospace Engineering

The interactions of flow features emitting from open-ended shock tubes with free-standing propane flames have been investigated using high-speed schlieren imaging and high-frequency pressure measurements, with additional data from validated numerical modeling. Both compressed air-driven interactions with non-pre-mixed laminar diffusion flames (small-scale) and explosively-driven interactions with turbulent non-pre-mixed turbulent flames (large-scale) were tested for various flame locations and shock tube stagnation pressures (and therefore Mach numbers). In the small-scale tests it was observed that the flames were not significantly influenced by the passage of either the initial shock if placed close to the tube exit, or the weaker pressure waves …

A New Type Of Wind Tunnel For The Evaluation Of Curved Motion, James Keogh, Tracie Barber, Sammy Diasinos, Graham Doig

Aerospace Engineering

While aerodynamic analysis of the flow conditions during cornering can be an important design parameter for applications such as automobiles, vessels, and highly maneuverable aircraft, it can be difficult to simulate. This type of motion requires controlled and repeatable flow curvature, relative to the model. A new design to allow experimental testing for this condition has been developed, and by testing in a non-inertial reference frame, flow curvature is achieved in the absence of a static pressure gradient. Initial results have demonstrated the ability of the concept to produce the correct flowfield and the new design offers potential for new …

Effect Of Spalled Particles Thermal Degradation On A Hypersonic Flow Field Environment, Raghava S. C. Davuluri, Huaibao Zhang, Alexandre Martin

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Two-way coupling is performed between a spallation code and a hypersonic aerothermodynamics CFD solver to evaluate the effect of spalled particles on the flow field. Time accurate solutions are computed in argon and air flow fields. A single particle simulations and multiple particles simulations are performed and studied. The results show that the carbon vapor released by spalled particles tend to change the composition of the flow field, particularly the upstream region of the shock.

Informative Spectral Bands For Remote Green Lai Estimation In C3 And C4 Crops, Oz Kira, Anthony L. Nguy-Robertson, Timothy J. Arkebauer, Raphael Linker, Anatoly A. Gitelson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Green leaf area index (LAI) provides insight into the productivity, physiological and phenological status of vegetation. Measurement of spectral reflectance offers a fast and nondestructive estimation of green LAI. A number of methods have been used for the estimation of green LAI; however, the specific spectral bands employed varied widely among the methods and data used. Our objectives were (i) to find informative spectral bands retained in three types of methods, neural network (NN), partial least squares (PLS) regression and vegetation indices (VI), for estimating green LAI in maize (a C4 species) and soybean (a C3 species); (ii) to assess …

General Solution Of The Wind Triangle Problem And The Critical Tailwind Angle, Nihad E. Daidzic

Aviation Department Publications

A general analytical solution of the navigational wind-triangle problem and the calculation of the critical tailwind angle are presented in this study among other findings. Any crosswind component will effectively create a headwind component on fixed course tracks. The meaning of a route track is lost with excessive crosswinds representing the bifurcation point between the possible and the impossible navigational solutions. Any wind of constant direction and speed will effectively reduce groundspeed and increase time-of-flight on closed-loop multi-segment flights. Effective wind track component consists, in general, of true and induced components. The average groundspeed of multiple-leg flights is a harmonic …

Drone Journalism Lab Operations Manual, Matt Waite, Ben Kreimer

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

This text is a guide for safely conducting drone journalism field work. It takes into account America's current drone regulations, our understanding of the public's acceptance of drones, the state of drone technologies, and our own experiences. The number one goal of any drone journalism operation is safety. At no time should safety be compromised. If there is any doubt, return the drone, also known as an unmanned aerial system (UAS), to the landing zone and terminate the flight. Ethical journalism is responsible journalism, and flying a drone means taking responsibility for the safety of those near you, on the …

Development Of Cloud-Based Uav Monitoring And Management System, Mason Itkin, Mihui Kim, Younghee Park

Faculty Publications

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an emerging technology with the potential to revolutionize commercial industries and the public domain outside of the military. UAVs would be able to speed up rescue and recovery operations from natural disasters and can be used for autonomous delivery systems (e.g., Amazon Prime Air). An increase in the number of active UAV systems in dense urban areas is attributed to an influx of UAV hobbyists and commercial multi-UAV systems. As airspace for UAV flight becomes more limited, it is important to monitor and manage many UAV systems using modern collision avoidance techniques. In this paper, …

Aerodynamic Modeling Of Nrel 5-Mw Wind Turbine For Nonlinear Control System Design: A Case Study Based On Real-Time Nonlinear Receding Horizon Control, Pedro A. Galvani, Fei Sun, Kamran Turkoglu

Faculty Publications

The work presented in this paper has two major aspects: (i) investigation of a simple, yet efficient model of the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) 5-MW reference wind turbine; (ii) nonlinear control system development through a real-time nonlinear receding horizon control methodology with application to wind turbine control dynamics. In this paper, the results of our simple wind turbine model and a real-time nonlinear control system implementation are shown in comparison with conventional control methods. For this purpose, the wind turbine control problem is converted into an optimization problem and is directly solved by the nonlinear backwards sweep Riccati method …

A Comprehensive Methodology For Design Of A Circulation Control Small-Scale Unmanned Aircraft, Konstantinos Kanistras

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become increasingly prevalent and important for a wide spectrum of civilian and military operations. When focusing on small-scale fixed-wing UAVs, payload, power and energy requirements limit considerably their utilization and flexibility allowing them to complete only those specific missions they are designed for. Circulation Control (CC) is an active flow control method used to produce increased lift over the traditional systems (flaps, slats, etc...) currently in use. This dissertation focuses on the foundations of a comprehensive methodology from design to implementation and experimental testing of Coanda-based Circulation Control Wings (CCW) for unmanned aircraft. The …

Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering, 2015-2016, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering News

• Letter from the Department Chair
• New Faculty
• Student Success
• University NanoSatellite Program P-Spec Mission
• WALI Student Opportunities
• Study of Blind Cane Vibration

Use Of A Small Unmanned Aerial System For The Sr-530 Mudslide Incident Near Oso, Washington, Robin Murphy, Brittany Duncan, Tyler Collins, Justin Kendrick, Patrick Lohman, Tamara Palmer, Frank Sanborn

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

The Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue deployed three commercially available small unmanned aerial systems (SUASs)—an AirRobot AR100B quadrotor, an Insitu Scan Eagle, and a PrecisionHawk Lancaster—to the 2014 SR-530 Washington State mudslides. The purpose of the flights was to allow geologists and hydrologists to assess the eminent risk of loss of life to responders from further slides and flooding, as well as to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the event. The AirRobot AR100B in conjunction with PrecisionHawk postprocessing software created two-dimensional (2D) and 3D reconstructions of the inaccessible “moonscape” region of the slide and provided engineers with a …

Shield: Shotgun Interdiction Of Enemy Low-Flying Drones, Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

When conventional disruption and neutralization methods fail, it’s time to choose a kinetic solution. SHIELD is a preliminary concept for an automatic, state-of-the art kinetic defense system. Drones can be eliminated at ranges up to 100 meters. The SHIELD weapon system design consists of an ultra-reliable, high-capacity, semiautomatic shotgun with tungsten shot. This weapon system is coupled with precision pointing, target tracking, and real-time ballistics, ensuring high first-round hit probability. Battle-network capable, SHIELD can perform slew-to-cue operations and cue other networked systems.

Celis: Compact Eyesafe Lidar System, Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

SDL has developed a novel Compact Eyesafe Lidar System (CELiS) designed to monitor airborne particulate matter (PM) emissions. It uses a 1.57 µm wavelength commercial laser, an 8 inch off-axis parabolic mirror, and a 200 µm diameter InGaAs avalanche photodetector (APD). The laser, mirror, and APD are mounted on a carbon fiber breadboard and housed in an environmentally-sealed housing. CELiS can operate over an 80°C temperature range with an optical path change of only 100 µm.

Rdg: Remote Door Gunner, Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Leveraging decades of experience in precision optical and spacecraft pointing systems, SDL developed the Remote Door Gunner (RDG) system, a M240/M134 door gunner station. RDG was designed for operation inside a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

Calibration Considerations For A Reduced-Timeline Optimized Approach For Vnir Earth-Orbiting Satellites, Zachary Bergen, Joe Tansock

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

With the increasing number of commercial satellite constellations launching, the need for calibration remains as relevant as ever. Some of these instruments are built with COTS optical components and, given the number and need for timely calibration, a flexible, dynamic, and streamlined approach is necessary for reproducibility, regression testing, adaptability, and high-quality image data. We present a use case for a commercial VNIR payload and demonstrate techniques and a storyboard of our experience. We ran a calibration campaign on a 100” focal length telescope assembled in a payload of approximate 50kg containing a commercial Bayer pattern camera of medium resolution …

Design And Use Of The Ionospheric Connection Explorer Payload Mockup, Burt Lamborn, John Elwell, Andy Little, William Craig, Rich Rynders, Eric Moulton

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite contains six science instruments that are integrated into a small volume on a single payload interface plate (PIP). Integrating these six instruments onto a single deck was challenging and complex in part due to their different physical configurations. After investigating various methods of reducing integration schedule and risk, an innovative approach of creating a high-fidelity full-scale mockup using 3D printed parts was chosen to address these concerns. This mockup included all instruments, the PIP, and associated harnessing, plumbing, and blanketing components. While the mockup integration effort yielded invaluable information for the flight payload integration, …

Di2e: Defense Intelligence Information Enterprise, Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The rising demand for rapid intelligence software solutions combined with limited Government funding has highlighted the need for an organized process to use resources more efficiently. The solution needed to leverage existing capabilities to meet mission needs and ensure that defense intelligence information flows seamlessly across enterprise boundaries. In response, as a Government initiative, the NRO and AFRL developed the Defense Intelligence Information Enterprise (DI2E) framework as a solution to promote intelligence software asset reuse where possible.

Geolocation Of Diseased Leaves In Strawberry Orchards For A Custom-Designed Octorotor, Christian Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, technological advances have shown a strive for more automated processes in agriculture, as seem with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with onboard sensors in many applications, including disease detection and yield prediction. In this thesis, an octorotor UAV is presented that was designed, built, and flight tested, with features that are custom-designed for strawberry orchard disease detection. To further automate the disease scouting operation, geolocation, or the process of determining global position coordinates of identified diseased regions based on images taken, is investigated. A Kalman filter is designed, based on a linear measurement model derived …

Design And Investigation Of Vitiated-Air Heater For Oblique Detonation-Wave Engine, Matthew M. Hoban

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A facility was designed to provide high-enthalpy, hypersonic flow to a detonation chamber. Preliminary investigation identified 1300 K and Mach 5 as the total temperature and Mach number require to stabilize an oblique detonation wave inside the detonation chamber. Vitiated-air heating was the preheating method chosen to meet these capabilities. The vitiator facility heats compressed air while still retaining about 50% of the original oxygen content. Schlieren flow visualization and conventional photography was performed at the exit plane of a choke plate, which simulated the throat of a converging-diverging nozzle. A shock diamond formation was observed within the jet exhausting …

Flame-Turbulence Interaction For Deflagration To Detonation, Jessica Chambers

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Detonation is a high energetic mode of pressure gain combustion that exploits total pressure rise to augment high flow momentum and thermodynamic cycle efficiencies. Detonation is initiated through the Deflagration-to-Detonation Transition (DDT). This process occurs when a deflagrated flame is accelerated through turbulence induction, producing shock-flame interactions that generate violent explosions and a supersonic detonation wave. There is a broad desire to unravel the physical mechanisms of turbulence induced DDT. For the implementation of efficient detonation methods in propulsion and energy applications, it is crucial to understand optimum turbulence conditions for detonation initiation. The study examines the role of turbulence-flame …

Structural Design Of Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Methane Robotic Lander Janus, Mariana Chaidez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As the attempt to send humans to Mars has gained momentum in the last decade, the need to find alternative propellants that are safer, less toxic, and yields a better performance has become apparent [1]. Liquid methane and oxygen have emerged as a suitable alternative. In addition, the incorporation of liquid methane/liquid oxygen into the propulsion system has demonstrated an increase in engine performance, as well as a reduction in the volume, size and complexity of the propulsion system. In an attempt to further understand the technologies that are possible to develop using liquid oxygen (LO2) and liquid methane (LCH4), …

Design Of A 500 Lbf Liquid Oxygen And Liquid Methane Rocket Engine For Suborbital Flight, Jesus Eduardo Trillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Liquid methane (LCH4)is the most promising rocket fuel for our journey to Mars and other space entities. Compared to liquid hydrogen, the most common cryogenic fuel used today, methane is denser and can be stored at a more manageable temperature; leading to more affordable tanks and a lighter system. The most important advantage is it can be produced from local sources using in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology. This will allow the production of the fuel needed to come back to earth on the surface of Mars, or the space entity being explored,making the overall mission more cost effective by enabling …

Constructal Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cell (Amfc) Design, E. M. Sommer, J. V. C. Vargas, Lauber De Souza Martins, J. C. Ordonez

Faculty Publications

This paper introduces a structured procedure to optimize the internal structure (relative sizes, spacing) and external shape (aspect ratios) of a single alkaline membrane fuel cell so that net power is maximized. The optimization of flow geometry is conducted for the smallest (elemental) level of a fuel cell stack, i.e., the single alkaline membrane fuel cell, which is modeled as a unidirectional flow system. The polarization curve, total and net power, and efficiency are obtained as functions of temperature, pressure, electrolyte solution concentration (KOH), geometry and operating parameters. The optimization is subjected to fixed total volume. There are two levels …

Effects Of Altitude On Monarch Butterfly Aerodynamics, Brittany Greene

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

A Usability And Learnability Case Study Of Glass Flight Deck Interfaces And Pilot Interactions Through Scenario-Based Training, Thomas James De Cino

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

In the aviation industry, digitally produced and presented flight, navigation, and aircraft information is commonly referred to as glass flight decks. Glass flight decks are driven by computer-based subsystems and have long been a part of military and commercial aviation sectors. Over the past 15 years, the General Aviation (GA) sector of the aviation industry has become a recent beneficiary of the rapid advancement of computer-based glass flight deck (GFD) systems.

While providing the GA pilot considerable enhancements in the quality of information about the status and operations of the aircraft, training pilots on the use of glass flight decks …

Quantitative Assessment Of Secondary Flows Of Single-Phase Fluid Through Pipe Bends, Z. Kaldy, O. Ayala

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Single-phase fluid flow was simulated passing through various three dimensional pipe elbows. The simulations varied by Reynolds number, curvature ratios, and sweep angles and were all conducted using the k-e model available in COMSOL Multiphysics 5.1. The intent of this research was to qualitatively assess the flow characteristics under several different conditions. Many similarities were seen especially when comparing curvature ratios, the vorticity location for the turbulent cases show near identical behavior at the elbow midsection. One of the variables quantified in this paper is the maximum secondary velocity module which shows increasing values until the midsection of the elbow.