Study of an advanced General Aviation Turbine Engine (GATE)

The best technology program for a small, economically viable gas turbine engine applicable to the general aviation helicopter and aircraft market for 1985-1990 was studied. Turboshaft and turboprop engines in the 112 to 746 kW (150 to 1000 hp) range and turbofan engines up to 6672 N (1500 lbf) thrust were considered. A good market for new turbine engines was predicted for 1988 providing aircraft are designed to capitalize on the advantages of the turbine engine. Parametric engine families were defined in terms of design and off-design performance, mass, and cost. These were evaluated in aircraft design missions selected to represent important market segments for fixed and rotary-wing applications. Payoff parameters influenced by engine cycle and configuration changes were aircraft gross mass, acquisition cost, total cost of ownership, and cash flow. Significant advantage over a current technology, small gas turbine engines was found especially in cost of ownership and fuel economy for airframes incorporating an air-cooled high-pressure ratio engine. A power class of 373 kW (500 hp) was recommended as the next frontier for technology advance where large improvements in fuel economy and engine mass appear possible through component research and development

A Comparison of the Social Costs of Air and Highway

This paper provides a comprehensive survey of the literature on the measures of social costs, providing an indication of the state of engineering and economic literature. We operationalize the new thinking about which externalities seem appropriate to consider in an analysis of the transportation system. We construct measures of each externality: noise, air pollution, accidents, and congestion for the highway and air transportation modes, where possible as a function of the amount of output or use, rather than as simple unit costs. We find that noise is the dominant cost of air travel, followed by congestion, air pollution and accidents. For highway travel, accidents are the most significant cost, followed by congestion, noise, and air pollution. The social costs of highway travel are about 15 percent of the full cost of a highway trip, while the smaller social costs of air travel are only 5 percent of the full cost of an air trip. A highway trip generates four to five times as much externality as an air trip. .

Quantitative Technology Forecasting: a Review of Trend Extrapolation Methods

Quantitative technology forecasting uses quantitative methods to understand and project technological changes. It is a broad field encompassing many different techniques and has been applied to a vast range of technologies. A widely used approach in this field is trend extrapolation. Based on the publications available to us, there has been little or no attempt made to systematically review the empirical evidence on quantitative trend extrapolation techniques. This study attempts to close this gap by conducting a systematic review of technology forecasting literature addressing the application of quantitative trend extrapolation techniques. We identified 25 studies relevant to the objective of this research and classified the techniques used in the studies into different categories, among which growth curves and time series methods were shown to remain popular over the past decade, while newer methods, such as machine learning-based hybrid models, have emerged in recent years. As more effort and evidence are needed to determine if hybrid models are superior to traditional methods, we expect to see a growing trend in the development and application of hybrid models to technology forecasting

A survey of new technology for cockpit application to 1990's transport aircraft simulators

Two problems were investigated: inter-equipment data transfer, both on board the aircraft and between air and ground; and crew equipment communication via the cockpit displays and controls. Inter-equipment data transfer is discussed in terms of data bus and data link requirements. Crew equipment communication is discussed regarding the availability of CRT display systems for use in research simulators to represent flat panel displays of the future, and of software controllable touch panels

Environmental Impact of Aviation and Sustainable Solutions

Environmental Impact of Aviation and Sustainable Solutions is a compilation of review and research articles in the broad field of aviation and the environment. Over three sections and thirteen chapters, this book covers topics such as aircraft design and materials, combustor modeling, atomization, airport pollution, sonic boom and street noise pollution, emission mitigation strategies, and environmentally friendly contributions from a Russian aviation pioneer. This volume is a useful reference for both researchers and students interested in learning about various aspects of aviation and the environmen

An Examination of the Hanson Contrail Forecast Algorithm under Low Relative Humidity Conditions

Accurate forecasts of contrail occurrence are essential to military aircrews. Although classical forecast methods have been reasonably successful predicting contrails, there is need for improvement at low ambient relative humidity. This thesis examines the performance of the Hanson method, which was developed to provide better contrail forecasts under drier atmospheric conditions. As a secondary objective, the forecast methods of Schumann and Hanson are compared to the algorithm currently in use by the Air Force Global Weather Central. Data used to validate the algorithms were collected at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH and Edwards AFB, CA. Theoretical contrail forecasts were made for each observation, using the flight level pressure, ambient temperature, and relative humidity. Comparisons were then made between the forecast and actual observation of contrail conditions. Forecast and occurrence data were then statistically analyzed to gauge each method\u27s performance. All methods detected roughly 75 percent of observed contrails under moist atmospheric conditions. However, the Hanson method\u27s performance decreased when drier atmospheric observations were tested. Schumann\u27s method performed as well as the AFGWC algorithm under all atmospheric conditions. Based on this research the Hanson method is not recommended for operational use

Analysis of Cloud-Free Line-of-Sight Probability Calculations

Cloud-free line-of-sight probabilities were calculated using two separate methods. The first was a variation of a method developed by the Rand Corporation in 1972. In it, CFLOS probabilities were calculated using empirical data based on five years of photograms taken over Columbia, Missouri and forecasted cloud amounts rather than climatological values. The second was a new approach using the Cloud Scene Simulation Model developed by Phillips Laboratory. Cloud scenes were generated using forecasted cloud fields, meteorological inputs, and thirty random numbers. Water content files were produced and processed through a follow-on program to determine the extinction coefficients at each grid point in the working domain. A reiterative routine was written to integrate the extinction coefficients along a view angle from the top of the domain down to the surface at separate points within the horizontal domain. The values of each point were summed and averaged over the working domain to determine the CFLOS probability for the target area. The nadir look angle was then examined for both methods. Stratus, stratocumulus, cumulus, and altocumulus cloud types were independently examined with the CSSM generated cloud scenes. Each method and cloud type were compared against the known CFLOS probability for nadir. Results indicate the method developed in 1972 underestimates CFLOS probabilities by as much as twelve per cent with horizontal cloud coverage ranging from 30 to 80 per cent. CSSM generated cloud scenes varied depending on the cloud type analyzed, with stratocumulus clouds measuring up the best against the known probabilities

Space benefits: The secondary application of aerospace technology in other sectors of the economy

Benefit cases of aerospace technology utilization are presented for manufacturing, transportation, utilities, and health. General, organization, geographic, and field center indexes are included

The energy dilemma and its impact on air transportation

The dimensions of the energy situation are discussed in relation to air travel. Energy conservation, fuel consumption, and combustion efficiency are examined, as well as the proposal for subsonic aircraft using hydrogen fuel

Study of carbon fiber reinforced polymers technology and market

The growing knowledge and awareness of the environmental condition have driven to governments to implement restrictions on energy use, levels of efficiency and resources use, aiming for higher sustainability targets. Transportation an energy sectors have found on CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers) technology a solution to achieve the highest levels of mechanical performance under low weights and is therefore a key enabling technology that makes possible the electric and hydrogen vehicles, the wind energy production and reduced levels of air transport emissions among others. This Master Thesis comprehends the study of the CFRP technological from a technical and market perspective pursuing the holistic comprehension of the system. This analysis will employ bibliographic references, quantitative and qualitative analysis and graphical visualizations to decompose complexity and to compile key data for the reader. For market forecasting time series forecasting techniques will be employed. At technical level the study covers the definition of the CFRP systems and subsystems/components, their characterization, production, manufacturing, the state of the art on the design methodology, recyclability and life-cycle assessment. This study will also detail current applications of the CFRP technology on multiple products. The market study involves the analysis of the European political context and regulations affecting CFRP adoption, the stakeholders of the system, the cost analysis of the CFRP, market quantification and the future market forecasting. The study produced has compiled relevant information from multiple sources in a summarized, relational and organized way, it has also produced useful datasets of CFRP technology and market; qualitative and quantitative analysis together with data visualization techniques have revealed multiple insights. The lifecycle assessment has quantified the environmental effects of CFRP production. A forecast of CFRP sells, prices and market value has been produced. Studies performed have revealed CFRP as an outstanding technical material at an advanced level of Technological Readiness; with well stablished manufacturing methods, characterization, mechanical modelization, failure modes understanding, and with available commercial software supporting design workflows and simulation. Technological developments and downwards prices allow for companies to change classical materials such as steel with CFRP, not only as a way to achieve higher levels of performance but also as a way to produce products with less parts in a lean and flexible way, it entails, therefore a paradigm shift; CFRP environmental impact is conditioned by high levels of energy needed to produce fibers and difficulties to recover fibers from thermoset matrices, to achieve environmental improvements versus other engineering materials more than one life cycle is needed, to achieve that, new methods and approaches are in development such as Supercritical Water or design for End Of Life strategies. CFRP and Carbon Fiber markets are supported as a key enabling technology to achieve the efficiency and clean energy targets imposed by Europe being key market drivers on automotive, aerospace and energetic markets; CFRP cost structure find it highest contributions on the energy and labor needed to carbon PAN (Polyacrylonitrile) based fibers, the latter costs are driven by petroleum feedstock prices; time series forecasting reveals CF sells to double in the 2022-2027 perio