A study to identify and compare airborne systems for in-situ measurements of launch vehicle effluents

An in-situ system for monitoring the concentration of HCl, CO, CO2, and Al2O3 in the cloud of reaction products that form as a result of a launch of solid propellant launch vehicle is studied. A wide array of instrumentation and platforms are reviewed to yield the recommended system. An airborne system suited to monitoring pollution concentrations over urban areas for the purpose of calibrating remote sensors is then selected using a similar methodology to yield the optimal configuration

Fault Detection and Tolerant Control for Aero2 2DOF Two-rotor Helicopter

Stability and satisfactory performance are keycontrol requirements for any Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)application. Although conventional control systems for UAVsare designed to ensure flight stability and safe operation whileachieving a desired task, a UAV may develop different typesof flight faults that could lead to degradation in performanceor, worse, instability. Unsatisfactory performance or instabilityof a UAV poses threats to lives, properties, and the flyingenvironment. Therefore, it is crucial to design a system thatcan detect the occurrence of faults, identify the location atwhich the fault occurs, determine the severity of the fault, andsubsequently use this information to accommodate the faultso that the vehicle can continue to operate satisfactorily. Eventhough performance analysis of faults is crucial in selecting thebest strategies for fault detection and tolerance, little has beendone in this regard, especially with real systems. Therefore,this paper analyzes the performance of a 2-degree-of-freedom(2DOF) bi-rotor helicopter’s control system in the presenceof various actuator faults. Results from different faultyconditions indicate that faults degrade the performance of aconventional control system on UAVs and introduce vibrationsinto the system. These findings are more apparent whena fault leads to asymmetry or imbalance of the system.However, further experiments have shown that proper faultdiagnosis and accommodation methods could help maintainsatisfactory performance of the system in the presence of faults

Novel Reconfigurable Delta Robot Dual-Functioning as Adaptive Landing Gear and Manipulator

In this work a novel dual-functioning rotorcraft undercarriage is developed. The design is a reconfigurable delta robot which allows for transformation between Adaptive Landing Gear for vertical take-off and landing and 3DOF Aerial Manipulation mode. To reconfigure between operation modes without reaching singularities, a guideline to find a singularity-free geometry is presented. An adaptive landing control was developed and validated on a test-stand. For the 3DOF manipulation of the delta-structure, a third-order smooth trajectory was presented and integrated. The prototype, also depicted in the accompanying video, is then presented in free flight experiments demonstrating the advantages of the dual-functioning system

Enhanced Rescue Lift Capability

The evolving and ever-increasing demands of emergency response and disaster relief support provided by rotorcraft dictate, among other things, the development of enhanced rescue lift capability for these platforms. This preliminary analysis is first-order in nature but provides considerable insight into some of the challenges inherent in trying to effect rescue using a unique form of robotic rescue device deployed and operated from rotary-wing aerial platforms

COTS DRONE DESIGN: A RAPID EQUIPAGE ALTERNATIVE FOR FORCE RECON COMPANIES

The Force Reconnaissance Group (FRG) of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) is a pioneer unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in acquiring and utilizing small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) for aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). The sustainment of this ISR equipment, however, largely depends on ample resources that the FRG does not have. This organizational challenge results in an aerial ISR capability gap at the company level. Force Recon Companies (FRCs) do not have organic drones to support their aerial real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition requirements. This study explored an alternative solution to address this capability gap: a low-cost commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) drone design specific to the operational needs of FRCs. A systems engineering approach to SUAS design resulted in a micro traditional helicopter drone as the FRC COTS Drone design. The study produced a prototype FRC COTS Drone consisting of a four-part reconnaissance kit that includes a micro helicopter UAV, handheld controller, first person view (FPV) goggles, and FPV monitor. This effort can promote a culture of innovation in small unmanned systems, not just within the PMC, but the AFP as a whole. This study can also serve as a model for security cooperation between the United States and the Philippines through the integration of three fields: Philippine experience, U.S. technical expertise and resources, and the global commercial market.Outstanding ThesisMajor, Philippine Marine CorpsApproved for public release. distribution is unlimite

NASA patent abstracts bibliography: A continuing bibliography. Section 1: Abstracts (supplement 34)

Abstracts are provided for 124 patents and patent applications entered into the NASA scientific and technical information systems during the period July 1988 through December 1988. Each entry consists of a citation, an abstract, and in most cases, a key illustration selected from the patent or patent application

Design of a quadcopter to work at high temperatures

The project develops the design of a quadcopter to work within industrial plants which can be found even at 80 degrees Celsius. These plants should be checked as a way of detecting faults or cracks to prevent other serious incidents that may arise. Both the whole building as well as industrial machinery, which are inside the plant, should be inspected without the need to wait until the infrastructure is fully cooled down. Both external mechanical defense to get close to surfaces, adapting to customer specifications, as well as mechanical and electronic components in the multicopter are designed. It shall support all the requested temperature at least 80 degrees.El proyecto desarrolla el diseño de un cuadricóptero para trabajar dentro de plantas industriales que se pueden encontrar hasta una temperatura de 80 grados. Estos edificios deben ser revisados continuamente como una forma de detectar fallas o grietas que puedan evitar otros incidentes más graves que pudieran surgir. Todo el edificio, así como la maquinaria industrial que están dentro de la planta, deben ser inspeccionados sin la necesidad de esperar hasta que la infraestructura está totalmente enfriada ...Ingeniería Industria

A Summary of NASA Rotary Wing Research: Circa 20082018

The general public may not know that the first A in NASA stands for Aeronautics. If they do know, they will very likely be surprised that in addition to airplanes, the A includes research in helicopters, tiltrotors, and other vehicles adorned with rotors. There is, arguably, no subsonic air vehicle more difficult to accurately analyze than a vehicle with lift-producing rotors. No wonder that NASA has conducted rotary wing research since the days of the NACA and has partnered, since 1965, with the U.S. Army in order to overcome some of the most challenging obstacles to understanding the behavior of these vehicles. Since 2006, NASA rotary wing research has been performed under several different project names [Gorton et al., 2015]: Subsonic Rotary Wing (SRW) (20062012), Rotary Wing (RW) (20122014), and Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) (2014present). In 2009, the SRW Project published a report that assessed the status of NASA rotorcraft research; in particular, the predictive capability of NASA rotorcraft tools was addressed for a number of technical disciplines. A brief history of NASA rotorcraft research through 2009 was also provided [Yamauchi and Young, 2009]. Gorton et al. [2015] describes the system studies during 20092011 that informed the SRW/RW/RVLT project investment prioritization and organization. The authors also provided the status of research in the RW Project in engines, drive systems, aeromechanics, and impact dynamics as related to structural dynamics of vertical lift vehicles. Since 2009, the focus of research has shifted from large civil VTOL transports, to environmentally clean aircraft, to electrified VTOL aircraft for the urban air mobility (UAM) market. The changing focus of rotorcraft research has been a reflection of the evolving strategic direction of the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). By 2014, the project had been renamed the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology Project. In response to the 2014 NASA Strategic Plan, ARMD developed six Strategic Thrusts. Strategic Thrust 3B was defined as the Ultra-Efficient Commercial VehiclesVertical Lift Aircraft. Hochstetler et al. [2017] uses Thrust 3B as an example for developing metrics usable by ARMD to measure the effectiveness of each of the Strategic Thrusts. The authors provide near-, mid-, and long-term outcomes for Thrust 3B with corresponding benefits and capabilities. The importance of VTOL research, especially with the rapidly expanding UAM market, eventually resulted in a new Strategic Thrust (to begin in 2020): Thrust 4Safe, Quiet, and Affordable Vertical Lift Air Vehicles. The underlying rotary wing analysis tools used by NASA are still applicable to traditional rotorcraft and have been expanded in capability to accommodate the growing number of VTOL configurations designed for UAM. The top-level goal of the RVLT Project remains unchanged since 2006: Develop and validate tools, technologies and concepts to overcome key barriers for vertical lift vehicles. In 2019, NASA rotary wing/VTOL research has never been more important for supporting new aircraft and advancements in technology. 2 A decade is a reasonable interval to pause and take stock of progress and accomplishments. In 10 years, digital technology has propelled progress in computational efficiency by orders of magnitude and expanded capabilities in measurement techniques. The purpose of this report is to provide a compilation of the NASA rotary wing research from ~2008 to ~2018. Brief summaries of publications from NASA, NASA-funded, and NASA-supported research are provided in 12 chapters: Acoustics, Aeromechanics, Computational Fluid Dynamics (External Flow), Experimental Methods, Flight Dynamics and Control, Drive Systems, Engines, Crashworthiness, Icing, Structures and Materials, Conceptual Design and System Analysis, and Mars Helicopter. We hope this report serves as a useful reference for future NASA vertical lift researchers

Langley aerospace test highlights, 1985

The role of the Langley Research Center is to perform basic and applied research necessary for the advancement of aeronautics and space flight, to generate new and advanced concepts for the accomplishment of related national goals, and to provide research advice, technological support, and assistance to other NASA installations, other government agencies, and industry. Significant tests which were performed during calendar year 1985 in Langley test facilities, are highlighted. Both the broad range of the research and technology activities at the Langley Research Center and the contributions of this work toward maintaining United States leadership in aeronautics and space research, are illustrated. Other highlights of Langley research and technology for 1985 are described in Research and Technology-1985 Annual Report of the Langley Research Center