Design of a remotely piloted vehicle for a low Reynolds number station keeping mission

Six teams of senior level Aerospace Engineering undergraduates were given a request for proposal, asking for a design concept for a remotely piloted vehicle (RPV). This RPV was to be designed to fly at a target Reynolds number of 1 times 10(exp 5). The craft was to maximize loiter time and perform an indoor, closed course flight. As part of the proposal, each team was required to construct a prototype and validate their design with a flight demonstration

The Penguin: a Low Reynolds Number Powered Glider for Station Keeping Missions

The Penguin is a low Reynolds number (approx. 100,000) remotely piloted vehicle (RPV). It was designed to fly three laps indoors around two pylons in a figure-eight course while maximizing loiter time. The Penguin's low Reynolds number mission is an important one currently being studied for possible future flights in the atmospheres of other planets and for specialized military missions. Although the Penguin's mission seemed quite simple at first, the challenges of such low Reynolds number flight have proven to be quite unique. In addition to the constraint of low Reynolds number flight, the aircraft had to be robust in its control, highly durable, and it had to carry a small instrument package. The Penguin's flight plan, concept, performance, aerodynamic design, weight estimation, structural design, propulsion, stability and control, and cost estimate is detailed

Experimental campaign tests on ultra micro gas turbines, fuel supply comparison and optimization

The increasing demand for miniaturized radio-controlled vehicles inspired the following research. The uses of these unmanned miniaturized/micro vehicles range from aero-modeling to drones for urban control and military applications too. The common characteristic of these vehicles is the need for a light and compact propulsion system. The radio-controlled (RC) turbines for modeling are ideally suited for this purpose, guaranteeing the necessary thrust with compactness and lightness. This device is a miniaturized turbojet, and it is generally composed of three basic elements: compressor, combustion chamber and turbine. The main goal of the paper is to evaluate the turbojet performance for considering the possibility of its use as a range extender in a hybrid vehicle. Considering the total volume constraints, it will be important to evaluate the specific fuel consumption. Also from the environmental point of view, the possibility of feeding the device with gas has been considered and, consequently, the needed device modifications performed. The test bench has been realized and assembled at the University Department Laboratory. Several different experimental configurations are reproduced and reported here, to obtain performance maps. The experiments results have been compared to previous tests results, as well as numerical simulations. Therefore, it has been possible to make a comparison between the two different fuels. The results show that this device can be used as a range extender for a hybrid vehicle. Moreover, the various tests have shown that, acting on the control unit, it is possible to feed the device with gas (mixture of propane and butane), obtaining a further benefit from the economic point of view. Surely, an in-depth study of the turbine management logic would produce a further advantage in terms of fuel consumption

On strategies of motion under the black hole horizon

In this methodological paper we consider two problems an astronaut faces with under the black hole horizon in the Schwarzschild metric. 1) How to maximize the survival proper time. 2) How to make a visible part of the outer Universe as large as possible before hitting the singularity. Our consideration essentially uses the concept of peculiar velocities based on the "river model". Let an astronaut cross the horizon from the outside. We reproduce from the first principles the known result that point 1) requires that an astronaut turn off the engine near the horizon and follow the path with the momentum equal to zero. We also show that point 2) requires maximizing the peculiar velocity of the observer. Both goals 1) and 2) require, in general, different strategies inconsistent with each other that coincide at the horizon only. The concept of peculiar velocities introduced in a direct analogy with cosmology, and its application for the problems studied in the present paper can be used in advanced general relativity courses.Comment: Matches journal versio

Constraining Attacker Capabilities Through Actuator Saturation

For LTI control systems, we provide mathematical tools - in terms of Linear Matrix Inequalities - for computing outer ellipsoidal bounds on the reachable sets that attacks can induce in the system when they are subject to the physical limits of the actuators. Next, for a given set of dangerous states, states that (if reached) compromise the integrity or safe operation of the system, we provide tools for designing new artificial limits on the actuators (smaller than their physical bounds) such that the new ellipsoidal bounds (and thus the new reachable sets) are as large as possible (in terms of volume) while guaranteeing that the dangerous states are not reachable. This guarantees that the new bounds cut as little as possible from the original reachable set to minimize the loss of system performance. Computer simulations using a platoon of vehicles are presented to illustrate the performance of our tools

Electric road vehicles - overview, concepts and research at Reutlingen university

The paper details the architecture of fully electrified vehicles as well as their new electronic systems. Examples of up-to-date electrical passenger cars are given. A very important question, that is the environmental foot-print of electrical vehicles compared to conventional ones, is examined. A research project is introduced where a fleet of two-wheeled vehicles is available for day-to-day use. Research on vehicles, software for fleet management and battery range prediction is described.В данной статье привeдены подробные сведения о принципе работы электрифицированных транспортных средств, а также описаны их новые электрические системы. Показан примеры уже существующих электрических пассажирских транспортных средств. Рассмотрено влияние электрифицированного транспорта на окружающую среду в сравнении с обычными видами транспорта. Приведен проект исследований, в рамках которого для ежедневного использования существует парк двух колесных электрифицированных транспортных средств. Описаны исследования, непосредственно связанные с электрифицированным транспортом, определением точного времени разряда батареи, а также программным обеспечением, позволяющим управлять парком таких транспортных средств.У статті наведено докладні відомості щодо принципів роботи електрифікованих транспортних засобів, а також описано їх нові електричні системи. Показано приклади вже існуючих електричних пасажирських транспортних засобів. Розглянуто вплив електрифікованого транспорту на навколишнє середовище у порівнянні із звичайними видами транспорту. На- ведено проект досліджень, у рамках якого існує парк двоколісних електрифікованих транспортних засобів для щоденного використання. Описано дослідження, безпосередньо пов'язані із електрифікованим транспортом, визначенням точного часу розряду батареї, а також програмним забезпеченням, що дозволяє керувати парком таких транспортних засобів

Concurrent optimization of airframe and engine design parameters

An integrated system for the multidisciplinary analysis and optimization of airframe and propulsion design parameters is being developed. This system is known as IPAS, the Integrated Propulsion/Airframe Analysis System. The traditional method of analysis is one in which the propulsion system analysis is loosely coupled to the overall mission performance analysis. This results in a time consuming iterative process. First, the engine is designed and analyzed. Then, the results from this analysis are used in a mission analysis to determine the overall aircraft performance. The results from the mission analysis are used as a guide as the engine is redesigned and the entire process repeated. In IPAS, the propulsion system, airframe, and mission are closely coupled. The propulsion system analysis code is directly integrated into the mission analysis code. This allows the propulsion design parameters to be optimized along with the airframe and mission design parameters, significantly reducing the time required to obtain an optimized solution