Advanced flight control system study

The architecture, requirements, and system elements of an ultrareliable, advanced flight control system are described. The basic criteria are functional reliability of 10 to the minus 10 power/hour of flight and only 6 month scheduled maintenance. A distributed system architecture is described, including a multiplexed communication system, reliable bus controller, the use of skewed sensor arrays, and actuator interfaces. Test bed and flight evaluation program are proposed

Model-based Design Framework for Shape Memory Alloy Wire Actuation Devices.

While Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) have exceptional actuation characteristics such as high energy density, silent operation, flexible packaging, etc., they have not found widespread use in commercial applications because of the significant learning curve required of engineers before they are capable of designing actuation devices using this unique material. An SMA actuation device design framework consisting of grammar, design methods, and design process enables engineers of different backgrounds to make efficient and appropriate design decisions in different stages of the design process. A reference SMA actuation device structure built on a generalized actuation device hierarchical structure using the actuation device grammar works as a reference structure to identify and populate device design options, and to model and analyze the device actuation performance as well as to enlighten non-expert engineers about the essential elements of SMA actuation devices. Design methods consisting of modular modeling, model aggregation and performance prediction, and visualization approaches support design decisions to serve diverse stakeholders of actuation device design by exposing the effects of individual device elements not only for SMA actuation devices, but also for a wide range of actuation devices. A multi-stage design process is formalized to help engineers create a detailed design including a three-step decoupled equilibrium design procedure which prevents potential iteration by decoupling the force and deflection of actuation output behavior, and hides the complexity of material and SMA architectural models from engineers while still exposing the impact of design parameters. The design framework makes SMA design knowledge more accessible to engineers with different levels of expertise and roles in device development by systematically organizing and presenting the device grammar, design methods, and design process. A design tool software platform based on the framework enables the creation of computer-aided design tools to support a variety of design tasks, which were demonstrated in two use case examples. By having the SMA actuation device design framework, the acceptance of the SMA actuation technology into both research and commercial applications can be increased to utilize promising SMA actuation benefits, and the device development cycle leading to these applications can be streamlined.PhDMechanical EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/120684/1/wonhekim_1.pd

Analysis of Product Architectures of Pin Array Technologies for Tactile Displays

Refreshable tactile displays based on pin array technologies have a significant impact on the education of children with visual impairments, but they are prohibitively expensive. To better understand their design and the reason for the high cost, we created a database and analyzed the product architectures of 67 unique pin array technologies from literature and patents. We qualitatively coded their functional elements and analyzed the physical parts that execute the functions. Our findings highlight that pin array surfaces aim to achieve three key functions, i.e., raise and lower pins, lock pins, and create a large array. We also contribute a concise morphological chart that organises the various mechanisms for these three functions. Based on this, we discuss the reasons for the high cost and complexity of these surface haptic technologies and infer why larger displays and more affordable devices are not available. Our findings can be used to design new mechanisms for more affordable and scalable pin array display systems

Functional requirements for the man-vehicle systems research facility

The NASA Ames Research Center proposed a man-vehicle systems research facility to support flight simulation studies which are needed for identifying and correcting the sources of human error associated with current and future air carrier operations. The organization of research facility is reviewed and functional requirements and related priorities for the facility are recommended based on a review of potentially critical operational scenarios. Requirements are included for the experimenter's simulation control and data acquisition functions, as well as for the visual field, motion, sound, computation, crew station, and intercommunications subsystems. The related issues of functional fidelity and level of simulation are addressed, and specific criteria for quantitative assessment of various aspects of fidelity are offered. Recommendations for facility integration, checkout, and staffing are included