Extension to UML-B Notation and Toolset

The UML-B notation has been created as an attempt to combine the success and ease of use of UML, with the verification and rigorous development capabilities of formal methods. However, the notation currently only supports a basic diagram set. To address this we have, in this project, designed and implemented a set of extensions to the UML-B notation that provide a much fuller software engineering experience, critically making UML-B more appealing to industry partners. These extensions comprise five new diagram types, which are aimed at supplying a broader range of design capabilities, such as conceptual Use-Case design and future integration with the ProB animator tool

The measurement of aircraft performance and stability and control after flight through natural icing conditions

The effects of airframe icing on the performance and stability and control of a twin-engine commuter-class aircraft were measured by the NASA Lewis Research Center. This work consisted of clear air tests with artificial ice shapes attached to the horizontal tail, and natural icing flight tests in measured icing clouds. The clear air tests employed static longitudinal flight test methods to determine degradation in stability margins for four simulated ice shapes. The natural icing flight tests employed a data acquisition system, which was provided under contract to NASA by Kohlman Systems Research Incorporated. This system used a performance modeling method and modified maximum likelihood estimation (MMLE) technique to determine aircraft performance degradation and stability and control. Flight test results with artificial ice shapes showed that longitudinal, stick-fixed, static margins are reduced on the order of 5 percent with flaps up. Natural icing tests with the KSR system corroborated these results and showed degradation in the elevator control derivatives on the order of 8 to 16 percent depending on wing flap configuration. Performance analyses showed the individual contributions of major airframe components to the overall degration in lift and drag

Wheel Design and Tension Analysis for the Tethered Axel Rover on Extreme Terrain

As the Mars Exploration rovers have reaffirmed, some of the most interesting sites for scientists to explore on planetary surfaces lie in terrains that are currently inaccessible to state-of-the art rovers. We have been developing the Axel rover as a robotic platform to access steep and challenging terrain. We will summarize the recent mechanical upgrades since we introduced the tethered Axel concept last year

Icing simulation: A survey of computer models and experimental facilities

A survey of the current methods for simulation of the response of an aircraft or aircraft subsystem to an icing encounter is presented. The topics discussed include a computer code modeling of aircraft icing and performance degradation, an evaluation of experimental facility simulation capabilities, and ice protection system evaluation tests in simulated icing conditions. Current research focussed on upgrading simulation fidelity of both experimental and computational methods is discussed. The need for increased understanding of the physical processes governing ice accretion, ice shedding, and iced airfoil aerodynamics is examined

Transition Delay in Hypervelocity Boundary Layers By Means of CO₂/Acoustic Instability Interaction

The potential for hypervelocity boundary layer stabilization was investigated using the concept of damping Mack’s second mode disturbances by vibrational relaxation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) within the boundary layer. Experiments were carried out in the Caltech T5 hypervelocity shock tunnel and the Caltech Mach 4 Ludwieg tube. The tests used 5-degree half-angle cones (at zero angle of attack) equipped near the front of the cone with an injector consisting of either discrete holes or a porous section. Gaseous CO₂, argon (Ar) and air were injected into the boundary layer and the effect on boundary layer stability was evaluated by optical visualization, heat flux measurements and numerical simulation. In T5, tests were carried out with CO₂ in the free stream as well as injection. Injection experiments in T5 were inconclusive; however, experiments with mixtures of air/CO₂ in the free stream demonstrated a clear stabilizing effect, limiting the predicted amplification N-factors to be less than 13. During the testing activities in T5, significant improvements were made in experimental technique and data analysis. Testing in the Ludwieg tube enabled optical visualization and the identification of a shear-layer like instability downstream of the injector. Experiments showed and numerical simulation confirmed that injection has a destabilizing influence beyond a critical level of injection mass flow rate. A modified injection geometry was tested in the Ludwieg tube and we demonstrated that it was possible to cancel the shock wave created by injection under carefully selected conditions. However, computations indicate and experiments demonstrate that shear-layer like flow downstream of the porous wall injector is unstable and can transition to turbulence while the injected gas is mixing with the free stream. We conclude that the idea of using vibrational relaxation to delay boundary layer transition is a sound concept but there are significant practical issues to be resolved to minimize the flow disturbance associated with introducing the vibrationally-active gas into the boundary layer

Solcore: A multi-scale, python-based library for modelling solar cells and semiconductor materials

Computational models can provide significant insight into the operation mechanisms and deficiencies of photovoltaic solar cells. Solcore is a modular set of computational tools, written in Python 3, for the design and simulation of photovoltaic solar cells. Calculations can be performed on ideal, thermodynamic limiting behaviour, through to fitting experimentally accessible parameters such as dark and light IV curves and luminescence. Uniquely, it combines a complete semiconductor solver capable of modelling the optical and electrical properties of a wide range of solar cells, from quantum well devices to multi-junction solar cells. The model is a multi-scale simulation accounting for nanoscale phenomena such as the quantum confinement effects of semiconductor nanostructures, to micron level propagation of light through to the overall performance of solar arrays, including the modelling of the spectral irradiance based on atmospheric conditions. In this article we summarize the capabilities in addition to providing the physical insight and mathematical formulation behind the software with the purpose of serving as both a research and teaching tool.Comment: 25 pages, 18 figures, Journal of Computational Electronics (2018