An Experimental Approach to a Rapid Propulsion and Aeronautics Concepts Testbed

Modern aircraft design tools have limitations for predicting complex propulsion-airframe interactions. The demand for new tools and methods addressing these limitations is high based on the many recent Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) concepts being developed for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) markets. We propose that low cost electronics and additive manufacturing can support the conceptual design of advanced autonomy-enabled concepts, by facilitating rapid prototyping for experimentally driven design cycles. This approach has the potential to reduce complex aircraft concept development costs, minimize unique risks associated with the conceptual design, and shorten development schedule by enabling the determination of many "unknown unknowns" earlier in the design process and providing verification of the results from aircraft design tools. A modular testbed was designed and built to evaluate this rapid design-build-test approach and to support aeronautics and autonomy research targeting UAM applications utilizing a complex, transitioning-VTOL aircraft configuration. The testbed is a modular wind tunnel and flight model. The testbed airframe is approximately 80% printed, with labor required for assembly. This paper describes the design process, fabrication process, ground testing, and initial wind tunnel structural and thermal loading of a proof-of-concept aircraft, the Langley Aerodrome 8 (LA-8)

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 Development and Evaluation of Control for Complex Multi-Domain Systems: Attitude Control for a Quadrotor UAV

A Cyber-Physical System (CPS) incorporates sensing, actuating, computing and communicative capabilities, which are often combined to control the system. The development of CPSs poses a challenge, since the complexity of the physical system dynamics must be taken into account when designing the control application. The physical system dynamics are often defined within mechanical and electrical engineering domains, with the control application residing in software and control engineering domains. Therefore, such a system can be considered multi-domain.With the constant increase in the complexity of such systems, caused by technological advances in all domains, new ways of approaching multi-domain system development are needed. One methodology, which excels in complexity management, is model-based development. Multidomain systems require collaborative modeling, where the physical system dynamics are captured in the Continuous Time (CT) modeling domain and the digital control is captured in the Discrete Event (DE) modeling domain.This thesis demonstrates how an extended CT-first model-based development approach can be applied to a complex multi-domain system. A collaborative model of a quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has been constructed and used to develop an attitude controller based on Model Predictive Control (MPC). The MPC controller has been compared to an existing open source Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) attitude controller.This thesis contributes to the discipline of model-based development with a methodological extension to the CT-first approach, which extends the conventional approach by expanding the physical modeling process into three consecutive steps. An evaluation of the extension is presented, describing how and when the extended methodology provides increased value

Electronic/electric technology benefits study

The benefits and payoffs of advanced electronic/electric technologies were investigated for three types of aircraft. The technologies, evaluated in each of the three airplanes, included advanced flight controls, advanced secondary power, advanced avionic complements, new cockpit displays, and advanced air traffic control techniques. For the advanced flight controls, the near term considered relaxed static stability (RSS) with mechanical backup. The far term considered an advanced fly by wire system for a longitudinally unstable airplane. In the case of the secondary power systems, trades were made in two steps: in the near term, engine bleed was eliminated; in the far term bleed air, air plus hydraulics were eliminated. Using three commercial aircraft, in the 150, 350, and 700 passenger range, the technology value and pay-offs were quantified, with emphasis on the fiscal benefits. Weight reductions deriving from fuel saving and other system improvements were identified and the weight savings were cycled for their impact on TOGW (takeoff gross weight) and upon the performance of the airframes/engines. Maintenance, reliability, and logistic support were the other criteria

Preliminary study and design of the avionics system for an eVTOL aircraft.

The project consists of the study, creation, implementation, and development of the avionics system of an electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) airplane for an ongoing project from the company ONAEROSPACE. The plane is intended to be for 7 passengers and 1 pilot, with a maximum range of 1000+ km. The fuselage will be formed of carbon fiber composite to reduce weight and it will use electric motors powered by batteries. The avionics system will provide the aircraft with communication and navigation systems, an autonomous Take-Off (T/O) and landing system, as well as the development of cockpit management systems. This document is divided into two parts. The first part begins with the study of all the necessary tools for communication and navigation systems. That means all compulsory antennas and sensors to obtain information about the surroundings (weather, obstacles, other planes¿). The intern communication network to send data from these sensors and antennas to main flight management systems is also studied in this first part. The second part of the project is dedicated to cabin cockpit systems and the study for the future development of autonomous systems. The cabin will have a full-glass cockpit, with touchable screens and an intelligent voice assistant. It will be very ergonomic and simple, with a lot of space in the cabin. In order to have an idea of the cost of the implementation of all the systems for the aircraft, a weight and cost estimation analysis are done at the end of each section. The last part of the project consists of the study of the design of a virtual intelligent voice assistant and the implementation of autonomous systems. Nowadays, the virtual intelligent voice assistant is an artificial intelligence system that works as a pilot monitoring system which assists the pilot in order to decrease the pilot¿s workload. The future idea is that the pilot could tell commands to the voice assistant and do nothing with the hands, just control that everything works correctly. Regarding the autonomous system, the conclusion is that with the existent technology is not possible today. Nevertheless, in the future, when fully autonomous aircraft are possible, the idea is that although being fully autonomous, the pilot can take the control of the aircraft at any moment.OutgoingObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i InfraestructuraObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenible

Systems study for an Integrated Digital-Electric Aircraft (IDEA)

The results of the Integrated Digital/Electric Aircraft (IDEA) Study are presented. Airplanes with advanced systems were, defined and evaluated, as a means of identifying potential high payoff research tasks. A baseline airplane was defined for comparison, typical of a 1990's airplane with advanced active controls, propulsion, aerodynamics, and structures technology. Trade studies led to definition of an IDEA airplane, with extensive digital systems and electric secondary power distribution. This airplane showed an improvement of 3% in fuel use and 1.8% in DOC relative to the baseline configuration. An alternate configuration, an advanced technology turboprop, was also evaluated, with greater improvement supported by digital electric systems. Recommended research programs were defined for high risk, high payoff areas appropriate for implementation under NASA leadership

Restructurable Controls

Restructurable control system theory, robust reconfiguration for high reliability and survivability for advanced aircraft, restructurable controls problem definition and research, experimentation, system identification methods applied to aircraft, a self-repairing digital flight control system, and state-of-the-art theory application are addressed

Spacelab simulation using a Lear Jet aircraft: Mission no. 4 (ASSESS program)

The fourth ASSESS Spacelab simulation mission utilizing a Lear Jet aircraft featured trained experiment operators (EOs) in place of the participating scientists, to simulate the role and functions of payload specialists in Spacelab who may conduct experiments developed by other scientists. The experiment was a broadband infrared photometer coupled to a 30-cm, open port, IR telescope. No compromises in equipment design or target selection were made to simplify operator tasks; the science goals of the mission were selected to advance the mainline research program of the principle investigator (PI). Training of the EOs was the responsibility of the PI team and consisted of laboratory sessions, on-site training during experiment integration, and integrated mission training using the aircraft as a high-fidelity simulator. The EO permission experience in these several disciplines proved adequate for normal experiment operations, but marginal for the identification and remedy of equipment malfunctions. During the mission, the PI utilized a TV communication system to assist the EOs to overcome equipment difficulties; both science and operations were successfully implemented