174 research outputs found

    Missions and Vehicle Concepts for Modern, Propelled, Lighter-Than-Air Vehicles

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    The results of studies conducted over the last 15 years to assess missions and vehicle concepts for modern, propelled, lighter-than-air vehicles (airships) were surveyed. Rigid and non-rigid airship concepts are considered. The use of airships for ocean patrol and surveillance is discussed along with vertical heavy lift airships. Military and civilian needs for high altitude platforms are addressed. Around 1970 a resurgence of interest about lighter-than-air vehicles (airships) occurred in both the public at large and in certain isolated elements of the aerospace industry. Such renewals of airship enthusiasm are not new and have, in fact, occurred regularly since the days of the Hindenburg and other large rigid airships. However, the interest that developed in the early 1970's has been particularly strong and self-sustaining for a number of good reasons. The first is the rapid increase in fuel prices over the last decade and the common belief (usually true) that airships are the most fuel efficient means of air transportation. Second, a number of new mission needs have arisen, particularly in surveillance and patrol and in vertical heavy-lift, which would seem to be well-suited to airship capabilities. The third reason is the recent proposal of many new and innovative airship concepts. Finally, there is the prospect of adapting to airships the tremendous amount of new aeronautical technology which has been developed in the past few decades thereby obtaining dramatic new airship capabilities. The primary purpose of this volume is to survey the results of studies, conducted over the last 15 years, to assess missions and vehicle concepts for modern propelled lighter-than-air vehicles

    Fourth Airborne Geoscience Workshop

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    The focus of the workshop was on how the airborne community can assist in achieving the goals of the Global Change Research Program. The many activities that employ airborne platforms and sensors were discussed: platforms and instrument development; airborne oceanography; lidar research; SAR measurements; Doppler radar; laser measurements; cloud physics; airborne experiments; airborne microwave measurements; and airborne data collection

    Titan Explorer: The Next Step in the Exploration of a Mysterious World

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    The Titan Explorer Mission outlined in this report is a proposed next step in the exploration of Titan, following the highly successful Huygens Titan probe of 2005. The proposed Titan Explorer Mission consists of an Orbiter and an Airship that traverses the atmosphere of Titan and can land on its surface. The Titan Explorer Mission is science driven and addresses some of the fundamental questions about the atmosphere, surface and evolution of Titan, which will add to our understanding of the origin and evolution of life on Earth and assess the likelihood of life elsewhere in the Solar System

    MODELING OF INNOVATIVE LIGHTER-THAN-AIR UAV FOR LOGISTICS, SURVEILLANCE AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

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    An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft that can operate without the presence of pilots, either through remote control or automated systems. The first part of the dissertation provides an overview of the various types of UAVs and their design features. The second section delves into specific experiences using UAVs as part of an automated monitoring system to identify potential problems such as pipeline leaks or equipment damage by conducting airborne surveys.Lighter-than-air UAVs, such as airships, can be used for various applications, from aerial photography, including surveying terrain, monitoring an area for security purposes and gathering information about weather patterns to surveillance. The third part reveals the applications of UAVs for assisting in search and rescue operations in disaster situations and transporting natural gas. Using PowerSim software, a model of airship behaviour was created to analyze the sprint-and-drift concept and study methods of increasing the operational time of airships while having a lower environmental impact when compared to a constantly switched-on engine. The analysis provided a reliable percentage of finding the victim during patrolling operations, although it did not account for victim behaviour. The study has also shown that airships may serve as a viable alternative to pipeline transportation for natural gas. The technology has the potential to revolutionize natural gas transportation, optimizing efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Additionally, airships have a unique advantage in accessing remote and otherwise inaccessible areas, providing significant benefits in the energy sector. The employment of this technology was studied to be effective in specific scenarios, and it will be worth continuing to study it for a positive impact on society and the environment

    Aeronautical Engineering: A special bibliography with indexes, supplement 48

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    This special bibliography lists 291 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in August 1974

    An Unmanned Lighter-Than-Air Platform for Large Scale Land Monitoring

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    The concept and preliminary design of an unmanned lighter-than-air (LTA) platform instrumented with different remote sensing technologies is presented. The aim is to assess the feasibility of using a remotely controlled airship for the land monitoring of medium sized (up to 107 m2) urban or rural areas at relatively low altitudes (below 1000 m) and its potential convenience with respect to other standard remote and in-situ sensing systems. The proposal includes equipment for high-definition visual, thermal, and hyperspectral imaging as well as LiDAR scanning. The data collected from these different sources can be then combined to obtain geo-referenced products such as land use land cover (LULC), soil water content (SWC), land surface temperature (LSC), and leaf area index (LAI) maps, among others. The potential uses for diffuse structural health monitoring over built-up areas are discussed as well. Several mission typologies are considere

    Earth resources. A continuing bibliography with indexes, issue 23

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    This bibliography lists 226 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1, 1979 and September 30, 1979. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis

    Delft Aerospace Design Projects 2006 : aerospace and aerospace-related designs

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    A Comparative Study of the Low Speed Performance of Two Fixed Planforms versus a Variable Geometry Planform for a Supersonic Business Jet

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    A numerical investigation of the effects of high lift devices on the low-speed performance of a generic swept wing and a delta wing was conducted. The two fixed planforms were initially sized to achieve the same high speed performance as the baseline variable geometry wing. Following a review of high lift devices a detailed analysis of their use was conducted with the aid of vortex lattice method and empirical formulations. The slat and Fowler flap combination proved to be the best mechanical solution. In comparison with the initially sized delta planform, the final delta planform required a 26% increase in wing area with high lift devices to achieve the required low speed performance. This increase in area resulted in a 14% reduction of the maximum lift-to-drag ratio at cruise. The fixed swept wing had an increase in area of 8% over the initially sized fixed swept planform. This resulted in a decrease of the maximum lift-to-drag ratio by 1.1% at cruise. The calculated specific air range ratio for the delta planform versus the variable geometry planform was 0.95. The calculated specific air range ratio for the fixed swept planform versus the variable geometry planform was 0.94. The resulting weight penalty for the variable geometry planform did not appear to be as detrimental as initially thought when comparing against larger fixed wing planforms with high lift devices. Leading edge extensions and vortex lift could provide an even further increase in �����

    Hybrid Airship Multi-Role (HAMR) Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission capability

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    The Hybrid Airship Multi-Role (HAMR) Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Mission Module project applies established systems engineering principles and processes to the design of an ASW payload module that examines the capability of the HAMR to perform persistent ASW mission support. Critical system functions and objectives are identified and are assigned appropriate quantitative metrics. Additionally, three alternative architectures are generated and evaluated using the appropriate metrics based on results from modeling using Naval Systems Simulation (NSS). Manning is considered as a key stakeholder parameter and is included as an evaluation concern. The alternatives are also compared through the examination of life cycle costs. The recommendation to the stakeholders based on the research and results is an unmanned ASW sensor platform that uses other ASW assets for prosecution.http://archive.org/details/hybridairshipmul109456935N
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