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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 235 records · Page 13
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NASA NTRS2017

Concept of Operations for Integrating Commercial Supersonic Transport Aircraft into the National Airspace System

Several businesses and government agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are currently working on solving key technological barriers that must be overcome in order to realize the vision of low-boom supersonic flights conducted over land. However, once these challenges are met, the manner in which this class of aircraft is integrated in the National Airspace System may become a potential constraint due to the significant environmental, efficiency, and economic repercussions that their integration may cause. This document was developed to create a path for research and development that exposes the benefits and barriers of seamlessly integrating a class of CSTs into the NAS, while also serving as a Concept of Operations (ConOps) which posits a mid- to far-term solution (2025-2035) concept for best integrating CST into the NAS. Background research regarding historic supersonic operations in the National Airspace System, assumptions about design aspects and equipage of commercial supersonic transport (CST) aircraft, assumptions concerning the operational environment are described in this document. Results of a simulation experiment to investigate the interactions between CST aircraft and modern-day air traffic are disseminated and are used to generate scenarios for CST operations. Finally, technology needs to realize these operational scenarios are discussed.

Underwood, Matthew C.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Hybrid Electric MC-12 Ground Testing Plan Chapter

In the commercial aviation world, hybrid/electric propulsion is a promising technology for fuel, emissions, and noise reduction in support of the challenging goals established by 2050 EU Flightpath/SRIA, NASA ARMD Strategic Implementation Plan, and the US Air Force ATTAM programs. Ongoing results indicate operational benefits are possible in those three technical areas. Considering military applications, hybrid/electric propulsion may yield further significant improvements by enabling new, unorthodox mission capabilities. Potential benefits are expected in the areas of vehicle signature reduction (lower noise, lower exhaust signature), usage in enhanced flight environments, minimized human-in-the-loop workload by offering a platform compatible with future goals of autonomous operations facilitation, maintenance cost reductions, and performance burst/dash energy. Additional synergies are likely when used in conjunction with energy weapons. Some potential areas of mutual interest could include, dusty operations capability, remote supply capability, extended surveillance, dispatch able power, fuel-flexible vehicles, and autonomous rescue equipment. Many of the key technologies that have been demonstrated in ground operation must now be qualified for altitude conditions. We expect to have many flight qualified powertrain systems over the next decade for military planners to choose from for new future battlefield capability. This requires new flight-weight and flight-efficient powertrain components, fault tolerant power management, and electromagnetic interference mitigation technologies. Moreover, initial studies indicate some combination of ambient and cryogenic thermal management and relatively high bus voltages when compared to state of practice will be required to achieve a net system benefit. Developing all these powertrain technologies within a realistic aircraft architectural geometry and under realistic operational conditions requires a unique electric aircraft test bed. The MC-12 surveillance aircraft is an ideal military aircraft for demonstrating some of the benefits of incorporating hybrid electric propulsion. This report details an approach for full-scale ground-based altitude testing the hybrid electric MC-12 powertrain through a full flight profile.

military electric aircraft propulsion↗
NASA NTRS2017

DANTi: Detect and Avoid iN The Cockpit

Mid-air collision risk continues to be a concern for manned aircraft operations, especially near busy non-towered airports. The use of Detect and Avoid (DAA) technologies and draft standards developed for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), either alone or in combination with other collision avoidance technologies, may be useful in mitigating this collision risk for manned aircraft. This paper describes a NASA research effort known as DANTi (DAA iN The Cockpit), including the initial development of the concept of use, a software prototype, and results from initial flight tests conducted with this prototype. The prototype used a single Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) traffic sensor and the own aircraft's position, track, heading and air data information, along with NASA-developed DAA software to display traffic alerts and maneuver guidance to manned aircraft pilots on a portable tablet device. Initial flight tests with the prototype showed a successful DANTi proof-of-concept, but also demonstrated that the traffic separation parameter set specified in the RTCA SC-228 Phase I DAA MOPS may generate excessive false alerts during traffic pattern operations. Several parameter sets with smaller separation values were also tested in flight, one of which yielded more timely alerts for the maneuvers tested. Results from this study may further inform future DANTi efforts as well as Phase II DAA MOPS development.

Chamberlain, James↗
NASA NTRS1991

Civil air transport: A fresh look at power-by-wire and fly-by-light

Power-by-wire (PBW) is a key element under subsonic transport flight systems technology with potential savings of over 10 percent in operating empty weight and in fuel consumption compared to today's transport aircraft. The PBW technology substitutes electrical actuation in place of centralized hydraulics, uses internal starter-motor/generators and eliminates the need for variable engine bleed air to supply cabin comfort. The application of advanced fiber optics to the electrical power system controls, to built-in-test (BIT) equipment, and to fly-by-light (FBL) flight controls provides additional benefits in lightning and high energy radio frequency (HERF) immunity over existing mechanical or even fly-by-wire controls. The program plan is reviewed and a snapshot is given of the key technologies and their benefits to all future aircraft, both civil and military.

Sundberg, Gale R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Recent progress in VSTOL technology

Progress in vertical and short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft technology, in particular, during the 1970 to 1980 period at Ames Research Center is discussed. Although only two kinds of V/STOL aircraft (the helicopter and the British direct lift Harrier) have achieved operational maturity, understanding of the technology has vastly improved during this 10 year period. To pursue an aggressive R and D program at a reasonable cost, it was decided to conduct extensive large scale testing in wind tunnel and flight simulation facilities, to develop low cost research aircraft using modified airframes or engines, and to involve other agencies and industry contractors in joint technical and funding arrangements. The STOL investigations include exploring STOL performance using the rotating cylinder flap concept, the augmentor wing, upon initiation of the Quiet Short Haul Research Aircraft program, the upper surface blown flap concept. The VTOL investigations were conducted using a tilt rotor aircraft, resulting in the XV-15 tilt rotor research aircraft. Direct jet lift is now being considered for application to future supersonic fighter aircraft.

Roberts, L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Advanced ATC - An aircraft perspective

The principal operational improvements desired by commercial aircraft operators in the United States are efficient aircraft operations and delay reductions at the major terminals. This paper describes efforts underway within the Advanced Transport Operating Systems Program at the Langley Research Center to provide a technology basis for reducing delay while improving aircraft efficiency. The principal thrust is the development of time-based traffic control concepts which could be used within the framework of the upgraded National Airspace System and which would allow conventionally equipped aircraft to operate in a manner compatible with advanced aircraft.

Credeur, L.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Safety Verification of the Small Aircraft Transportation System Concept of Operations

A critical factor in the adoption of any new aeronautical technology or concept of operation is safety. Traditionally, safety is accomplished through a rigorous process that involves human factors, low and high fidelity simulations, and flight experiments. As this process is usually performed on final products or functional prototypes, concept modifications resulting from this process are very expensive to implement. This paper describe an approach to system safety that can take place at early stages of a concept design. It is based on a set of mathematical techniques and tools known as formal methods. In contrast to testing and simulation, formal methods provide the capability of exhaustive state exploration analysis. We present the safety analysis and verification performed for the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) Concept of Operations (ConOps). The concept of operations is modeled using discrete and hybrid mathematical models. These models are then analyzed using formal methods. The objective of the analysis is to show, in a mathematical framework, that the concept of operation complies with a set of safety requirements. It is also shown that the ConOps has some desirable characteristic such as liveness and absence of dead-lock. The analysis and verification is performed in the Prototype Verification System (PVS), which is a computer based specification language and a theorem proving assistant.

Carreno, Victor↗
NASA NTRS2015

Achieving TASAR Operational Readiness

NASA has been developing and testing the Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests (TASAR) concept for aircraft operations featuring a NASA-developed cockpit automation tool, the Traffic Aware Planner (TAP), which computes traffic/hazard-compatible route changes to improve flight efficiency. The TAP technology is anticipated to save fuel and flight time and thereby provide immediate and pervasive benefits to the aircraft operator, as well as improving flight schedule compliance, passenger comfort, and pilot and controller workload. Previous work has indicated the potential for significant benefits for TASAR-equipped aircraft, and a flight trial of the TAP software application in the National Airspace System has demonstrated its technical viability. This paper reviews previous and ongoing activities to prepare TASAR for operational use.

Wing, David J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Recommendations for the NASA Avionics program for the 1980's

NASA is examining the merits of a significant expansion of its avionics, controls, and human factors technology program for the 1980's. The rationale for an expanded program is related to two factors. One factor is related to a utilization of recent and anticipated significant advances in microelectronics. The second factor is the need to develop new concepts in avionics and control systems for more efficient aircraft operation and better utilization of extremely limited airport capacity. Substantial benefits could be realized in three major categories, including improved aircraft efficiency, improved flight operations, and improved/extended operational capability. The NASA Avionics, Controls, and Human Factors Technology Plan is the report of a task force of agency personnel working in close cooperation with industry, DOD, and FAA. Attention is given to the NASA role, aircraft controls, crew station technology, flight management, integration and interfacing, commercial transports, general aviation, rotorcraft, V/STOL, and high performance aircraft.

Spitzer, C. R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-13011-DND

Features of Doppler Wind Lidar - Works by aerosols in atmosphere reflecting light from a pulsed laser beam. - Allows wind measurements from a long distance—offshore wind can be probed from an onshore location. - Laser beam wavelength (2-μm) creates no hazard for the human eye. - NASA lidar technology is unique in laser pulse energy and capability for long-range wind measurements. - Engineered into compact enclosure with unattended operation. - Rugged enough to be flown on research aircraft into hurricanes. - Poised for technology transfer for commercial development.

Grady Koch↗
NASA NTRS2018

Small Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Flight Testing of Enabling Vehicle Technologies for the UAS Traffic Management Project

Small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) have been studied and results indicate that there is a large array of highly-beneficial applications. These applications are too numerous to list, but include search and rescue, fire spotting, precision agriculture, etc. to name a few. Typically sUAS vehicles weigh less than 55 pounds and will be performing flight operations in the presence of manned aircraft and other sUAS. Certain sUAS applications, such as package delivery, will include operations in the close proximity of the general public. The full benefit from sUAS is contingent upon the resolution of several technological areas to enable free and widespread use of these vehicles. Technological areas in question include, but are not limited to: autonomous sense and avoid and deconfliction of sUAS from other sUAS and manned aircraft, communications and interfaces between the vehicle and human operators, and high-reliability autonomous systems. The NASA UAS Traffic Management (UTM) project is endeavoring to develop a traffic management system and concept of operations for these types of vehicles. An extensive sUAS flight test effort was performed to partially address vehicle-related technological areas and to shape an understanding of future developmental and test efforts for vehicles intended to use the UTM traffic management system. The flight testing described herein had the following objectives: 1) Install and test Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) systems developed for the automotive industry for potential sense and avoid sUAS applications; 2) Evaluate the use of cellular 4G systems to provide vehicle control; 3) Obtain high-resolution video imagery in support of image-based optical detection sense and avoid systems; 4) Acquire data in fixed-wing flight to support validation and maturation of an autonomous range containment system known as Safeguard in fixed-wing flight. A total of 53 flights were performed over 12 operational days at Beaver Dam Airpark in Elberon, VA. This work was sponsored by the UTM project that is part of the Aviation Operations and Safety Program (AOSP) at NASA.

Glaab, Louis J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Verification and validation of the NASA Terminal Configured Vehicle's /TCV/ Wind Analysis program using real-time digital simulation

NASA's Terminal Configured Vehicle (TCV) program has been established to develop and evaluate aircraft and flight management technology that will benefit conventional takeoff and landing operations in the terminal area. To this end, a process whereby estimates of longitudinal, lateral, and vertical winds are obtained using the present complement of sensors onboard the TCV aircraft (B737-100) is developed. The results of the simulation experiment to verify and validate the TCV B737 Data Merging and Wind Analysis program have shown that the wind analysis algorithms are correct and that very satisfactory estimates of all three wind components are obtained even in the presence of adverse atmospheric conditions and realistic measurement noise. In realistic worst case conditions, wind component errors of the order of + or - 2.0 knots longitudinally, + or - 0.5 knot laterally, and + or - 1.0 knot vertically are to be expected.

Dieudonne, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Multibody transport concept

Two baseline aircraft are configured in this study. The multibody aircraft has two fuselage bodies located at approximately 28% wing semispan. The single-body aircraft is configured in such a way as to provide a reference base with which the multibody aircraft can be compared. The aircraft are sized to provide the lowest direct operating cost configuration when transporting 771,620 lbs. over a distance of 3,500 nautical miles at a cruise speed of Mach 0.80. The aircraft are assumed to operate in the years 1990-1995, thus allowing for the incorporation of those technologies expected to be mature and available for production usage in 1985. In comparison with the single-body aircraft, the two-body aircraft shows reductions of 8.9% in wing weight, 7.7% in structural weight, 13.5% in block fuel weight, and 11.3% in direct operating cost.

Moore, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Cost/benefit trade-offs for reducing the energy consumption of commercial air transportation (RECAT)

The RECAT study evaluated the opportunities for reducing the energy requirements of the U.S. domestic air passenger transport system through improved operational techniques, modified in-service aircraft, derivatives of current production models, or new aircraft using either current or advanced technology. Each of these fuel-conserving alternatives was investigated individually to test its potential for fuel conservation relative to a hypothetical baseline case in which current, in-production aircraft types are assumed to operate, without modification and with current operational techniques, into the future out to the year 2000. Consequently, while the RECAT results lend insight into the directions in which technology can best be pursued for improved air transport fuel economy, no single option studied in the RECAT program is indicative of a realistic future scenario.

Gobetz, F. W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Summary of recent NASA propeller research

Advanced high-speed propellers offer large performance improvements for aircraft that cruise in the Mach 0.7 to 0.8 speed regime. At these speeds, studies indicate that there is a 15 to near 40 percent block fuel savings and associated operating cost benefits for advanced turboprops compared to equivalent technology turbofan powered aircraft. Recent wind tunnel results for five eight to ten blade advanced models are compared with analytical predictions. Test results show that blade sweep was important in achieving net efficiencies near 80 percent at Mach 0.8 and reducing nearfield cruise noise by about 6 dB. Lifting line and lifting surface aerodynamic analysis codes are under development and some results are compared with propeller force and probe data. Also, analytical predictions are compared with some initial laser velocimeter measurements of the flow field velocities of an eightbladed 45 swept propeller. Experimental aeroelastic results indicate that cascade effects and blade sweep strongly affect propeller aeroelastic characteristics. Comparisons of propeller near-field noise data with linear acoustic theory indicate that the theory adequately predicts near-field noise for subsonic tip speeds but overpredicts the noise for supersonic tip speeds.

Mikkelson, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Summary of recent NASA propeller research

Advanced high speed propellers offer large performance improvements for aircraft that cruise in the Mach 0.7 to 0.8 speed regime. At these speeds, studies indicate that there is a 15 to near 40 percent block fuel savings and associated operating cost benefits for advanced turboprops compared to equivalent technology turbofan powered aircraft. Recent wind tunnel results for five eight to ten blade advanced models are compared with analytical predictions. Test results show that blade sweep was important in achieving net efficiencies near 80 percent at Mach 0.8 and reducing nearfield cruise noise about 6 dB. Lifting line and lifting surface aerodynamic analysis codes are under development and some results are compared with propeller force and probe data. Also, analytical predictions are compared with some initial laser velocimeter measurements of the flow field velocities of an eight bladed 45 swept propeller. Experimental aeroelastic results indicate that cascade effects and blade sweep strongly affect propeller aeroelastic characteristics. Comparisons of propeller nearfield noise data with linear acoustic theory indicate that the theory adequately predicts nearfield noise for subsonic tip speeds, but overpredicts the noise for supersonic tip speeds.

Mikkelson, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Application of Smart Solid State Sensor Technology in Aerospace Applications

Aerospace applications require a range of chemical sensing technologies to monitor conditions in both space vehicles and aircraft operations. One example is the monitoring of oxygen. For example, monitoring of ambient oxygen (O2) levels is critical to ensuring the health, safety, and performance of humans living and working in space. Oxygen sensors can also be incorporated in detection systems to determine if hazardous leaks are occurring in space propulsion systems and storage facilities. In aeronautic applications, O2 detection has been investigated for fuel tank monitoring. However, as noted elsewhere, O2 is not the only species of interest in aerospace applications with a wide range of species of interest being relevant to understand an environmental or vehicle condition. These include combustion products such as CO, HF, HCN, and HCl, which are related to both the presence of a fire and monitoring of post-fire clean-up operations. This paper discusses the development of an electrochemical cell platform based on a polymer electrolyte, NAFION, and a three-electrode configuration. The approach has been to mature this basic platform for a range of applications and to test this system, combined with "Lick and Stick" electronics, for its viability to monitor an environment related to astronaut crew health and safety applications with an understanding that a broad range of applications can be addressed with a core technology.

Hunter, Gary W.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Runway Independent Aircraft Extremely Short Takeoff and Landing

This report Summarizes the work done is support of NASA/Ames Runway Independent Aircraft Research during the summer of 2003. This work centered on the tasks laid out by the Statement of Work, which was to: Identify and assess operational scenarios including airport air and ground operations and how RIA operations would interface; 2) Identify critical technologies and create a list of technologies that might be pushed to provide a quantum jump in operating economy, reliability, and safety should sufficient finding be available; 3) Create public domain powered high lift methodologies; and 4) Identify and assess vehicle concepts that provide innovative approaches to RIA operations. All these tasks were accomplished, with certain areas needing additional exploration in future grant work. Three designs were analyzed to provide strawman configurations for the RIA operations. All three aircraft carried 60 passengers, with a stage length of 1,000 nautical miles. They were capable of operating with a balanced field length of 2000 feet or less. Three different technology approaches were explored. The first, the Model 115, was a mid-wing USB design, developed as a near-term, low risk concept. The second aircraft, the EMAX, used a directed thrust system, was a far-term, high-risk approach. The third configuration was the Model 114, whose development began in summer 2002. In addition, further research was conducted on issues related to STOL operations, such as noise concerns, SNI operations, and other areas of interest.

Hall, David W.↗