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At least 829 records · Page 46

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NASA NTRS1989

Prediction of forces and moments for flight vehicle control effectors: Workplan

Two research activities directed at hypersonic vehicle configurations are currently underway. The first involves the validation of a number of classical local surface inclination methods commonly employed in preliminary design studies of hypersonic flight vehicles. Unlike studies aimed at validating such methods for predicting overall vehicle aerodynamics, this effort emphasizes validating the prediction of forces and moments for flight control studies. Specifically, several vehicle configurations for which experimental or flight-test data are available are being examined. By comparing the theoretical predictions with these data, the strengths and weaknesses of the local surface inclination methods can be ascertained and possible improvements suggested. The second research effort, of significance to control during take-off and landing of most proposed hypersonic vehicle configurations, is aimed at determining the change due to ground effect in control effectiveness of highly swept delta planforms. Central to this research is the development of a vortex-lattice computer program which incorporates an unforced trailing vortex sheet and an image ground plane. With this program, the change in pitching moment of the basic vehicle due to ground proximity, and whether or not there is sufficient control power available to trim, can be determined. In addition to the current work, two different research directions are suggested for future study. The first is aimed at developing an interactive computer program to assist the flight controls engineer in determining the forces and moments generated by different types of control effectors that might be used on hypersonic vehicles. The first phase of this work would deal in the subsonic portion of the flight envelope, while later efforts would explore the supersonic/hypersonic flight regimes. The second proposed research direction would explore methods for determining the aerodynamic trim drag of a generic hypersonic flight vehicle and ways in which it can be minimized through vehicle design and trajectory optimization.

Maughmer, Mark D.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Apollo Lightcraft Project

This second year of the NASA/USRA-sponsored Advanced Aeronautical Design effort focused on systems integration and analysis of the Apollo Lightcraft. This beam-powered, single-stage-to-orbit vehicle is envisioned as the shuttlecraft of the 21st century. The five person vehicle was inspired largely by the Apollo Command Module, then reconfigured to include a new front seat with dual cockpit controls for the pilot and co-pilot, while still retaining the 3-abreast crew accommodations in the rear seat. The gross liftoff mass is 5550 kg, of which 500 kg is the payload and 300 kg is the LH2 propellant. The round trip cost to orbit is projected to be three orders of magnitude lower than the current space shuttle orbiter. The advanced laser-driven 5-speed combined-cycle engine has shiftpoints at Mach 1, 5, 11 and 25+. The Apollo Lightcraft can climb into low Earth orbit in three minutes, or fly to any spot on the globe in less than 45 minutes. Detailed investigations of the Apollo Lightcraft Project this second year further evolved the propulsion system design, while focusing on the following areas: (1) man/machine interface; (2) flight control systems; (3) power beaming system architecture; (4) re-entry aerodynamics; (5) shroud structural dynamics; and (6) optimal trajectory analysis. The principal new findings are documented. Advanced design efforts for the next academic year (1988/1989) will center on a one meter+ diameter spacecraft: the Lightcraft Technology Demonstrator (LTD). Detailed engineering design and analyses, as well as critical proof-of-concept experiments, will be carried out on this small, near-term machine. As presently conceived, the LTD could be constructed using state of the art components derived from existing liquid chemical rocket engine technology, advanced composite materials, and high power laser optics.

Myrabo, Leik N.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Hypersonic airbreathing vehicle conceptual design (focus on aero-space plane)

The airbreathing single stage to orbit (SSTO) vehicle design environment is variable-rich, intricately networked and sensitivity intensive. As such, it represents a tremondous technology challenge. Creating a viable design will require sophisticated configuration/synthesis and the synergistic integration of advanced technologies across the discipline spectrum. In design exercises, reductions in the fuel weight-fraction requirements projected for an orbital vehicle concept can result from improvements in aerodynamics/controls, propulsion efficiencies and trajectory optimization; also, gains in the fuel weight-fraction achievable for such a concept can result from improvements in structural design, heat management techniques, and material properties. As these technology advances take place, closure on a viable vehicle design will be realizable.

Hunt, James L.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Nonlinear control of a supermaneuverable aircraft

This paper describes a technique which may be used to design the flight control system for a highly maneuverable aircraft. The control system was provided to stabilize the dynamics of the aircraft model and allow it to fly simulated, poststall 'supermaneuvers'. Although the aircraft dynamics are highly nonlinear under these conditions, the gain-scheduled, flight control system was designed using basically linear techniques. A manuever generator was implemented to pilot the mathematical model through prescribed optimal trajectories. The control system design performed well while executing maneuvers involving small angular rates where the governing dynamics could be considered linear. However, the performance deteriorated once the model was subjected to high angular rates at high angle of attack.

Snell, S. Antony↗

NASA NTRS1989

New results concerning the use of kinematically redundant manipulators in microgravity environments

This paper is concerned with the development of control strategies for kinematically redundant manipulators to be used in Space Station laboratories. These robots must be able to conduct experiments and manufacturing processes without disturbing the microgravity environment, and thus their dynamic base reactions/motions must be nearly eliminated. Redundant degrees of freedom permit the inverse kinematics problem to be solved in conjuction with the minimization of a cost function defined as a weighted sum of the base reactions. It is shown that the weights in the cost function should be used as an additional set of parameters in the minimization problem. The actual performance of the local optimal trajectory approach is demonstrated to be not as good as was previously reported.

Quinn, R. D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

A generalized gradient algorithm for dynamic optimization

A gradient algorithm is developed that determines optimal trajectories with path equality constraints and terminal constraints. A generalized gradient is formed which improves both the performance index and the path equality constraints simultaneously. The algorithm is extended to treat terminal constraints by using Bryson's impulse response technique. The main features of this algorithm are its numerical stability and smooth convergence near the optimum.

Zhao, Yiyuan↗

NASA NTRS1989

Guidance analysis of the aeroglide plane change maneuver as a turning point problem

The development of guidance approximations for the atmospheric (aeroglide) portion of the minimum fuel, orbital plane change, trajectory optimization problem is described. Asymptotic methods are used to reduce the two point, boundary value, optimization problem to a turning point problem from the bank angle control. The turning point problem solution, which yields an approximate optimal control policy, is given in terms of parabolic cylinder functions, which are tabulated, and integral expressions, which must be numerically computed. Comparisons of the former, over their region of validity, with optimal control solutions show good qualitative agreement. Additional work and analysis is needed to compute the guidance approximation work.

Gracey, Christopher↗

NASA NTRS1990

Investigation of air transportation technology at Princeton University, 1988-1989

The Air Transportation Technology Program at Princeton University, a program emphasizing graduate and undergraduate student research, proceeded along several avenues during the past year. A study of optimal trajectories for penetration of microbursts when encounter is unavoidable was conducted. The emphasis of current wind shear research is on developing an expert system for wind shear avoidance. A knowledge-based reconfigurable flight control system that is implemented with the Pascal programming language using parallel microprocessors was developed. This expert system could be considered a prototype for a failure-tolerant control system that can be constructed using existing hardware. Development of a real-time cockpit simulator continued during the year. The simulator provides a single-person crew station with both conventional and advanced control devices; it currently is programmed to simulate the Navion single-engine general aviation airplane. Alternatives for the air traffic control system giving particular attention to the institutional structure of the FAA are analyzed. A simple numerical procedure for estimating the stochastic robustness of control systems is being investigated. The revitalization of the general aviation industry is also discussed.

Stengel, Robert F.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Guidance algorithms for a free-flying space robot

Robotics is a promising technology for assembly, servicing, and maintenance of platforms in space. Several aspects of planning and guidance for telesupervised and fully autonomous robotic servicers are investigated. Guidance algorithms for proximity operation of a free flyer are described. Numeric trajectory optimization is combined with artificial intelligence based obstacle avoidance. An initial algorithm and the results of its simulating platform servicing scenario are discussed. A second algorithm experiment is then proposed.

Brindle, A. F.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A simplified ring-vortex downburst model

Three dimensional incompressible vortex rings are used to model downburst flow field, and modifications are made to express the induced velocities analytically. As a result, this three dimensional downburst model can be used in trajectory optimization, as well as in flight simulations. Two such vortex rings are superposed to match the JAWS AB Corridor wind profiles and the DFW Downburst wind profiles. Model parameters are determined through nonlinear least square fit.

Zhao, Yiyuan↗

NASA NTRS1989

Robot path planning with obstacles, actuator, gripper, and payload constraints

A method is presented to obtain the time-optimal motions for robotic manipulators. It considers the full nonlinear dynamics of the manipulator, its actuator saturation limits, and gripper and payload constraints. It also accounts for both the presence of obstacles in the work space and restrictions on the motion of the manipulator's joints. The method is computationally practical and has been implemented for the optimal trajectory planning of general six degree-of-freedom manipulators. Examples are presented that demonstrate the substantial improvement in manipulator performance that can be achieved using this method.

Shiller, Zvi↗

NASA NTRS1989

Hypersonic airbreathing vehicle design - Focus on aero-space plane

Creating a viable, 'aerospaceplane' airbreathing SSTO vehicle will require sophisticated configuration synthesis and a synergistic integration of advanced technologies across the spectrum of disciplines. In design exercises conducted to date, reductions in the fuel weight-fraction requirement can result from improvements in aerodynamics/controls, enhanced propulsion efficiencies, and trajectory optimization. Additional improvements in fuel-weight fraction can result from improvements in structural design, heat-management techniques, and materials properties.

Hunt, James L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Optimal plane change by low aerodynamic forces

This paper presents the exact dimensionless equations of motion and the necessary conditions for the computation of the optimal trajectories of a hypervelocity vehicle flying through a nonrotating spherical planetary atmosphere. It is shown that there are two types of maneuvers with nearly identical plane change. In the hard maneuver, the vehicle is pulled down to low altitude for aerodyamic plane change before exit at the prescribed final speed. In the slow maneuver which is described in detail in this paper, the vehicle remains in orbital flight with a small incremental plane change during each passage through the perigee. This maneuver requires several revolutions, and the technique for computation is similar to that in the problem of contraction of orbit.

Vinh, Nguyen X.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Wind shear procedures and the instrumentation

The effect of pitch rate on abort landing caused by wind shear encounters is discussed. Optimal trajectories, airspeed, and wind shear warning systems are briefly discussed. The bulk of the presentation is in viewgraph form.

Melvin, W. W.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Range optimization for a supersonic aircraft

Range optimal trajectories for an aircraft flying in the vertical plane are obtained from Pontryagin's Minimum Principle. Control variables are load factor n which appears nonlinearly in the equations of motion and throttle setting eta, which appears only linearly. Both controls are subject to fixed bounds, namely eta between values of 0 and 1 and absolute value of n not greater than n(max). Additionally, a dynamic pressure limit is imposed, which represents a first-order state-inequality constraint. For fixed flight time, fixed initial coordinates, and partially fixed final coordinates, the effect of the load factor limit absolute value of n not greater than n(max) is studied. Upon varying n(max), six different switching structures are obtained. All trajectories involve singular control along arcs with active dynamic pressure limit.

Seywald, Hans↗

NASA NTRS1991

A minimum propellant solution to an orbit-to-orbit transfer using a low thrust propulsion system

The Space Exploration Initiative is considering the use of low thrust (nuclear electric, solar electric) and intermediate thrust (nuclear thermal) propulsion systems for transfer to Mars and back. Due to the duration of such a mission, a low thrust minimum-fuel solution is of interest; a savings of fuel can be substantial if the propulsion system is allowed to be turned off and back on. This switching of the propulsion system helps distinguish the minimal-fuel problem from the well-known minimum-time problem. Optimal orbit transfers are also of interest to the development of a guidance system for orbital maneuvering vehicles which will be needed, for example, to deliver cargoes to the Space Station Freedom. The problem of optimizing trajectories for an orbit-to-orbit transfer with minimum-fuel expenditure using a low thrust propulsion system is addressed.

Cobb, Shannon S.↗

NASA NTRS1992

System controls challenges of hypersonic combined-cycle engine powered vehicles

Hypersonic aircraft with air-breathing engines have been described as the most complex and challenging air/space vehicle designs ever attempted. This is particularly true for aircraft designed to accelerate to orbital velocities. The propulsion system for the National Aerospace Plane will be an active factor in maintaining the aircraft on course. Typically addressed are the difficulties with the aerodynamic vehicle design and development, materials limitations and propulsion performance. The propulsion control system requires equal materials limitations and propulsion performance. The propulsion control system requires equal concern. Far more important than merely a subset of propulsion performance, the propulsion control system resides at the crossroads of trajectory optimization, engine static performance, and vehicle-engine configuration optimization. To date, solutions at these crossroads are multidisciplinary and generally lag behind the broader performance issues. Just how daunting these demands will be is suggested. A somewhat simplified treatment of the behavioral characteristics of hypersonic aircraft and the issues associated with their air-breathing propulsion control system design are presented.

Morrison, Russell H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Joint Japan/U.S. Conference on Adaptive Structures, 2nd, Nagoya, Japan, Nov. 12-14, 1991, Collection of Papers

The present conference discusses the development status of adaptive structures in Europe and in Japan, the 'Cosmo-Lab' structures/robotics cooperation concept, active-adhesion concepts for in-orbit structural assembly, adaptively controlled truss structures, object-oriented modeling in structural analysis, the control effectiveness and energy efficiency of an active mass damper, a space truss with experimental tendon control, and piezoelectric actuator-based space trusses. Also discussed is the control of resonant frequencies in adaptive structures through prestressing, active control of vortex-excited vibrations of flexible cylindrical structures, shape adjustment of a flexible space antenna reflector, the SDIO Adaptive Structures Program, optimal trajectories of iterative manipulation for space robots, a docking device as an adaptive structure, shape-memory polymers and their hybrid composites, and fuzzy control methods for structural dynamics.

Matsuzaki, Yuji↗