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Abstract The increase in worldwide awareness of environmental issues has necessitated the air transport industry to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions. To meet this goal, one solution is the electrification of aircraft propulsion systems. In particular, single-aisle aircraft with partial turboelectric propulsion with approximately 150 passenger seats in the 2030s are the focus. To develop a single-aisle aircraft with partial turboelectric propulsion, an air-cooled interior permanent magnet (IPM) motor with an output of 2 MW is desired. In this article, mathematical system equations that describe heat transfer inside the target air-cooled IPM motor are formulated, and their mathematical analytical solutions are obtained.

Abstract The civil aircraft nosewheel is clamped, lifted, and retained through the pick-up and holding system of the towbarless towing vehicle (TLTV), and the aircraft may be moved from the parking position to an adjacent one, the taxiway, a maintenance hangar, a location near the active runway, or conversely only with the power of the TLTV. The TLTV interfacing with the nose-landing gear of civil transport aircraft for the long-distance towing operations at a high speed could be defined as a towbarless aircraft taxiing system (TLATS). The dynamic loads induced by the system vibration may cause damage or reduce the certified safe-life limit of the nose-landing gear or the TLTV when the towing speed increases up to 40 km/h during the towing operations due to the maximum ramp weight of a heavy aircraft.

Abstract At hypersonic speed, severe aerodynamic heating is observed, and temperatures are too high to cool by radiation cooling; active cooling such as ablative cooling is helpful in this situation. The Thermal Protection System (TPS) consists of a layer of an ablative material, followed by an insulating material to lower the temperature at the inside wall of the lifting body. The surface area (considering the inside volume of the vehicle constant) of the TPS plays a vital role in heat transfer to the vehicle and heat transferred through the vehicle body. The minimum area sweepback angle (ΛArea-min) is the function of the principal radius (R) and the ratio of the principal radii of the forward bi-curvature stagnation surface (R/r). The ΛArea-min = 80° is obtained for R = 2 m and R/r = 2. The aerothermal analysis of the lifting body is of fundamental interest while designing the TPS.

Abstract An aeroengine exhaust plume is one of the important sources of infrared (IR) signature in the 3-5 μm and the 2-3 μm bands. Analysis, characterization, and modeling of the exhaust plume IR emission are needed for insight into its role in aircraft survivability against IR-guided missiles. The IR signature estimation of aeroengine exhaust needs estimation of radiative properties of absorbing-emitting exhaust gases, e.g., carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). The radiative properties of the gases can be estimated by a mathematical model with a spectroscopic database of these gases. Low-Resolution Transmission (LOWTRAN), Moderate-Resolution Transmission (MODTRAN), High-Resolution Transmission (HITRAN), and High-Temperature Transmission (HITEMP) are some commonly used spectroscopic databases. This study compares Statistical Narrowband (SNB) models with the various other mathematical models used for the estimation of radiative properties of exhaust gases.

Abstract Passengers would always like to reach their destinations with minimum commute time. Generating a higher thrust is a necessity. This implies that the turbomachinery associated with the power plant has to rotate faster and with higher efficiencies. However, high rotational speeds, mainly in the transonic regime, often lead to boundary layer separation, shocks, compressor stall, and surge. The current investigation is an attempt to reduce the abovementioned phenomena. It involves the performance study of a smoothened controlled diffusion airfoil (CDA) blade that has been optimized by “Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm” (MOGA) by altering maximum camber location and stagger angle. Inlet pressure is varied from 15 kPa to 30 kPa and the angle of attack ranging from 40.4° to 56.4°. C48-S16-BS1 is validated and considered as the baseline profile, and all other blades are collated to this.

Abstract Global warming has motivated the aeronautical industry to develop new technologies that will reduce polluting emissions. A direct way to achieve this goal is to reduce fuel consumption. Reference trajectory optimization contributes to this goal by guiding aircraft to zones where meteorological conditions are favorable to execute their required missions and thereby to reduce flight costs. In this article, the reference trajectory was optimized in terms of geographical position, altitude, and speed, by taking into account a Required Time of Arrival (RTA) constraint and weather conditions. The algorithm assumes that there is no traffic and that the aircraft can fly anywhere in the search space. The search space was modeled in the form of a unidirectional weighted graph, fuel burn was computed using a numerical model, and the weather forecast was taken into account.

Abstract This study underscores the benefits of refining the intralogistics process for small- to medium-sized manufacturing businesses (SMEs) in the engineer-to-order (ETO) sector, which relies heavily on manual tasks. Based on industrial visits and primary data from six SMEs, a new intralogistics concept and process was formulated. This approach enhances the value-added time of manufacturing workers while also facilitating complete digital integration as well as improving transparency and traceability. A practical application of this method in a company lead to cutting its lead time by roughly 11.3%. Additionally, improved oversight pinpointed excess inventory, resulting in advantages such as reduced capital needs and storage requirements. Anticipated future enhancements include better efficiency from more experienced warehouse staff and streamlined picking methods. Further, digital advancements hold promise for cost reductions in administrative and supportive roles.

Abstract The drone logistics distribution method, with its small size, quick delivery, and zero-touch, has progressively entered the mainstream of development due to the global epidemic and the rapidly developing global emerging logistics business. In our investigation, a drone and a delivery man worked together to complete the delivery order to a customer’s home as quickly as possible. We realize the combined delivery network between drones and delivery men and focus on the connection and scheduling between drones and delivery men using existing facilities such as ground airports, unmanned stations, delivery men, and drones. Based on the dynamic-vehicle routing problem model, the establishment of a delivery man and drone with a hybrid model, in order to solve the tarmac unmanned aerial vehicle for take-out delivery scheduling difficulties, linking to the delivery man and an adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm solves the model.

Abstract Electric ducted-fans with high power density are widely used in hybrid aircraft, electric aircraft, and VTOL vehicles. For the state-of-the-art electric ducted-fan, motor cooling restricts the power density increase. A motor design model based on the fan hub-to-tip ratio proposed in this article reveals that the thermal coupling effect between fan aerodynamic design and motor cooling design has great potential to increase the power density of the motor in an electric propulsion system. A smaller hub-to-tip ratio is preferred as long as the power balance and cooling balance are satisfied. Parametric study on a current 6 kW electric ducted-fan system shows that the highest motor power density could be increased by 246% based on the current technology. Finally, a preliminary design was obtained and experiments were conducted to prove the feasibility of the model.

Abstract The main technical barrier to commercial use of microturbines is its low efficiency, not exceeding 15%. Efficiency and specific power are as high as the Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT), generally limited to 950°C in microturbines, as its tiny rotors make internal blade cooling impossible. This work uses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to develop an external cooling system of the blades of a microturbine by incorporating a compressor into the disk to blow air over the blades’ walls. The engine used as the basis of the work is the FD-3/64. The work was divided into two steps. In the first, Step 1, the reactive flow in the combustor was simulated to obtain the boundary conditions for Step 2. In Step 2, the flow through the turbine wheel during rotation is simulated. Four rotor models were simulated.

Abstract It is reasonable to use a two-phase heat transfer loop (TPL) in a thermal control system (TCS) of spacecraft with large heat dissipation. One of the key elements of TPL is a heat-controlled accumulator (HCA). The HCA represents a volume which is filled with vapor and liquid of a single working fluid without bellows. The pressure in a HCA is controlled by the heater. The heat and mass transfer processes in the HCA can proceed with a significant nonequilibrium. This has implications on the regulation of TPL. This article presents a mathematical model of nonequilibrium heat and mass transfer processes in an HCA for microgravity conditions. The model uses the equations of mass and energy conservation separately for the vapor and liquid phases. Interfacial heat and mass transfer is also taken into account. It proposes to use the convective component k for the level of nonequilibrium evaluation.

Abstract The conventional approach in aircraft landing loads analysis, such as for shock absorber development, is using a nonlinear set of equations and a modal representation of the airframe. For preliminary shock absorber design studies, a linearized set of equations may provide a highly efficient simulation method to limit the parameter space of linear shock absorber models. This article develops a set of linearized equations of motion to simulate the landing touchdown event while capturing airframe flexibility effects using a transfer function. The linearized flexible model demonstrates the ability to generally capture flexibility effects and output responses of interest with a significantly reduced simulation time compared to both fully flexible and nonlinear reduced-order models.

Abstract The use of converging-diverging (C-D) variable area nozzle (VAN) in military aeroengines is now common, as it can give optimal expansion and control over engine back pressure, for a wide range of engine operations. At higher main combustion temperatures (desired for supercruise), an increase in the nozzle expansion ratio is needed for optimum performance. But changes in the nozzle throat and exit areas affect the visibility of engine hot parts as the diverging section of the nozzle is visible for a full range of view angle from the rear aspect. The solid angle subtended by engine hot parts varies with change in visibility, which affects the aircraft infrared (IR) signature from the rear aspect. This study compares the performances of fixed and variable area nozzles (FAN and VAN) in terms of engine thrust and IR signature of the engine exhaust system in the boresight for the same increase in combustion temperature.

Abstract While the design of nozzles for diatomic gases is very well established and covered by published works, the case of a diatomic gas dissociating to monatomic along a nozzle is a novel subject that needs a proper mathematical description. These novel studies are relevant to the definition of nozzles for gas-core Nuclear Thermal Rockets (NTR) that are receiving increased attention for the potential advantages they may deliver versus current generation rockets. The article thus reviews the design of the nozzles of gas-core NTR that use hydrogen as the propellant. Propellant temperatures are expected to reach 9,000-15,000 K. Above 1500 K, hydrogen begins to dissociate at low pressures, and around 3000 K dissociation also occurs at high pressures. At a given temperature, the lower the gas pressure the more molecules dissociate, and H2 → H + H. The properties of the gas are a function of the mass fractions of diatomic and monatomic hydrogen x H2 and x H = 1 − x H2.

Abstract Phosphate ester-based hydraulic fluids are commonly used in aviation, due to their fire-resistant properties. However, contamination of jet fuel with hydraulic fluid may cause serious engine failure, hot corrosion of metals, and swelling of elastomer and polymer seals. Identifying and quantifying hydraulic fluids in jet fuels using chromatography is challenging since common hydraulic fluids, such as ExxonMobil™ HyJet™ V and Skydrol™ LD-4, are composed of tri-butyl phosphate, the main peak of which overlaps with peaks from jet fuels in chromatograms. In this work, three techniques to separate and differentiate the jet fuel peaks from the tri-butyl phosphate peaks were developed. Two methods are based on a solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure followed by identification and quantification, which is carried out using a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass spectrometer or a flame ionization detector.

Abstract The ground vibration test (GVT) is an important phase in a new aircraft development program, or the structural modification of a certified aircraft, to experimentally determine the structural vibrational modes of the aircraft and their modal parameters. These modal parameters are used to validate and correlate the dynamic finite element model of the aircraft to predict potential structural instabilities (such as flutter), assessing the significance of modifications to research vehicles by comparing the modal data before and after the modification and helping to resolve in-flight anomalies. Due to the high cost and the extensive preparations of such tests, a new method of vibration testing called the taxi vibration test (TVT) rooted in operational modal analysis (OMA) was recently proposed and investigated as an alternative method to conventional GVT.

Abstract Turboshaft engines, one of the classifications of the helicopters, combine the core engine and fan and consume fossil fuels. Using of fossil fuel causes global warming and environmental pollution, such as ecological, human health. To improve helicopter capability, energy is the first point of improvement. High-energy efficient helicopter engines help decrease the environmental damage. Exergy should be applied to the system to determine the maximum available energy. In this study, energy analysis and exergy analysis have been applied to a turboshaft helicopter engine. According to the result of this study, the maximum energy and exergy efficiencies are found to be 21.99% and 15.87%, respectively, at 1500 Shaft Horsepower (SHP). It is seen that the efficiencies increase with the increase of the engine power. Besides, exergy destructions and exergy loss values are presented by calculating different powers.

Abstract Analysis and design of total temperature probes for accurate measurements in hot, high-speed flows remains a topic of great interest in aerospace propulsion and a number of other engineering areas. One can apply detailed computational methods for simultaneous convection, conduction and radiation heat transfer, but such approaches are not suitable for rapid, routine analysis and design studies. For these studies, there is still a place for low-order approximate methods, and that is the subject of this paper. Here, an enhanced, low-order model is presented that includes conduction with variable thermal conductivity, convection with varying convection coefficient, varying diameter (and thus area) along the length of the sensor and radiation, all implemented in a convenient MATLAB code.

Abstract We demonstrate a virtual proof-of-concept design and experiment for harvesting energy enabling economic and environment-friendly aircraft by recycling forces for power conversion. The harvesting uses piezoelectric materials for extracting energy from the impact at the touchdown during the landing of an aircraft and direct current (DC) generators powered by the rotational motion of the aircraft wheels during taxiing. The design begins with a multidomain model comprising multibody dynamics, mathematical descriptions, abstract behavioral blocks, and programmed code. Piezoelectric harvesting explores six types of materials consisting of ring and disk pad geometries. Both geometries are typical configurations in suspension systems. Recent advances have shown the potential of getting higher voltage out of new materials properties. Our objective is to determine the useful impact force during a touchdown on the pads and a pad type that maximizes the power transfer.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the phenomenon of Dynamic Particle Generation in lubricating greases that are used in a variety of critical Aerospace mechanisms. Particle Generation occurs in bearings, ball screws, and other mechanical devices where dynamic conditions are present. This should not be confused with outgassing as particle generation is unrelated to the pressure effects on a system. This is a critical factor in many systems as particle generation can contaminate systems or processes causing them to fail. These failures can lead to excessive costs, production failure, and equipment damage. In this study, several greases made from Multiplyalkylated Cyclopentane and Perfluoropolyether base fluids were tested to evaluate their particle generation properties. This particle generation phenomenon was studied using a custom test rig utilizing a high precision cleanroom ball-screw to simulate true application conditions.