Search Results

Abstract For Chinese low-cost airlines network, this article employed two indicators: network topology indexes, to evaluate the current status of the network, and economic performance indexes, to analyze the development potential of the network. From the topology indexes, each airline has its own different characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages, while from economic and socio-demographic indexes, Spring Airlines, West Air, and China United Airlines have obvious advantages and other airlines have distinct shortcomings. Then, the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) method was used to comprehensively evaluate Chinese low-cost airlines. The results show that the ranking in terms of network is: Spring Airlines, Western Airlines, China United Airlines, Lucky Air, 9 Air, Chengdu Airlines, and also show Chinese low-cost airlines network is in initial and growth stage.

Abstract Ground vibration testing (GVT) is an important phase of the development, or the structural modification of an aircraft program. The modes of vibration and their associated parameters extracted from the GVT are used to modify the structural model of the aircraft to make more reliable dynamics predictions to satisfy certification authorities. Due to the high cost and the extensive preparations for such tests, a new method of vibration testing called taxi vibration testing (TVT) rooted in operational modal analysis (OMA) was recently proposed and investigated by the German Institute for Aerospace Research (DLR) as alternative to conventional GVT. In this investigation, a computational framework based on fully coupled flexible multibody dynamics for TVT is presented to further investigate the applicability of the TVT to flexible airframes. The time domain decomposition (TDD) method for OMA was used to postprocess the response of the airframe during a TVT.

Abstract Presently, 270 V direct current (DC) systems replace older 28 V DC voltage systems in both the civil and military aviation industry due to the requirement for more electrical power needs on board. Therefore, the existing avionics require retrofitting. The conversion from 270 V to 28 V appears to be quite promising for both old and new systems. This study aims to design an interleaved synchronous modular buck converter topology as a candidate for these requirements. Calculations for the converter design are conducted considering aviation standards. Switching with pulse-width modulation (PWM) is used to control the power converter. A double-loop feedback control system based on voltage and current feedback is designed. Therefore, the buck converter circuit with 1145 W power output is proposed, which supplies a 28 V and 41 A DC output from a 270 V DC input. The concept is verified using simulations and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experimental results.

Abstract For spacecraft with high power consumption, it is reasonable to build the thermal control system based on a two-phase mechanically pumped loop. The heat-controlled accumulator is a key element of the two-phase mechanically pumped loop, which allows for the control of pressure in the loop and maintains the required level of coolant boiling temperature or cavitation margin at the pump inlet. There can be two critical modes of loop operation where the ability to control pressure will be lost. The first critical mode occurs when the accumulator fills with liquid at high heat loads. The second critical mode occurs when the accumulator is at low heat loads and partial loss of coolant, for example, due to the leak caused by micrometeorite breakdown. Both modes are caused by insufficient accumulator volume or working fluid charge.

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 Emissions and effects of climate change have prompted study into fuels that reduce global dependence on traditional fuels. This study seeks to investigate engine performance, thermochemical properties, emissions, and perform NVH analysis of Jet-A and S8 using a single-stage turbojet engine at three engine speeds. Experimental Jet-A results were used to validate a CFX simulation of the engine. Engine performance was quantified using thermocouples, pressure sensors, tachometers, flow meters, and load cells fitted to the engine. Emissions results were collected using an MKS Multigas Emissions Analyzer that examined CO, CO₂, H₂O, NOx, and THC. NVH analysis was conducted using a multifield, free-field microphone, and triaxial accelerometer. This study found that Jet-A operates at higher temperatures and pressures than S8, and S8 requires higher fuel flow rates than Jet-A, leading to poorer efficiency and thrust. S8 produced stronger vibrations over 5 kHz compared to Jet-A.

Abstract Expert perceptions have been increasingly used to perform risk assessments in airport predictive risk assessments in recent years. Although it is known that biases are less influential in groups of experts when compared to laypeople, they still can be residually present in such tasks with this specific group. Therefore, this article aims to propose (1) the pragmatic organization of knowledge about the biases that may affect airport risk assessments by groups of experts and (2) which of them most often arise in this type of analysis and at what intensity. For the development of the work, we carried out a dense bibliographic review of the theme. Later, we performed a predictive risk assessment and a survey, with the support of an experienced group of 30 experts from Brazilian regulatory agency and airport operators.

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 main focus of this article is the online estimation of the terminal airspace sector capacity from the Air Traffic Controller 0ATC) dynamical neural model using Neural Partial Differentiation (NPD) with permissible safe separation and affordable workload. For this purpose, a primarily neural model of a multi-input-single-output (MISO) ATC dynamical system is established, and the NPD method is used to estimate the model parameters from the experimental data. These estimated parameters have a less relative standard deviation, and hence the model validation results show that the predicted neural model response is well matched with the intervention of the ATC workload. Moreover, the proposed neural network-based approach works well with the experimental data online as it does not require the initial values of model parameters, which are unknown in practice.

Abstract The vibration behavior of components exposed to aerodynamic loads must be taken into consideration when designing aerial vehicles. Numerical simulation plays a key role in developing more realistic analytical models for panel flutter analysis. The notable feature of the present research is the use of two methods for the aeroelastic analysis of two-dimensional curved panels with cylindrical bending. In the first approach, the finite volume method (FVM) is used for supersonic viscous flow and nonlinear structural model while full Navier-Stokes equations are discretized. In the second approach, the third-order nonlinear piston theory aerodynamics in addition to mechanical and thermal loads is assumed. Moreover, the semi-analytical weighted residual method for the nonlinear curved panel is utilized. These approaches are concurrently compared with each other for the first time. Furthermore, Hamilton’s principle is used and partial differential equations (PDEs) are derived.

Abstract Numerous operational procedures regulate aerodrome ground traffic. Detailed solutions in these procedures often come from preventive recommendations formulated as a result of accident cause analysis. With time, the conclusions drawn based on incidents, i.e., events that did not result in material damage or casualties, are becoming increasingly significant. In this article, we propose a new method for determining the probability of an incident turning into an air accident, based on the example of aerodrome traffic operations. Premises conducive to an accident in the considered class of events depend on both human and physical factors. Thus a hybrid approach was applied. We used a fuzzy inference system to analyze the premises dependent on vehicle operators, while the simulation method was selected to examine the premises dependent on physical factors. Both were integrated using the technique of event trees with fuzzy probabilities (ETFP).

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.