Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Fuel Burn”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 523 records · Page 29

Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration (ATD-1) - Concept to Operations

In order to enable arrival management concepts and solutions in a NextGen environment, ground-based sequencing and scheduling functions have been developed to support metering operations in the National Airspace System. These sequencing and scheduling algorithms as well as tools are designed to aid air traffic controllers in developing an overall arrival strategy. The research presented provides an outline of the challenge of bringing time based scheduling to the terminal environment and the steps that were taken to bring the technology from concept to testing in an operational environment, and finally acquisition by the FAA. ATM Technology Demonstration-1 (ATD-1), is a set of technologies that provides an efficient solution for managing arrival aircraft beginning from just prior to top-of-descent and continuing down to the runway. The ATD-1 suite of technologies has been tested separately, and each has demonstrated benefits in throughput, delay, and fuel-efficiency. Together, the integration of terminal arrival tools allow arrival aircraft to safely fly closer together on more fuel-efficient routes to increase capacity, and reduce delay, fuel burn, noise, and greenhouse gas emissions.

DEMO↗

Tailored Wingbox Structures through Additive Manufacturing: A Summary of Ongoing Research at NASA LaRC

The use of wingbox structural design for improved performance (i.e., fuel burn reduction) of subsonic transports is driven by two trends: reduced structural weight and increased wingspan. These two trends are in direct competition, as the increased span will exacerbate the structural reaction to aerodynamic loading, and the reduced structural weight will nominally weaken the aircraft’s ability to handle this response. Novel structural configurations, enabled by recent improvements in manufacturing, may be critical toward bridging this gap.This paper summarizes pertinent activities at the NASA Langley Research Center in terms of additive manufacturing of metallic wing structures and substructures. Numerical design optimization activities are summarized as well, in order to understand where on a wingbox an additively-manufactured part may be useful and the way in which that part beneficially impacts the flight physics. The paper concludes with a discussion of how these two research paths may be better married in order to fully integrate both the benefits and realistic limitations of additive manufacturing and numerical structural design.

Stanford, Bret. K.↗

Robust Acoustic Objective Functions and Sensitivities in Adjoint-Based Design Optimizations

The multidisciplinary design of aircraft typically includes considerations of performance, weight, fuel burn, and noise, among other factors. An objective function is applied to each of these considerations in order to weight the influence of trade-offs between different designs. Higher-order optimization exercises have utilized an adjoint approach to reach an optimal set of objective functions, such as maximum lift and reduced drag. Taking advantage of the adjoint approach significantly reduces the computational time required to find an optimal configuration. Including acoustics in the set of objective functions during an adjoint-based design optimization requires the sensitivity of the acoustic objective function. This document will present an approach for defining the sensitivity of several acoustic metrics and operations that can fill the role of the acoustic objective function. This includes time-integrated metrics such as effective perceived noise level (EPNL) and frequency-integrated metrics such as overall sound pressure level (OASPL). A demonstration case, validation, and details on the implementation in the second generation Aircraft NOise Prediction Program (ANOPP2) are also shown.

Lopes, Leonard V.↗

Further Development of the NASA X-57 Maxwell Mission Planning Tool for Mods II, III, and IV

The experimental, fully electric X-57 Maxwell is designed to enable lower energy con-sumption at cruise compare to a fuel burning baseline. This is to be achieved using a sumof subsystem benefits incorporated in the electric, airframe, and propulsion systems. AMission Planning Tool captures the three stages of X-57 development in order to assess thedesign of each subsystem in the context of the whole aircraft. The Mission Planning Toolfor the fully electric X-57 Maxwell captures the aerodynamics, propulsion, heat transfer,and power system of the aircraft with trajectory optimization capabilities. It is able tomodel these subsystems through all phases of flight, from taxi to landing. Through thismultidisciplinary approach, we are able to predict the benefit of each subsystem and theeffect of key design assumptions and how the aircraft will react if they are not met or ex-ceeded. As the aircraft progresses and systems are tested, we can use the Mission PlanningTool to continue to predict performance. This paper details the continued development ofthe X-57 Mission Planning Tool and demonstrates its capabilities.

trajectory↗

Electrical Power System Sizing Within the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation

Electrified aircraft propulsion seeks to address ambitious goals in the commercial airline industry, including significant decreases in fuel burn, emissions, noise, and takeoff field length. In order to move these electrified propulsion concepts forward, analysis tools are needed that can model propulsion systems containing both gas turbine and power system components. This work presents the definition of an electric port, a set of electrical power systems tools, and simulation examples for the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) software. NPSS is the industry standard modeling and simulation package for aircraft propulsion systems, and the ability to design, size, integrate, and analyze electric power systems will enable industry efforts towards the development of electrified aircraft propulsion.

aircraft electrification↗

Departure Approval Request Compliance Effects on Overhead Stream Insertion

Integrated Arrival-Departure-Surface (IADS) air traffic management relies on information sharing and integration between automation systems for efficiency, predictability, and throughput improvements throughout the National Airspace System (NAS). The NASA Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2) project supports this effort by integrating SWIM (System Wide Information Management) information and evaluating and refining potential TFDM (Terminal Flight Data Manager) functionality in a surface traffic management system fielded at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT). Among the IADS areas under study during ATD-2 is the use of electronically negotiated departure times for efficiently inserting flights into overhead traffic streams. Stream-insertion accuracy is important for reducing excessive vectoring that negatively impacts the NAS by increasing controller workload along with aircraft fuel burn and emissions. Departure-time approval requests (APREQs) provide center-approved departure times to allow for smooth stream insertion. In this presentation, TBFM (Time-Based Flow Management) and ATD-2 flight summary data are used to empirically show that APREQ compliance leads to improved stream insertion.

Overhead-Stream Insertion↗

Materials and Processes for New Propulsion Systems with Reduced Environmental Impact

Aeronautics research at NASA Glenn Research Center includes development, characterization and modeling of high temperature, lightweight materials and fabrication processes for aircraft propulsion systems with increased efficiency and reduced emissions, fuel burn and noise. Current propulsion materials research includes Ceramic Matrix Composites and Environmental Barrier Coatings, Polymer Matrix Composites and Additive Manufacturing processes. This presentation will summarize recent progress and plans in these areas. Ceramic Matrix Composites for Turbine Components: As part of NASA's Aeronautics research, Glenn Research Center has developed Ceramic Matrix Composites for 2700 degrees Fahrenheit turbine engine applications in the next generation of ultra-efficient aircraft. In this presentation, the development of advanced fiber and matrix constituents that enabled this advancement will be reviewed, and characterization of the resulting improvements in mechanical properties and durability will be summarized. Progress toward the development and validation of models predicting the effects of the engine environment on durability of Ceramic Matrix Composites and Environmental Barrier Coatings will be summarized. Progress and plans for collaborative research with industry and other government agencies will be reviewed. Polymer Matrix Composites for Powertrain and Impact Protection: A lightweight, hybrid polymer matrix composite/steel gear concept for rotorcraft power transmission applications was evaluated at realistic speed, torque, and power conditions. Dynamic testing was performed at 5000 horsepower and 5400 revolutions per minute with no performance degradation. Test results demonstrated the potential of hybrid composite / metal gears to reduce gear weight by approximately 15 percent, enabling the implementation of multi-speed drive systems, which would otherwise have a weight penalty, for increased speed and efficiency. Results of post-test inspection and endurance tests will be presented. Separately, ballistic impact tests demonstrated improved damage tolerance in polymer matrix composites by incorporating lightweight, thermoplastic veil materials between selected composite plies during the composite fabrication process. Results of impact tests and post-test inspection will be presented. Additive Manufacturing for Electric Propulsion: Additive Manufacturing processes offer the potential to fabricate new, high power density electric motor designs with complex geometries, multi-material components and optimally designed components that would not be feasible with traditional manufacturing processes. High performance stator components using advanced 3-phase conductive coils were fabricated using direct printing with optimized silver pastes. Additional additive manufacturing methods are being used to fabricate rotors and motor housing components. Systems studies show that the higher performance and lower weight motors offer improved energy efficiency and reduced emissions. Improvements to motor performance resulting from optimized materials and component designs will be presented.

Additive Manufacturing↗

Materials and Processes for New Propulsion Systems with Reduced Environmental Impact

Aeronautics research at NASA Glenn Research Center includes development, characterization and modeling of high temperature, lightweight materials and fabrication processes for aircraft propulsion systems with increased efficiency and reduced emissions, fuel burn and noise. Current propulsion materials research includes Ceramic Matrix Composites and Environmental Barrier Coatings, Polymer Matrix Composites and Additive Manufacturing processes. This presentation will summarize recent progress and plans in these areas.

Propulsion↗

Electrified Aircraft Propulsion Systems: Potential Failure Modes and Failure Mitigation Strategies

Electrified aircraft propulsion (EAP) systems hold great potential for the reduction of aircraft fuel burn, emissions, and noise. Currently, NASA and other organizations are actively working to identify and mature technologies necessary to bring EAP designs to reality. A requirement for the development of any civil aircraft and its systems is to ensure that potential hazards in the design are identified and appropriately mitigated to ensure that the system is safe. During aircraft development, a system safety assessment that consists of a functional hazard assessment is conducted to identify all potential failure conditions of each function, and classify those failures according to the severity of their effects on the aircraft or its occupants. The more severe a function's failure condition classification, the greater the development assurance level required for the function to ensure that the probability of the hazard is acceptably low. Today, aircraft engines and their control systems receive type certificate approval as a stand-alone system to signify their airworthiness. However, the complex coupling and distributed nature of EAP designs are expected to place added challenges on the certification of these systems. This presentation will provide an initial high-level review of the potential failure modes and hazards posed by a generic EAP system along with potential mitigation strategies for those failures. The EAP system is assumed to be a hybrid design consisting of gas turbine engines, mechanical drives, electric machines, power electronics and distribution systems, energy storage devices, and motor driven propulsors. The functionality provided by each of these EAP subsystems will be discussed along with the potential failure modes they may encounter. This will include a discussion of coupled failure effects, where a fault in one EAP subsystem effects the operation of other subsystems in the architecture. Next, potential failure mitigation strategies are discussed including both software-based and hardware-based mitigation strategies. The presentation will conclude with an example evaluation of the potential failure modes and mitigation strategies for a concept EAP system proposed by NASA.

Simon, Donald L.↗

Biocene 2018

This 'minds-on' workshop will explore emerging cross-discipline tools and techniques for moving Bio-Inspired Design (BID) into “standard practice” in systems engineering and engineering design. Discussion will center on state-of-the-art in BID tools, emerging toolkits for engineering innovation, and industry best practices. The aerospace industry is at a point where components are reaching design maturity and performance improvements are incremental. Aggressive goals for fuel burn reduction and the threat of climate change necessitate a new paradigm. An artificial intelligence (AI) approach that enables revolutionary changes in system architecture, mission analysis and performance metrics is needed. The growing interest and development in the field of machine learning presents an opportunity to speed up by 10 times or more the discovery, analysis and development of aerospace systems using artificial intelligence and natural systems.

Shyam, Vikram↗

Progress and Challenges in Quantifying Wildfire Smoke Emissions, Their Properties, Transport, and Atmospheric Impacts

Wildfire is a natural and integral ecosystem process that is necessary to maintain species composition, structure, and ecosystem function. Extreme fires have been increasing over the last decades, which have a substantial impact on air quality, human health, the environment, and climate systems. Smoke aerosols can be transported over large distances, acting as pollutants that affect adjacent and distant downwind communities and environments. Fire emissions are a complicated mixture of trace gases and aerosols, many of which are short‐lived and chemically reactive, and this mixture affects atmospheric composition in complex ways that are not completely understood. We present a review of the current state of knowledge of smoke aerosol emissions originating from wildfires. Satellite observations, from both passive and active instruments, are critical to providing the ability to view the large‐scale influence of fire, smoke, and their impacts. Progress in the development of fire emission estimates to regional and global chemical transport models has advanced, although significant challenges remain, such as connecting ecosystems and fuels burned with dependent atmospheric chemistry. Knowledge of the impact of smoke on radiation, clouds, and precipitation has progressed and is an essential topical research area. However, current measurements and parameterizations are not adequate to describe the impacts on clouds of smoke particles (e.g., CNN, INP) from fire emissions in the range of representative environmental conditions necessary to advance science or modeling. We conclude by providing recommendations to the community that we believe will advance the science and understanding of the impact of fire smoke emissions on human and environmental health, as well as feedback with climate system.

I N Sokolik↗

Experimental Studies of Open Rotor Installation Effects

Open rotor propulsion technologies offer an opportunity for reducing fuel burn. At the same time, great challenges arise from this radically different engine architecture in terms of aircraft system integration. The aeroacoustic effects of integration are one of those key challenges and, furthermore, can offer the possibility for total aircraft system noise reduction. The inter-relationship of the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic system integration effects is particularly important to enable future application. An extensive model scale test campaign was conducted to investigate a broad range of these open rotor installation effects for both a conventional and an unconventional airframe. The experimental campaign was conducted in the Boeing Low Speed Aeroacoustic Facility with specially designed modifications for efficient positioning of the open rotor rig relative to the airframe. The airframe was traversed remotely relative to the fixed open rotor rig providing for the investigation of a large number of installation positions. Eight positions around the main wing of the conventional airframe and eleven positions above the hybrid wing body airframe were documented. Other parameters investigated in the test campaign included forward flight simulation Mach number, angle of attack, rotor speed, and airframe control surface deployment. In addition, both airframes were modified for alternate configurations. The conventional airframe was configured with both a T and a U tail while the unconventional hybrid wing body airframe was configured with different vertical control surfaces. An extensive instrumentation package was deployed. The acoustics were documented with a fixed array of far field microphones, a traversing array of in-flow microphones, an out-of-flow traversing phased array, and unsteady pressure transducers mounted flush on the surface of the airframes. In addition, mean flow surveys were measured with an articulating arm traversing system. The flow field surveys were particularly valuable in documenting flow distortion effects for the various installation positions and those created by angle of attack. This presentation will report the key results obtained for open rotor installation effects and discuss future prospects with the perspective of these results.

Michael J Czech↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-32577-DND

The ground testing of hypersonic vehicles requires the replication of the flow conditions at high speed and altitude. To produce these flow conditions, stored compressed air is expanded through a convergent-divergent nozzle to produce the required pressures and speed. However, the expansion process also cools the air, and so to match the flight temperatures, some form of heating needs to be employed. Vitiated heating is a common method, where the air is heated by burning fuel in the low speed side of the nozzle, and then oxygen is added to bring the level of O2 up to match that of standard air. The resulting flow no longer has the same composition as standard air, (except for the oxygen level), but rather contains combustion products, often referred to as vitiates as part of the mixture. The presence of these vitiates in the flow effects the wind tunnel test conditions. For example, the specific heat and molecular density are changed, the kinetics of combustion are altered and the flow features in the test article are altered. In this talk, the effects of the vitiates on the testing conditions and on the performance of test articles is described. Specific examples include the effects of molecular density on the flow, how combustion processes are altered by the presence of vitiates and how condensation of vitiates can alter the test conditions. In addition, the effect of the less common vitiates produced by arc-heated tunnels are mentioned, such as NO, non-thermal equilibrium and the presence of copper solids in the flow. Finally some thoughts on how large an effect these vitiates have on the test results are presented.

Andrew T Norris↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-14056-DND

ERA Project Approach – Focus on N+2 Timeframe - Develop advanced vehicle concepts envisioned for integration into the fleet by 2025 - Simultaneous reduction of noise, NOX, and fuel burn at vehicle level - Develop key technologies envisioned for advanced vehicle concepts - Advance TRL and IRL for key technologies to 5 or 6 by 2015

Fay Collier↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-23328-DND

Objectives - Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project - NASA and The Boeing Company collaboration on damage arresting composites - 10% airframe weight reduction can provide significant reduction in fuel burn and emissions - Incremental improvements to conventional “tube & wing” configuration insufficient to meet the goals - HWB configuration promises significantly improved aircraft performance - HWB requires pressurized composite airframe with nearly flat panels that transfers significant mechanical loads - Explore PRSEUS as the primary structural concept for HWB

Adam Przekop↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-10629-DND

An overview of NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project will be given. Goals of the project will be discussed. The scope and funding associated with the project will be discussed. An overview of the technical approaches being pursued will be presented. Recent progress toward noise and fuel burn and emissions goals will be discussed.

Fayette S Collier, Jr↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-10673-DND

An overview of NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project will be given. Goals of the project will be discussed. The scope and funding associated with the project will be discussed. An overview of the technical approaches being pursued will be presented. Recent progress toward noise and fuel burn and emissions goals will be discussed.

Fayette S. Collier, Jr.↗