Correction: Development of Propulsion System Models for Electric-VTOL Aircraft

Abstract Aircraft being capable of Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) and hover are increasingly emerging in various critical and routine applications. Rescue missions in roads and environmental disasters, observance and monitoring-based carriers, surveillance and payload carriage in environments that require high maneuverability and controllability are just a few examples in which this type of aircraft is essential. Helicopters are the most typical aircraft in this kind, but concerning the thrusting mechanism, several alternatives are yet in hand. The tendency to equip aircraft with cycloidal rotors (shortly say, cyclorotors) as means of Vertical Take-Off and Landing thrusters has increased in recent years. These devices present several advantages such as considerably lower noise production and more stable hover and vertical displacements in comparison with conventional screw propellers as used in helicopters. In the present work a novel concept of propulsion system combining two cycloidal rotors with a pair-wing system is presented. A double wing assembly is designed to place in between the two cyclorotors on each side of the aircraft. The bottom wing is intended to divide the flow in two separate portions through the downwash region of the front cycloidal rotor. To improve the efficiency of this propulsion system, the implementation of plasma actuators in the pair-wing system will be experimentally studied. The concept behind this novel propulsion system is explained and numerical and experimental results, that support its operation concept, are presented.

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A Process for the Creation of T-MATS Propulsion System Models from NPSS data

50th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference ◽

10.2514/6.2014-3931 ◽

2014 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Jeffryes W. Chapman ◽

Thomas M. Lavelle ◽

Jonathan S. Litt ◽

Ten-Huei Guo

Keyword(s):

Propulsion System ◽

System Models ◽

The Creation

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Analysis of fixed-wing VTOL aircraft with gas-driven fan propulsion system

Aerospace Science and Technology ◽

10.1016/j.ast.2020.105984 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 104 ◽

pp. 105984

Author(s):

Yang Zhou ◽

Guoping Huang ◽

Chen Xia

Keyword(s):

Propulsion System ◽

Vtol Aircraft

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Characteristics of gas-driven fan propulsion system for fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing aircraft

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part G Journal of Aerospace Engineering ◽

10.1177/09544100211025106 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 095441002110251

Author(s):

Yang Zhou ◽

Guoping Huang ◽

Chen Xia ◽

Yuanzhao Zhu

Keyword(s):

Preliminary Analysis ◽

Weight Ratio ◽

Propulsion System ◽

Development Cost ◽

Ratio Requirement ◽

Guide Vanes ◽

The Core ◽

Ducted Fan ◽

Vtol Aircraft ◽

Operation Characteristics

As a propulsion system for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the gas-driven fan propulsion system has received some attention in recent years due to its simple mechanical structure and good performance. During the operation of the propulsion system, the core turbofan exhaust is directed to the tip turbine to drive the ducted fan to obtain thrust, and the louvered vector exhaust device is used to achieve lift/thrust switching. However, due to the linkage characteristics of the guide vanes of the exhaust device, the exhaust area will gradually change with the deflection of the guide vanes. This may cause uncertain effects on the system. Besides, considering the development cost of the propulsion system, it is necessary to clarify whether the core turbofan needs to be redesigned based on the characteristics of the system. Further, the transitional performance (VTOL to flight) of the propulsion system also needs to be studied. To this end, this study established an overall model of the gas-driven fan propulsion system combined with the characteristics of the core turbofan to analyze these problems. The results indicate that the louvered vector exhaust device can well match the gas-driven fan propulsion system. And when the propulsion system is composed, the gas-driven fan will not significantly affect the operation characteristics of the core turbofan. Besides, the preliminary analysis shows that the gas-driven fan propulsion system can meet the power requirements of the transition state of the fixed-wing VTOL aircraft. And the characteristics of the propulsion system may make the take-off thrust-weight ratio requirement of the fixed-wing VTOL aircraft be as low as 1.1.

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Rendez vous with Saturn's rings

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100101885 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 75 ◽

pp. 743-759 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kerry T. Nock

Keyword(s):

Solar Energy ◽

Electric Propulsion ◽

Power Source ◽

Propulsion System ◽

Low Thrust ◽

Ring Plane ◽

The Earth ◽

Total Impulse ◽

Saturn's Rings

ABSTRACTA mission to rendezvous with the rings of Saturn is studied with regard to science rationale and instrumentation and engineering feasibility and design. Future detailedin situexploration of the rings of Saturn will require spacecraft systems with enormous propulsive capability. NASA is currently studying the critical technologies for just such a system, called Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP). Electric propulsion is the only technology which can effectively provide the required total impulse for this demanding mission. Furthermore, the power source must be nuclear because the solar energy reaching Saturn is only 1% of that at the Earth. An important aspect of this mission is the ability of the low thrust propulsion system to continuously boost the spacecraft above the ring plane as it spirals in toward Saturn, thus enabling scientific measurements of ring particles from only a few kilometers.

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