Articles tagged with Aircraft Design
A new thermodynamic theory, Constructal Law, enables designers to balance flow resistances in complex systems, leading to more efficient designs. The law provides a mental vision of design evolution and helps engineers make informed decisions about resources and money.
A Kansas State University computer science professor aims to develop autonomous cooperative robotic teams that can work together without human intervention. He hopes to create robots that can adapt and reorganize to accomplish their mission, enabling more efficient and cost-effective operations in various industries.
Researchers found that humpback whale flippers with tubercles exhibit nearly 8% better lift properties and 32% lower drag than sleek flipper designs. The study's findings have implications for improving airplane wing aerodynamics and reducing fuel consumption during flight.
Penn State engineers developed a concept for morphing airplane wings that can reduce drag and power, varying with flight speed. The design features a small-scale compliant cellular truss structure, segmented skin, and tendon actuation, enabling efficient flight over a broader range of speeds.
Researchers at Penn State have created innovative design methods for a new class of antennas composed of fractal-shaped tiles, offering improved bandwidth and radiation patterns. The fractile arrays are generated recursively and offer advantages over conventional square boundaries.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers have developed a new metal-stamping test station with an X-ray stress measurement system. This equipment enables detailed maps of stresses and strains as sheets of steel and other metals are punched, stretched or otherwise shaped.
Clemson researchers are using innovative 'wind towers' to gather high-resolution wind speed data near the ground, crucial for developing hurricane-resistant homes. The device's output will be used to refine building codes and potentially reduce construction costs.
A new early-warning system designed for southern California could give people up to 40 seconds of advanced notice of major earthquakes, allowing them to take shelter or evacuate. The system uses low-energy P-waves that travel faster than damaging S-waves and can provide precious seconds to react.
The US Navy has successfully tested a hybrid drive vehicle, called the Shadow, which achieved 1000 miles without major issues. The vehicle features an in-hub hybrid-electric drive that enables it to run silently and generate auxiliary power, making it suitable for various military applications.
The NASA consortium aims to create self-repairing materials that mimic the properties of biological substances like bone and sea shells. Researchers will focus on creating innovative composites of organic and inorganic compounds to make airplanes and spacecraft lighter, stronger, and more reliable.
A free computer program developed by Johns Hopkins researcher Benjamin W. Schafer allows designers to test stability and safety of thin-walled structures before construction. The CUFSM software provides critical predictions on buckling conditions, enabling the development of sturdiest and most cost-effective designs.
The University of Colorado at Boulder has been selected by NASA to build two instruments for a satellite that will probe polar mesospheric clouds. The $92 million mission, Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM), aims to study these clouds and their role in the Earth's atmosphere.
A team of Johns Hopkins University students designed and built a muscle enhancement device that enables a disabled man to grasp and lift small objects. The device uses two motors, voice recognition software, and an exo-skeleton inspired by science fiction to provide mechanical help in moving the man's fingers and bending his elbow.
The MESSENGER project has passed a critical design review and is ready to move forward with building its spacecraft. The spacecraft will study Mercury's composition, geologic history, and magnetosphere over a one-year orbit, providing valuable insights into the inner solar system.
The Office of Naval Research has awarded $8.4M to 10 young investigators for their basic research in various science and engineering fields, including ocean circulation models, heat conduction, brain-inspired computing, microbial adhesion, mobile wireless networks, damage tolerance, weather predictions, and neuromorphic engineering.
A Virginia Tech engineer is developing advanced control systems for unmanned underwater vehicles to perform complex maneuvers, such as evasive actions and tracking El Niño boundaries. His research aims to create protected controls mechanisms for long-duration autonomous operations in the ocean.
Researchers plan to use cycler spacecraft, which would constantly ferry people and materials between Earth and Mars, to enable human exploration and colonization of the Red Planet. The cyclers would rotate slowly to create artificial gravity and provide comfortable accommodations for passengers on long trips.
A Virginia Tech team has won a grant to develop mathematically rigorous decomposition theories for solving large-scale design problems on massively parallel supercomputers. The project aims to reduce communication bottlenecks and improve concurrency in the design process.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania will explore ways to incorporate a focus on embedded computer reliability into product design, developing models and analysis tools to identify potential bugs. The goal is to improve product dependability and reduce costs by predicting reliability earlier in the design phase.
Layne T. Watson develops software like HOMPACK to automate problem-solving in industries like engineering and science, improving efficiency and reducing time to market.
The MESA facility will join Sandia's expertise in weapon design and high-speed computing to create immersive environments for designing non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons. The project aims to reduce the likelihood of malfunction, making devices more difficult to destroy on impact.
Clemson University engineers are deploying mobile data-acquisition platforms, called 'wind towers,' to measure wind speed and direction in the path of Hurricane Floyd. The goal is to provide accurate ground-level data to help develop design bases for hurricane-resistant homes.
The new method allows engineers to visualize how changes in their designs will affect design requirements. Graph morphing enables designers to see the trade-offs between different design variables, making it easier to understand relationships between subsystems.
A University of Illinois researcher has developed a class of miniature polymers that self-assemble into mushroom-shaped nanostructures, which organize into macroscopic films with two dissimilar surfaces. These films have various applications, including repairing human tissue and preventing ice buildup on aircraft wings.
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have developed an experimental system to match inlet and engine components, addressing a critical issue in aircraft design. The system combines a small jet engine with a special inlet to improve stability and predictability, enabling safer and more efficient flight.