美国开始试验"变形"飞机

美国国防预研局将于今年7月开始对两种可以在飞行中改变机翼外形的原型飞机进行结构和空气动力试验。据称,这种改变机翼外形技术能在飞行中彻底改变机翼外形,甚至具有使机翼表面积扩大到原来的300%以上的潜在能力。     

Geometry-free linear combinations for Galileo

Global navigation satellites of the European Galileo system transmit code signals on four carriers in the L1, E5a, E5b and E6 band.New geometry-free linear combinations are presented that eliminate the geometry terms (user to satellite ranges and orbital errors), the clock errors of the user and satellites and the tropospheric delay. The remaining parameters of these carrier phase combinations include integer ambiguities, ionospheric delays, carrier phase multipath and phase noise. The weighting coefficients are designed such that the integer nature of ambiguities is maintained. The use of four frequency combinations is highly recommended due to a noise reduction of up to 14.4 dB and an ionospheric reduction of up to 25.6 dB compared to two frequency geometry-free combinations.Moreover, a modified Least-squares Ambiguity Decorrelation Adjustment (LAMBDA) algorithm is suggested, which differs in two points from the traditional approach: the baseline is replaced by the ionospheric delay and the correlation is caused by linear combinations instead of double differences. For correct ambiguity resolution, the ionospheric delay can be determined with millimeter accuracy. This is quite beneficial as the ionosphere represents the largest source of error for absolute positioning.     

Nitrous oxide cooling in hybrid rocket nozzles

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, has developed an innovative program of experimental research and development on hybrid rocket motors (where the fuel and the oxidizer are in different phases prior to combustion). One project currently underway involves the development of aerospike nozzles for such motors. These nozzles, however, are even more susceptible to throat ablation than regular converging–diverging nozzles, due the nature of their flow expansion mechanism. This paper presents the result of a recent development project focused on reducing throat ablation in hybrid rocket motor nozzles. Although the method is specifically targeted at increasing the life and operating range of aerospike nozzles, this paper describes its proof-of-concept implementation on conventional nozzles. The method is based on a regenerative cooling mechanism that differs in practice from that used in liquid propellant motors. A series of experimental tests demonstrate that this new method is not only effective at reducing damage in the most ablative region of the nozzle, but that the nozzle can survive multiple test runs.     

Flap contour optimization for highly integrated SERN nozzles

The performance of a Single Expansion Ramp Nozzle (SERN) for hypersonic cruise vehicles is examined with focus on the flow at the nozzle flap and the corresponding separation of the boundary layer. Two wind tunnel models are used to analyze the interaction of the free stream and the nozzle flow and the flow at the flap in detail. A finite element flow code is employed to support the design of the flap model and the analysis of the flow.Comparative contour studies show that the size and the location of the separation at the flap cowl and therefore the aerodynamic quality can be influenced by optimizing the flap cowl contour. The position of the separation is measured for different contours and varying Reynolds numbers at laminar, transitional and turbulent flow conditions. Numerical studies of a nozzle/afterbody configuration suggest an improvement of up to 3.5% in axial thrust for optimized flap contours in the examined Mach range between 1.64 and 6. At the same time the rotation of the thrust vector is reduced by up to 5° at lower Mach numbers.     

Development status of AEOLDOS – A deorbit module for small satellites

A prototype CubeSat module to deploy a gossamer aerobrake, using strain stored in tape-springs, at end-of-life is described. A novel hub geometry to reduce bending shock at end-of-deployment while simultaneously permitting radial, as opposed to tangential, deployment is proposed. The rpm of the hub is measured under various deployment conditions to verify that the system offers highly-repeatable performance, while high-speed photography is used to characterise the behaviour of the tape-spring during unspooling and contrast it to the behaviour of a traditional tangential-deployment system. Secondly the folding pattern of the membrane, which takes advantage of the symmetrical deployment offered by the petal hub, is developed and the unfolding mechanism is verified by numerical and experimental analysis. Finally, the release of the stored strain is considered and a novel burn-though device is designed and prototyped to meet this requirement.     

Generic functional modelling of multi-pulse auto-transformer rectifier units for more-electric aircraft applications

The Auto-Transformer Rectifier Unit (ATRU) is one preferred solution for high-power AC/DC power conversion in aircraft. This is mainly due to its simple structure, high reliability and reduced kVA ratings. Indeed, the ATRU has become a preferred AC/DC solution to supply power to the electric environment control system on-board future aircraft. In this paper, a general modelling method for ATRUs is introduced. The developed model is based on the fact that the DC voltage and current are strongly related to the voltage and current vectors at the AC terminals of ATRUs. In this paper, we carry on our research in modelling symmetric 18-pulse ATRUs and develop a generic modelling technique. The developed generic model can study not only symmetric but also asymmetric ATRUs. An 18-pulse asymmetric ATRU is used to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the developed model by comparing with corresponding detailed switching SABER models provided by our industrial partner. The functional models also allow accelerated and accurate simulations and thus enable whole-scale more-electric aircraft electrical power system studies in the future.     

Meeting the needs of the new millennium: passenger space travel and world economic growth

Without doubt, humans’ most urgent need at the start of the new millennium is the continuation of economic growth, which is the only means by which the great majority of the world population can lift themselves out of the poverty in which they live. A sine qua non for continuing economic growth is for the rich countries to continue to develop new industries—as they did throughout the 20th century, thereby creating high-productivity employment for hundreds of millions of people around the world. Arguably the most significant of these thus far is the development of passenger air travel from zero in 1900 to 1.5 billion passengers per year by 2000. It is becoming clear that passenger space travel could grow to reach a similar economic scale—and that no other space activity has comparable potential. The paper describes the potential contribution to world economic growth of passenger space travel; the failure of government space agencies either to aid its development or to make a contribution to economic growth commensurate to their cost; and the value for economic policy of prioritising the realisation of passenger space travel. The faster passenger space travel services grow, the more the space industry will contribute to “Meeting the Needs of the New Millennium”.     

Editorial

Spatial Cognition and Computation -     

Privatization and militarization in the space business environment

Space business competition is presently fueled by two paradoxical phenomena. First, accelerated privatization of space projects leads to the militarization of outer space. Second, this militarization process in turn leads to the increased control of space ventures by a handful of nations. In other words, commerce and the military are going hand in hand to assert national objectives in outer space, no matter what space treaties and international agreements might say, so far. This could be detrimental to the multilateral cooperation spirit that should prevail in many, if not all, outer space ventures, as a consequence of the uniqueness of that environment.