Aerodynamic design optimization of helicopter rotor blades including airfoil shape for hover performance

This study proposes a process to obtain an optimal helicopter rotor blade shape for aerodynamic performance in hover flight. A new geometry representation algorithm which uses the class function/shape function transformation (CST) is employed to generate airfoil coordinates. With this approach, airfoil shape is considered in terms of design variables. The optimization process is constructed by integrating several programs developed by author. The design variables include twist, taper ratio, point of taper initiation, blade root chord, and coefficients of the airfoil distribution function. Aerodynamic constraints consist of limits on power available in hover and forward flight. The trim condition must be attainable. This paper considers rotor blade configuration for the hover flight condition only, so that the required power in hover is chosen as the objective function of the optimization problem. Sensitivity analysis of each design variable shows that airfoil shape has an important role in rotor performance. The optimum rotor blade reduces the required hover power by 7.4% and increases the figure of merit by 6.5%, which is a good improvement for rotor blade design.     

An annual variation analysis of the ionospheric spatial gradient over a regional area for GNSS applications

An ionospheric spatial gradient represents the ionosphere delay difference between different locations, and its variation over a specific area is important for implementing differential GNSS systems. An estimation method for the ionospheric spatial gradient over a small regional area is proposed. A plate map model is implemented for the direct estimation of the gradients. Nine years of GPS data were processed to figure out the annual variation of the mean gradient at the mid-geomagnetic latitude of 30° N. Gradients along the north–south direction have a mean of 0.65 mm/km and follow solar-cycle variations.     

Development of multi-functional composite structures with embedded electronics for space application

Conventional spacecraft structural function has been limited to supporting loads and mounting avionics only. In contrast, the technology of ‘multi-functional structures’ can integrate thermal and electronic functions into the spacecraft’s inherent load-bearing capability. In addition, sufficient radiation shielding effectiveness can be provided for the anticipated mission environment. Utilizing this concept, the ratio of electrical functionality to spacecraft volume can be dramatically increased and significant mass savings can be obtained. In this paper, spacecraft electronics are miniaturized using advanced IT applications such as flexible circuitry, miniaturized components, featherweight connectors, and so on, that they can be easily embedded within a structural panel. A sandwich structural panel consists of an aluminum honeycomb core and lightweight CFRP facesheets. Integration of electronics is implemented within the panel by mounting electronics on a multi-layered composite enclosure with multi-materials. This composite enclosure provides a load-bearing, effective thermal conduction, radiation shielding capabilities and an available space for embedding electronics. A series of environmental tests and analyses is carried out to demonstrate that the flight hardware is qualified for the expected mission environments. This approach will be utilized for the advanced small satellite ‘STSAT-3’ to validate the multi-functional structures concept.     

Analysis of Squaring Circuit Mechanizations in Costas and Squaring Loops

Two different implementations of the carrier recovery loop for suppressed carrier binary phase-shift keyed (BPSK) signals are considered. In particular, the tracking performance of the squaring loop in which the squaring circuit is mechanized by a limiter/multiplier lier combination to produce the absolute value of the incoming signal, followed by appropriate bandpass filtering, is compared with that of the usual squaring loop whose squaring circuit is the timestwo wo multiplier which exhibits a square law characteristic.