Propulsion system development requires new, more affordable manufacturing techniques and technologies in a constrained budget environment, while future in-space applications will require in-space manufacturing and assembly of parts and systems. Marshall is advancing cuttingedge commercial capabilities in additive and digital manufacturing and applying them to aerospace challenges. The Center is developing the standards by which new manufacturing processes and parts will be tested and qualified. Rapidly evolving digital tools, such as additive manufacturing, are the leading edge of a revolution in the design and manufacture of space systems that enables rapid prototyping and reduces production times. Marshall has unique expertise in leveraging new digital tools, 3D printing, and other advanced manufacturing technologies and applying them to propulsion systems design and other aerospace materials to meet NASA mission and industry needs. Marshall is helping establish the standards and qualifications “from art to part” for the use of these advanced techniques and the parts produced using them in aerospace or elsewhere in the U.S. industrial base.

Additive manufacturing

The aim of this paper is to present the most common practices in multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) of aerial vehicles over the past decade. The literature sample is identified through est ...

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Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Aerial Vehicles: A Review of Recent Advancements

In a product development process, it is crucial to understand and evaluate multiple and synergic aspects of systems such as performance, cost, reliability, and safety. These aspects are mainly considered during later stages of the design process. However, in order to improve the foundations for decision-making, this article presents methods that are intended to increase the engineering knowledge in the early design phases. In complex products, different systems from a multitude of engineering disciplines have to work tightly together. Collaborative design is described as a process where a product is designed through the collective and joint efforts of domain experts. A collaborative multidisciplinary design optimization process is therefore proposed in the conceptual design phase in order to increase the likelihood of more accurate decisions being taken early on. The performance of the presented framework is demonstrated in an industrial application to design aircraft systems in the conceptual phase.

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Collaborative multidisciplinary design optimization: A framework applied on aircraft conceptual system design:

The critical short term challenge for contemporary aerospace industrial companies is to design safe, reliable, compact, low power consumption and low environmental impact products, forces driven by economic competition and the increasing expectations of customers and certification authorities. A long-term challenge for these organizations is to manage their knowledge and expertise heritage, which is jeopardized due to forthcoming retirement of the current generation of experts, engineers and technicians. Undertaking these challenges is particularly intricate when it comes to embedded mechatronic systems used in electro-mechanical actuation systems. The design of these complex systems involves heterogeneous knowledge due to the interface of multiple engineering specializations and the interacting physical laws that govern their behaviour. Additionally, embedded mechatronic systems are composed of several interdependent components and sub-systems. Dealing with interdependencies remains a non-trivial and fundamental aspect of modern engineering practice. This can result in costly iterations during the design process and final non-optimal solutions. Multidisciplinary System Design Optimization techniques provide theoretical foundations and computational tools for optimizing large and multidisciplinary systems. Tasks must be performed to apply such techniques for rapid initial sizing of mechatronic products: modelling the design knowledge, partitioning and coordinating the models for system performances analysis and optimization. Algebraic analysis functions are chosen to represent the design models. A new Multidisciplinary System Design Optimization formulation for fast and robust analysis is proposed. A theoretic graph approach using symbolic manipulation to assist designers in formulating large and multidisciplinary problems is outlined. A specific design methodology and its associated framework developed are presented. The general objective is to allow holistic sizing of mechatronic engineering systems with emphasis placed on model reusability and rapid decision making. The methodology is illustrated using a simple aerospace actuation system example. More complex actuation systems are then addressed. First, the design of an electro-mechanical primary flight control actuation system is examined, subsequently; the design methodology is applied to an electrical thrust reverser actuation system.

Knowledge-Based Multidisciplinary Sizing and Optimization of Embedded Mechatronic Systems - Application to Aerospace Electro-Mechanical Actuation Systems

An intelligent design method for actuation system architecture optimization for more electrical aircraft

Increased demands on fuel-efficient propulsion motivate the use of complex hybrid hydromechanical transmissions in heavy construction machines. These transmissions offer attractive fuel savings but ...

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Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation of Hybrid Hydromechanical Transmissions

As our knowledge in aeronautics has improved, so have aircraft. Modern flight control systems can use electronic systems to greatly enhance the controllability, efficiency and safety of even aerodynamically unstable aircraft, however the man-machine interface method has remained the same since the early days; sticks and pedals. This paper depicts the very first simulated test flights on a prototype flight control interface for manned aircraft under development, this interface uses the pilot’s eye focus direction (known as “gaze”) and hand movements to control the aircraft in flight by just looking into a desired direction, or by having the aircraft to “imitate” her or his hand like one would do to illustrate an aircraft flight maneuver: an open hand with thumb and pinky finger extended like “wings” to imitate an aircraft motion in flight, except that this time is the other way around, with the aircraft following the hand rolls and climbs as actual commands. Although Gaze-guided and Hand gesture-guided flight control has been proven feasible using this system, only the initial operative experience is covered, with a general overview on the systems functionality and of data collected, this exploratory research does not intends to result in a immediately-applicable system, rather as proof of concept of the interface method of the proposed system and as foundation for further development.

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Petter Krus

Papers

Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation of Hybrid Hydromechanical Transmissions

Initial Flight Simulation Testing of a Gesture-Based Interface for Flight Control