Research

Flight Test

Intelligent and Safe Technologies for Enhanced UAS Autonomous Air Refueling Operations, Phase I

Air Force Research Laboratory through sub-contract with Barron Associates

1 September 2017 – 30 April 2018

Total award $49,982

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) platforms provide many important military roles that require long periods of time aloft. Repeated returns to base for refueling is one scenario that can severely degrade mission operations. There is a critical need to develop autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) capabilities in which both the tanker and receiver aircraft are unmanned. One of the challenges in AAR is minimum airspeed. For this effort the focus will be Groups 4 and 5 UASs with maximum airspeeds of 130 KCAS. The main objective is to radically increase mission length and on-station availability of UAS platforms by developing the capability to reliably conduct (AAR) of Groups 4 and 5 UASs with calibrated airspeeds of 130 KCAS or less.

Additional key technical challenges associated with AAR of UAS are:

The refueling procedure will require the UAS to operate in close proximity of the tanker aircraft. Relative location must be known with a high level of accuracy, employing collision avoidance procedures.
One or both the tanker and UAS must respond quickly if an unsafe refueling condition occurs.
AAR solutions should minimize modifications to both the tanker and the UAS due to cost, maintenance and SWaP considerations.
The refueling system must operate under broad weather and day and night conditions.

Working with me on this project are:

Graduate Students:

-Zeke Bowden, MENG AERO

Flight Testing of Universal Access Transceiver Datalink on Unmanned Air System

FreeFlight Systems
Co- Principal Investigator and Technical Lead
1 September 2014 – 31 August 2015
Total award $5,000

The Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) ADS-B is a cooperative surveillance technology in which an aircraft determines its position via satellite navigation and periodically broadcasts it, enabling it to be tracked. The information can be received by air traffic control ground stations as a replacement for secondary radar. It can also be received by other aircraft to provide situational awareness and allow self separation. ADS-B is the first core technology within NextGen, the ongoing program to increase the efficiency, capacity and safety of the world’s airspace systems. ADS-B is an Air Traffic Management (ATM) Surveillance system that will replace traditional radar-based systems. It provides greater accuracy and wider coverage to safely allow reduced separation, more efficient routing and other benefits. The Vehicle Systems and Control Laboratory (VSCL) will conduct test and evaluation of the RANGR ADS-B System, to consist of flight tests to collect data and assess suitability of the UAT for use in NextGen airspace and operations.

TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES

Define image/resolution requirements for a specific precision agriculture application
Integrate observation/surveillance pod provided by Intuitive Machines into the Pegasus II UAS
Conduct flight testing of the observation at Texas A&M University’s Riverside Range
Review and interpret observation data to evaluate effectiveness of sensor pod

Working with me on this program are Research Assistants:

James Henrickson, Ph.D student
Douglas Famularo, Ph.D student
Frank Arthurs, Ph.D student
Dipanjan Saha, Ph.D. student
Joshua Harris, Ph.D. student
Samantha Hansen, B.S. student

Flight Tests of an Unmanned Powered Parachute: A Validation Tool for GN&C Algorithms

Advanced Mission Design Branch, NASA Johnson Space Center
1 September 2000 – 31 December 2001
Co-P.I.s Donald T. Ward, Thomas C. Pollock, and David W. Lund
Total award $219,534

The NASA X-38 is the prototype of a Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) which will be used as an emergency escape system or lifeboat from the International Space Station. The X-38 and CRV are some of the first re-entry vehicles to use a parafoil for maneuvering during the terminal phase of its operational trajectory. The CRV will operate with a high degree of autonomy, and its guidance algorithms must be able to avoid obstacles in the landing area, and permit touch down with a rate of descent that will not harm the vehicle occupants, who could be injured or otherwise incapacitated.

To exercise the guidance algorithms and serve as a testbed for the X-38, NASA purchased two Buckeye “powered parachutes”. One vehicle was configured and instrumented to fly autonomously. To assist with the modeling of this vehicle and validation of the guidance algorithms and instrumentation package, tow tests of the X-38 parafoil system (above left) and flight tests of the Buckeye vehicle (above right) will be conducted at the Flight Test Facilityof the Texas A&M Flight Mechanics Laboratory.

Specific tasks and research objectives:

Assess the ability of various guidance algorithms to be flown on V201 to maintain heading control.
Measure the targeting capability of algorithms for V201 use.
Validate wind alignment and estimation performance attained by the guidance algorithms.
Quantify navigational errors (including actual deviations from the desired trajectory, biases, noise, etc.) acheieved during the simulated terminal phase maneuvering.
Compare data from Buckeye flights to simulator predictions of performance and extrapolate the findings to the X-38 vehicle in its terminal maneuvering.
Provide a hvehicle for emulating pallet drops (modeling the larger parachute planned for V201) that could use the terminal guidance algorithms.
Develop and valdiate the use of the autonomous Buckeye vehicle as a hazard avoidance testbed.

Working with me on this program are Graduate Research Assistants:

Gi-Bong Hur
Dallas Hopper
Edward R. Caicedo