Electrical systems

MAAT EU FP7 Advanced Airship who’s who? – Universidade da Beira Interior

Paul Stewart

We’re kicking off the EU FP7 project – MAAT Multibody Advanced Airship for Transport kicks on 1st September 2011. Here are some of the participants in the project, from Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal

Organization: Universidade da Beira Interior, CAST – Centre for Aerospace Sciences and Technology Short name: UBI

General Description

UBI is a collective person of public law endowed with statutory, pedagogical, scientific, cultural, administrative, financial, assets, and disciplinary autonomy. UBI is structured in faculties, departments, research units, centres, and services which endeavour to meet its goals in teaching, research, and service provision to the community. The present faculties include Sciences, Engineering, Social and Human Sciences, Arts and Letters, and Health Sciences. Innovative research, knowledge transfer, and entrepreneurship activities are also central to the univer- sity‘s mission and objectives as shown by the outcomes of its R&D units and groups, supported mainly by re- search contracts. The Centre spans a wide range of research themes around the issues related to the aeronautics and aerospace. The UBI-CAST research and development activities can be grouped within five main multidiscipli- nary thematic areas: Dynamics and Control of Space Systems; Aeronautical Materials and Structures; Energetic systems; Technological Forecasting and Industrial Management.

Main related expertise

Prof. José Páscoa is an active researcher in turbomachinery aerodynamics and holds a record of several dozen publications on the field. Currently he is a researcher at CAST-Centre for Aerospace Sciences and Technology of UBI. Formerly he was a visiting researcher at the Rolls-Royce UTC of Loughborough University (U.K.). He has worked on diverse research projects concerning turbomachinery design, namely.

Mr. Carlos Xisto is a researcher at CAST; he holds a master degree in turbomachinery aerodynamics and is pur- suing a Ph.D. on Propulsion at CAST. Related publications (others related publications in attachment): Páscoa J. C., Xisto C. M., Göttlich E., (2010), “Performance assessment limits in transonic 3D turbine stage blade rows using a mixing-plane approach”, Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, Vol. 24(10), pp. 2035-2042, ISSN: 1738-494X.

Xisto C.M., Páscoa J.C., Oliveira P.J., Nicolini D.A. (2010), “Implementation of a 3D compressible MHD Solver Able to Model Transonic Flows”, in Proc. V European Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics ECCO- MAS CFD 2010, 14 pp..

Prof. Miguel Silvestre is an Assistant Professor at UBI. Currently he is a collaborator researcher at Centre for Aerospace Sciences and Technology of UBI. Presently he is a consultant by UBI for Lockheed Martin Corpora- tion (LMCO) designing a propeller for a UAV and heads a UBI team for a project on the development of an un- manned underwater gliding vehicle in collaboration with the University of Saint Thomas, St Paul, MN, USA. He has been the scientific adviser for UBI participation in Air Cargo Challenge design-build-fly international com- petition, winning the contest twice.

Related publications (others related publications in attachment): Jorge Barata, Miguel Silvestre, ―Visualization of a Ground Vortex Flow‖, AIAA-2010-562, 48th AIAA Aero- space Sciences Meeting Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition, Orlando, Florida, Jan. 4- 7, 2010. Jorge Barata, Universidade, Samuel Ribeiro, Pedro Santos, André Silva, Miguel Silvestre, ”Experimental Study of Instabilities and Secondary Effects of a Ground Vortex Flow”, AIAA-2008-343, 46th AIAA Aerospace Sci- ences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, Nevada, Jan. 7-10, 2008

MAAT EU FP7 Advanced Airship who’s who? – University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Paul Stewart

The EU FP7 project – MAAT Multibody Advanced Airship for Transport kicks off on 1st September 2011. Here are some of the participants in the project, starting with the Project Leaders and Grant Co-Ordinators at the University of Modena in Italy:

Organization: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia – Department of Sciences and Methods of Engineering (Di.S.M.I.) Short name: UNIMORE

General Description

The university of Modena and Reggio Emilia is separate among two academic poles. From 1998, the universities in Modena and Reggio Emilia are united in an only Athenaeum that has Faculties in Modena (Bioscience and Biotechnology, Economy, Pharmacy, Jurisprudence, Engineering…) and in Reggio Emilia (Agriculture, Engi- neering, Sciences of the Communication and the economy…). In Reggio Emilia there is the Department of Sci- ence and Engineering Methods (DISMI). The DISMI conducts research, training and technology transfer in en- gineering and basic disciplines that support them. In particular, the researchers of the DISMI are specialized in Engineering Management, Mechatronic Engineering and Energy, in an integrated and interdisciplinary approach that includes all subjects of basic sciences.

Main related expertises:

Antonio Dumas, full professor of Technical Physics of the course of Degree of Managerial Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering to the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. His studies are directed in the field of thermal exchange and thermo-fluid dynamic. He researches on problems related to solar energy, energetic econ- omy, devices of measure and analysis of data, fundamental phenomena of thermo-fluid dynamic, Solar energy. Related publications):

A. Dumas, S. Anzillotti, M. Trancossi, Zumbo F.: photovoltaic stratospheric isle for conversion in hydrogen as energy vector: energetic and economic feasibility analysis – Proceedings of Second Energy Management Confer- ence (AIGE), 2008; Pages: 4 – 10; ISBN: 978-88-6261-088-9 A. Dumas, s. Anzillotti – PSICHE: A Stratospheric Platform Producing Hydrogen and Oxygen – Proceedings of 5th International Conference on Sustainable Energy Technologies, Vicenza 2006; Pages: 471 – 476; ISBN: 88- 89884-05-3

Bianca Rimini, full professor in Mechanical Industrial Plants at the Faculty of Engineering of Reggio Emilia. She has a large experience in the field of industrial plants, logistics and production systems. The results of her researches are published in many scientific and technical journals and in many papers presented at National and International Conferences. Related publications:

Gamberini R., Gebennini E., B. Rimini (2009). An innovative container for WEEE collection and transport: de- tails and effect following the adoption. waste management, vol. 29; p. 2846-2858, ISSN: 0956-053X Gebennini E, Dallari S, Perrica G, A. Grassy, Rimini B., Fantuzzi C. (2009). Adoption of control policies in a simulative model for the design of AGV systems. In: Proceedings of the Spring Simulation Multiconference 2009. San Diego, CA, USA, March 22-27, 2009, SAN DIEGO, CA: The Society for Modelling and Simulation International, p. 124-129, ISBN/ISSN: 1-56555-327-6

Eugenio Dragoni, full Professor of Mechanical Engineering Design to the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and was appointed head of the Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering. He has authored or co-authored more than 100 papers on a variety of subjects including computational mechanics, mechanical be- haviour of adhesives and non-metals, engineering applications of smart materials, product design and develop-ment.

Related publications:

M. Benetti, E. Dragoni, D. Castagnetti, E.J. v.d. Heide (2003) “Development and testing of an inflatable capsule for the YES2 project”, 55th International Astronautical Congress, Vancouver, Canada.

Setting up the engine laboratories in the New School of Engineering

Paul Stewart
Engine lab control room for the Free-Piston Engine

It’s only 12 weeks until we move into our new building. On the ground floor are some of our experimental laboratories, in particular our engine test cells. The cells each have an associated control centre separated by safety materials, from where experiments can be conducted remotely.

Pictured is the control centre for the Lotus Free-Piston Engine when it was under development in the Test Cells at the University of Loughborough, with the actual engine cell visible in the background through double safety glass.

The task I’ve got now is to move our experimental engines into the new build, and get them all running, commissioned and most challenging of all, correctly wired up into the data acquisition and control systems.

A fully working and commissioned Lotus Free-Piston Engine

The picture of the Lotus engine gives an indication of the amount of sensor and actuator cabling associated with each engine.

Engines are generally under computer control via either LabView, or running Matlab and Simulink developed control algorithms under DSpace. It’s quite rare for me to hand write code these days, DSpace compiles control structures from simulink into C, and downloads it onto ta converters.he host control microprocessor and associated A-D and D-A converters.

A lot of our engine laboratory equipment has been stored at the ThinkTank until the move, so we’re just starting the process of going through it all and allocating space.

A haulage company delivering some of our dynamometer equipment to the ThinkTank prior to our move.

The Lotus Free Piston Engine project story – people

Paul Stewart
Close up of the Free-Piston Engine, showing timing belt, cam boxes, cylinder head and combustion chamber

After delivery to the engine test cells at Loughborough University AAE dept., it took a significant amount of time to put together the control system instrumentation, and the control architectures necessary to run the engine under Labview, and DSpace.

This part of the story is the people behind developing this part of the project.

First up is Dr Ben Taylor, who at the time was one of my Post-Doctoral researchers at the University of Sheffield Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, and is currently a Research Fellow there in the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering. Ben designed and built the 100kW four-quadrant power converter which in the early stages of the project drove the permanent magnet servo-motor attached to the end of the tethering crankshaft. This arrangement allowed us to make the initial development happen relatively safely, without the danger of losing control and blowing up the engine. Later developments are untethered from the crankshaft and truly ‘Free-Piston’

Dr Ben Taylor connecting the 3-phase cables from the power converter to the PMAC servo-motor

Ben also designed the control system for the servo-motor, based around a TI Digital Signal Processor (DSP) which allowed accurate, real-time control of the motor currents, and position/velocity control of the motor, interfaced to a DSpace real-time controller.

Ben subsequently moved on to work for myself and Prof Chris Bingham on a RDA funded project on intelligent heating controls and methods for domestic houses.

The power converter which Ben designed and built is now in use driving the linear electrical machine embedded in the engine, whilst the drive of the crankshaft servo-motor has been take over by a custom designed four-quadrant inverter designed and installed by Control Techniques

Stage 1 development of the free-piston engine: engine and power converter.

 

Dr Ben Taylor with the control/data acquisition system

Advanced Airship Research Project at the University of Lincoln

Paul Stewart
MAAT Multi-body Advanced Airship for Transportation project logo

Lincoln School of Engineering is part of a global consortium which will be kicking off an EU Framework 7 Programme Collaborative Project in September 2011.

The project is MAAT Multibody Advanced Airship for Transport, and is led by Professor Antonio Dumas at the University of Modena, Italy.

Principal Investigator at the University of Lincoln is Prof. Paul Stewart, and Co-Investigator is Prof. Chris Bingham, both of the School of Engineering.

Project Members

  • Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy
  • Universidade da Beria Interior, Portugal
  • Logistics Network Consultants GmbH, Germany
  • University of Hertfordshire, UK
  • Southern Federal University, Russian Federation
  • ENGSYS Ltd., UK
  • University of Lincoln, UK
  • Universita di Bologna, Italy
  • Universite di Torino, Italy
  • Esponential Design Lab, Uruguay
Proton Energy and Sanswire High Altitude Commercial Rigid Airships

The MAAT project overcomes structural and physical limits of airplanes in cruiser/feeder operation. It aims to investigate an airship cruiser-feeder global transport system for medium and long range transports.

The MAAT system is composed by three modules.

  1. PTAH (Photovoltaic Transport Airship for High-altitudes) is a heavy payload cruiser which remains airborne on stable routes;
  2. ATEN (Air Transport Efficient Network feeder) is aVTOL feeder airship by gas buoyancy linking the cruiser to the ground;
  3. AHA (Airship Hub Airport) is a new concept of low cost vertical airport hub joinable by ATEN, easy to build both in towns and in logistic centres.

The strengths of the MAAT concept are:

  • standardized and modular global air transport system;
  • operative altitudes higher than traditional civil routes;
  • heavy payload, low cost of transportation and non-stop flight;
  • possibility to act as a flying integrated logistics centre;
  • self sufficient by photovoltaic propelling system;
  • increased safety to prevent crashes and long evacuation times;
  • hovering ability to simplify cruiser/feeder engagement;
  • cruiser/feeder transfers in motion;
  • VTOL ground operations;
  • silent landing and take-off operations;
  • cost effective, light and easy to deploy structures on the ground;
  • reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions

The MAAT Project aims to study the system and its components in a full structured systemic approach and to define:

  1. the general design of cruiser and feeder, to optimize aerodynamics and photovoltaic energy;
  2. the preliminary structural draft of cruiser, feeder and hub;
  3. control systems, procedures and codes for stability and flying attitude control;
  4. electrical propulsion systems able to overcome the problems related to the low air density;
  5. operative procedures for rendezvous and joining operations;
  6. internal design of cabins and cargo;
  7. study and design of cruiser/feeder connections;
  8. passive and active safety systems.