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Multiple Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous and Sample Return Using First Generation Solar Sailcraft
(2005)
Today the most accurate and cost effective industrial codes used in aircraft design are based on the full potential equation coupled with boundary layer equations. However, these are not capable to solve complicated three-dimensional problems of vortical flows and shocks. On the other hand Euler and Navier-Stokes codes are too expensive and not accurate enough for design purposes, especially in regard of drag and interference prediction. The reasons for these deficiencies are investigated and a way to overcome them by future developments is demonstrated.
In the preceeding chapters on “Son of Concorde, a Technology Challenge” and “Aerodynamic Multipoint Design Challenge” it was explained, that a well balanced contribution of new technologies in all major disciplines is required for realisation of a new Supersonic Commercial Transport (SCT). One of these technologies - usually one of the most important for aircraft-is aerodynamics. Here, the required “pure” aerodynamic technologies are specified in more detail, according to our present knowledge. Increasing insight into the problems may change the balance of importance of the individual technologies and may require some more contributions. We must never confine our knowledge to the knowledge base of an expert at a given time, but must stay open for new insights.
Since certification of Concorde new certification standards were introduced including many new regulations to improve flight safety. Most of these standards are to prevent severe accidents in the future which happened in the past (here: after Concorde’s certification). A new SCT has to fulfill these standards, although Concorde had none of these accidents. But accidents - although they sometimes occurred only for a specific aircraft type - have to be avoided for any (new) aircraft. Because of existing aircraft without typical accident types having demonstrated their reliability, they are allowed to go on based on their old certification; although sometimes new rules prevent accident types which are not connected to specific aircraft types - like e.g. evacuation rules. Anyway, Concorde is allowed to fly based on its old certification, and hopefully in the future will fly as safely as in the past. But a new SCT has to fulfill updated rules like any other aircraft, and it has to be “just another aircraft” [75].
Supersonic laminar flow
(1997)
Supersonic transports are very drag sensitive. Technology to reduce drag by application of laminar flow, therefore, will be important; it is a prerequisite to achieve very long range capability. In earlier studies it was assumed that SCTs would only become possible by application of laminar flow [376]. But today, we request an SCT to be viable without application of laminar flow in order to maintain its competitiveness when laminar flow becomes available for subsonic and supersonic transports. By reducing fuel burned, laminar flow drag reduction reduces size and weight of the aircraft, or increases range capability -whereas otherwise size and weight would grow towards infinity. Transition mechanisms from laminar to turbulent state of the boundary layer flow (ALT, CFI, TSI) function as for transonic transports, but at more severe conditions: higher sweep angles, cooled surfaces; higher mode instabilities (HMI) must at least be taken into account, although they may not become important below Mach 3. Hitherto there is a worldwide lack of ground test facilities to investigate TSI at the expected cruise Mach numbers between 1.6 and 2.4; in Stuttgart, Germany one such facility -a Ludwieg tube- is still in the validation phase. A quiet Ludwieg tunnel could be a favourable choice for Europe. But it will require a new approach in designing aircraft which includes improved theoretical predictions, usage of classical wind tunnels for turbulent flow and flight tests for validation.
Concorde (Figure 9) is the only supersonic airliner which has been introduced into regular passenger service. It is still in service at British Airways and Air France without any flight accidents, and probably will stay in service for at least for ten more years.
In the chapter “Son of Concorde, a Technology Challenge” one of the new challenges for a Supersonic Commercial Transport (SCT) is multi-point design for the four main design points:
- supersonic cruise
- transonic cruise
- take-off and landing
- transonic acceleration.
Nonlocal Cosmology
(1996)
High resolution temperature measurement technique for materials sciences experiments in space
(1998)
Solidification of silver-germanium alloys in an amorphous matrix aboard the space station Mir
(1993)
The entangled Universe
(2004)
A melting probe equipped with autofluorescence-based detection system combined with a light scattering unit, and, optionally, with a microarray chip would be ideally suited to probe icy environments like Europa’s ice layer as well as the polar ice layers of Earth and Mars for recent and extinct live.
We present the novel concept of a combined drilling and melting probe for subsurface ice research. This probe, named “IceMole”, is currently developed, built, and tested at the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences’ Astronautical Laboratory. Here, we describe its first prototype design and report the results of its field tests on the Swiss Morteratsch glacier. Although the IceMole design is currently adapted to terrestrial glaciers and ice shields, it may later be modified for the subsurface in-situ investigation of extraterrestrial ice, e.g., on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. If life exists on those bodies, it may be present in the ice (as life can also be found in the deep ice of Earth).
The ”IceMole“ is a novel maneuverable subsurface ice probe for clean in-situ analysis and sampling of subsurface ice and subglacial water/brine. It is developed and build at FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences’ Astronautical Laboratory. A first prototype was successfully tested on the Swiss Morteratsch glacier in 2010. Clean sampling is achieved with a hollow ice screw (as it is used in mountaineering) at the tip of the probe. Maneuverability is achieved with a differentially heated melting head. Funded by the German Space Agency (DLR), a consortium led by FH Aachen currently develops a much more advanced IceMole probe, which includes a sophisticated system for obstacle avoidance, target detection, and navigation in the ice. We intend to use this probe for taking clean samples of subglacial brine at the Blood Falls (McMurdo Dry Valleys, East Antarctica) for chemical and microbiological analysis. In our conference contribution, we 1) describe the IceMole design, 2) report the results of the field tests of the first prototype on the Morteratsch glacier, 3) discuss the probe’s potential for the clean in-situ analysis and sampling of subsurface ice and subglacial liquids, and 4) outline the way ahead in the development of this technology.
RaWid was the German national technology programme on transonic aerodynamics and supporting technologies, lasting from 1995 to 1998. One of the main topics was laminar wing development. Besides aerodynamic design work, many operational aspects were investigated. A manufacturing concept was developed to be applied to operational laminar wings and empennages. It was built in a large scale manufacturing demonstrator with the aerodynamic shape of a 1,5 m section of the A320 fin nose. Tolerances in shape and roughness fulfilled all requirements. The construction can easily be adapted to varying stiffness and strength requirements. Weight and manufacturing costs are comparable to common nose designs. The mock-up to be designed in ALTTA is based on this manufacturing principle. Another critical point is contamination of suction surfaces. Several tests were performed to investigate perforated titanium suction surfaces at realistic operational conditions: - a one year flight test with a suction plate in the stagnation area of the Airbus "Beluga" - a one year test of several suction plates in a ground test near the airport - a one year test of a working suction ground test installation at all weather conditions. No critical results were found. There is no long term suction degradation visible. Icing conditions and ground de-icing fluids used on airports did not pose severe problems. Some problems detected require only respection of weak design constraints.