IGF::OT::IGF OTHER FUNCTIONS - IN THIS HIGHLY INTERCONNECTED WORLD, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MUST FEATURE INC…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF OTHER FUNCTIONS - IN THIS HIGHLY INTERCONNECTED WORLD, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MUST FEATURE INCREASED FLEXIBILITY AND SHORTER DOOR-TO-DOOR TRIP TIMES TO BE SUCCESSFUL. SHORTER DOOR-TO-DOOR TRIP TIMES REQUIRE AN INCREASED USAGE OF ROTARY WING AND RUNWAY INDEPENDENT V/STOL TECHNOLOGY. ONE OF THE LIMITING FACTORS TO THE INCREASED ADOPTION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY FOR PROVIDING FEEDER SERVICE TO MAJOR HUBS IS THE LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF HIGH-VOLUME TERMINAL AREA OPERATIONS. SEVERAL IMPORTANT ISSUES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ROTARY WING AND RUNWAY INDEPENDENT V/STOL AIRCRAFT, INCLUDING SEVERE AERODYNAMIC INTERACTIONS DURING TAKE-OFF, TRANSITION AND LANDING. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE AERO-ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENT GENERATED IN THE TERMINAL AREA MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS, UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS FOR GROUND PERSONNEL, OR UNACCEPTABLE NOISE LEVELS TO SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. THE SUCCESS OF COMMERCIAL V/STOL TRANSPORTATION IS PREDICATED ON BEING ABLE TO ESTABLISH TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY, SOCIETAL ACCEPTANCE AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY. THE PROPOSED AERO-ACOUSTIC TOOL FOR TERMINAL AREA OPERATIONS OFFERS A SIMULATION CAPABILITY TO DESIGN ENGINEERS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS BASED ON TECHNICAL (OPERATIONS AND HANDLING NEAR A TERMINAL), SOCIETAL (ACOUSTIC FOOTPRINT) AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS (PERFORMANCE) THAT INCLUDES THE INTERACTIONAL AERODYNAMICS BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. THE DESIGNERS AND OPERATORS OF ROTARY WING AND V/STOL AIRCRAFTS WILL USE THE TOOL TO EVALUATE, ENHANCE AND IMPLEMENT MORE EFFICIENT AND SAFE TERMINAL AREA OPERATION GUIDELINES. PHASE I WILL DEVELOP THE PROOF-OF-CONCEPT OF THE SIMULATION TOOL AND USE A TILT-ROTOR AND A CANDIDATE TERMINAL UNDER DIFFERENT WIND CONDITIONS TO DEMONSTRATE ITS USEFULNESS. IN PHASE II, THE TOOL WILL BE EXTENDED TO MANEUVERING ROTARY WING AND V/STOL AIRCRAFTS. IN ADDITION, IT WILL BE INTEGRATED WITH A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI) FOR EASE OF USE.