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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 0096.PDF
TECHNOLOGY UAVS PETER LA FRANCHI / CANBERRA Scientists mine dual-wing potential University of South Australia and Aerospace Sciences build prototype unmanned air vehicles for low-altitude surveys The University of South Australia low-altitude magnetometer survey and Adelaide-headquartered Aero- work for the mining industry, space Sciences are developing a Two versions of a prototype UAV tandem-wing unmanned air vehi- have been flying since mid-2001 cle (UAV) designed to replace with trials of a third, pre-produc- manned aircraft in carrying out tion version due to take place later Tandem-wing UAV is aimed at replacing manned aircraft for mining surveys COMBUSTION NASA tests 'green' fuel NASA has successfully tested a paraffin-based fuel that could be used in the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters (SRBs). The fuel produces an environmentally friendlier exhaust of carbon diox ide and water instead of the usual aluminium oxide and hydro gen chloride-like pollutants. A liquified oxidiser is gasified before being injected into the com bustion chamber containing the solid fuel. Upon ignition, a flame develops over the fuel surface, causing the solid to evaporate, sustaining combustion. Eaton Aerospace is to shrink its arc- fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) for use in fighters and adapt the tech nology to DC and three-phase AC electrical systems. Single-phase AC arc-fault circuit breakers for trans port aircraft are already undergoing in-service evaluation, with initial certifications expected this year. The US Office of Naval Research has awarded Eaton a $1.9 million DEVELOPMENT Gulfstream has signed an agree ment with Rronos Air Technologies covering development of a silent air circulation and purification system for business jets. The system, which circulates the cabin air while removing odours, cigarette smoke and bacteria, has no moving parts. Belmont, Massachusetts-based Kronos says its technology is an "application of high-voltage man agement across a corona electrode array to create an ion exchange". contract for continued develop ment of the AFCI technology. The 115V AC device is designed as a direct replacement for conven tional circuit breakers in commer cial aircraft. Under the new con tract, the company will reduce the device size further and develop a 28V DC version, both for military applications. Eaton will also develop an AFCI this month. The UAV is being developed at the request of a major but unnamed multinational mining company understood to have inter ests in Australia and North America. The air vehicle is intended to operate in partially autonomous flight at altitudes below 400ft (120m) and carry out geological sur veys normally performed by fixed- or rotary-wing manned aircraft. Flight-testing of a system proto type - which is similar in layout to the Affiant Techsystems Outrider air vehicle - first occurred in June 2001. The prototype was 4m long with a wingspan of 2.8m. Maximum take-off weight was 55kg (1201b), including a 12kg payload. It per formed five trial flights, but was Electrical grids replace the fans and motors used in a conventional air- circulation system. The grids can be any shape or size, says chief executive Dan Dwight. In an aircraft, multiple devices which are located close to the passengers will replace the cen tral fan and ducting. Noise created by circulating air is an issue in business jet cabins, and the Kronos system is essentially silent, Dwight says. A high-voltage charge on the first grid ionises the for three-phase electrical systems, used in commercial and military aircraft to power equipment such as fuel boost pumps. This could result in an alternate means of compliance with airwor thiness directives intended to elim inate the potential for fuel tank explosions that are caused by elec trical arcing. To build confidence in AFCI scrapped in November 2001 in favour of two 60%-scale "trainer" variants used to test avionics and mission systems. A third version was built in late 2002 and will fly for the first time this month as part of a test pro gramme for a fully integrated avi onics and mission system package before resuming development of the tandem-wing design. The pro duction system is intended to be operated by a survey team of two. University of South Australia research and project manager Michael Harris will detail the tan dem-wing mining exploration UAV programme at Flight International's UAV Asia Pacific Conference in Melbourne on 6-7 February. air, which accelerates towards the second, oppositely-charged grid. At the same time, ionised particulates such as smoke are stripped from the airflow. The device uses 10% of the energy of a fan, says Dwight, and produces a non-turbulent airflow. Following its agreement with Gulfstream, which includes fund ing, Dwight says Kronos is looking at the commercial aircraft market, where there is a need to clean cabin air. The system can also be used to dehumidify air, he says. technology, Eaton is focusing ini tially on protecting non-essential circuits. Efforts are under way to certificate the devices in the USA as drop-in replacements for conven tional circuit-breakers. In an overseas certification effort, the company says, the devices have been installed in line with existing circuit breakers to add arc fault protection. ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS Eaton Aerospace to shrink arc-fault breakers for military aircraft Quiet Kronos system is breath of fresh air for business jet cabins 26 21-27 JANUARY 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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