Simulation and modelling tools for quantitative safety assessments of unmanned aircraft systems and operations

This paper presents two simple simulation and modelling tools designed to aid in the safety assessment required for unmanned aircraft operations within unsegregated airspace. First, a fast pair-wise encounter generator is derived to simulate the See and Avoid environment. The utility of the encounter generator is demonstrated through the development of a hybrid database and a statistical performance evaluation of an autonomous See and Avoid decision and control strategy. Second, an unmanned aircraft mission generator is derived to help visualise the impact of multiple persistent unmanned operations on existing air traffic. The utility of the mission generator is demonstrated through an example analysis of a mixed airspace environment using real traffic data in Australia. These simulation and modelling approaches constitute a useful and extensible set of analysis tools, that can be leveraged to help explore some of the more fundamental and challenging problems facing civilian unmanned aircraft system integration.

Automated inspection of aircraft parts using a modified ICP algorithm

The application of computer-aided inspection integrated with the coordinate measuring machine and laser scanners to inspect manufactured aircraft parts using robust registration of two-point datasets is a subject of active research in computational metrology. This paper presents a novel approach to automated inspection by matching shapes based on the modified iterative closest point (ICP) method to define a criterion for the acceptance or rejection of a part. This procedure improves upon existing methods by doing away with the following, viz., the need for constructing either a tessellated or smooth representation of the inspected part and requirements for an a priori knowledge of approximate registration and correspondence between the points representing the computer-aided design datasets and the part to be inspected. In addition, this procedure establishes a better measure for error between the two matched datasets. The use of localized region-based triangulation is proposed for tracking the error. The approach described improves the convergence of the ICP technique with a dramatic decrease in computational effort. Experimental results obtained by implementing this proposed approach using both synthetic and practical data show that the present method is efficient and robust. This method thereby validates the algorithm, and the examples demonstrate its potential to be used in engineering applications.

Aging response and its effect on the functional properties of Cu–Al–Ni shape memory alloys

The β-phase aging response of Cu–Al–Ni single crystal shape memory alloys (SMAs) within the temperature range of 473–573 K has been investigated. Alloys in austenitic (Cu–14.1Al–4Ni wt.%, alloy A) and martensitic (Cu–13.4Al–4Ni wt.%, alloy M) conditions at room temperature were considered. Aged samples show presence of β1′ and γ1′ martensites in both the alloys and formation of γ2 precipitates in the alloy A. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms of the aged samples show increase in transformation temperatures as well as transformation hysteresis with aging. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was conducted on both the alloys to ascertain the role of precipitates and martensitic transition on tan δ, which characterizes the damping behaviour of the material. With aging, a steady decrease in tan δ value was observed in both the alloys, which was attributed to the decrease in the number of interfaces per unit area with increasing aging temperature. Moreover, in alloy A, as the volume fraction of precipitate increases with aging, the movement of martensitic interfaces is restricted causing a decreased tan δ.

Experimental Demonstration of H{infty} Control based Active Vibration Suppression in Composite Fin-tip of Aircraft using Optimally Placed Piezoelectric Patch Actuators

The goal of this study is the multi-mode structural vibration control in the composite fin-tip of an aircraft. Structural model of the composite fin-tip with surface bonded piezoelectric actuators is developed using the finite element method. The finite element model is updated experimentally to reflect the natural frequencies and mode shapes accurately. A model order reduction technique is employed for reducing the finite element structural matrices before developing the controller. Particle swarm based evolutionary optimization technique is used for optimal placement of piezoelectric patch actuators and accelerometer sensors to suppress vibration. H{infty} based active vibration controllers are designed directly in the discrete domain and implemented using dSpace® (DS-1005) electronic signal processing boards. Significant vibration suppression in the multiple bending modes of interest is experimentally demonstrated for sinusoidal and band limited white noise forcing functions.

Interrupted creep behaviour of Mg alloys developed for powertrain applications

A conventional magnesium alloy, AZ91D, and two creep resistant magnesium alloys, developed for powertrain applications, MRI 153M and MRI 230D, are prepared by high pressure die casting. These alloys are tested for their creep behaviour in the continuous manner, as is the Current practice, and in the interrupted manner, which represents the real life Situation more closely. It is observed that the interrupted creep tests give rise to a primary creep appearing at the beginning of each cycle resulting in a higher average strain rate than that encountered in the continuous creep tests. Further, the shorter the cycle time, higher is the average strain rate in the interrupted creep tests. A higher average strain rate will give rise to a higher strain over the same period. This is attributed to the recovery taking place during the cooling and heating between two cycles. The effect of additional precipitation during interrupted creep tests depends on the nature of the precipitates. The additional precipitation of beta phase during the cooling and heating between two cycles increases the steady state strain rate in the AZ91D and MRI 153M alloys. whereas the additional precipitation of C36 phase during the cooling and heating between two cycles decreases the steady state strain rate in the MRI 230D alloy. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Overview No.144 - Mechanical behavior of amorphous alloys

The mechanical properties of amorphous alloys have proven both scientifically unique and of potential practical interest, although the underlying deformation physics of these materials remain less firmly established as compared with crystalline alloys. In this article, we review recent advances in understanding the mechanical behavior of metallic glasses, with particular emphasis on the deformation and fracture mechanisms. Atomistic as well as continuum modeling and experimental work on elasticity, plastic flow and localization, fracture and fatigue are all discussed, and theoretical developments are connected, where possible, with macroscopic experimental responses. The role of glass structure on mechanical properties, and conversely, the effect of deformation upon glass structure, are also described. The mechanical properties of metallic glass-derivative materials – including in situ and ex situ composites, foams and nanocrystal-reinforced glasses – are reviewed as well. Finally, we identify a number of important unresolved issues for the field.

Optimization of friction stir welding parameters for dissimilar aluminum alloys

Assembly consisting of cast and wrought aluminum alloys has wide spread application in defense and aero space industries. For the efficacious use of the transition joints, the weld should have adequate strength and formability. In the present investigation, A356 and 6061 aluminum alloys were friction stir welded under tool rotational speed of 1000-1400 rpm and traversing speed of 80-240 mm/min, keeping other parameters same. The variable process window is responsible for the change in total heat input and cooling rate during welding. Structural characterization of the bonded assemblies exhibits recovery-recrystallization in the stirring zone and breaking of coarse eutectic network of Al-Si. Dispersion of fine Si rich particles, refinement of 6061 grain size, low residual stress level and high defect density within weld nugget contribute towards the improvement in bond strength. Lower will be the tool rotational and traversing speed, more dominant will be the above phenomena. Therefore, the joint fabricated using lowest tool traversing and rotational speed, exhibits substantial improvement in bond strength (similar to 98% of that of 6061 alloy), which is also maximum with respect to others. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formation ranges of icosahedral, amorphous and crystalline phases in rapidly solidified Ti-Zr-Hf-Ni alloys

From the quaternary Ti-Zr-Hf-Ni phase diagram. the cross-section at 20 at % Ni was selected for investigation. The icosahedral quasicrystalline, crystalline and amorphous phases were observed to form in nine kinds of rapidly solidified (TixZryHfz)(80)Ni-20 (x + y + z = 1) alloys at different compositions. The quasilattice constants of 0.519 and 0.531 nm were obtained for the icosahedral phase formed in the melt-spun Ti40Zr20Hf20Ni20 and Ti20Zr40Hf20Ni20 alloys. respectively. The icosahedral phase formed in the melt-spun Ti40Zr20Hf20Ni20 alloy especially is thermodynamically stable. The supercooled liquid region of the Ti20Zr20Hf40Ni20 glassy alloy reached 64 K. From these results a comparison of quasicrystal-forming and glass-forming abilities, was carried out. The quasicrystal-forming ability was reduced and glass-forming ability was improved with an increase in Hf and Zr contents in the (TixZryHfz)(80)Ni-20 alloys. On the other hand. an increase in Ti content caused an improvement in quasicrystal-forming ability.

Creep behaviour of nimonic and R.R. 59 alloys

The Ramberg-Osgood relation which adequately describes the stress-strain curve of a strain-hardening material is extended to formulate the constitutive laws for creep. The constitutive laws which describe primary creep adequately are extended to secondary creep. The results are verified for the case of R.R. 59 at 200°C, Nimonic 80A and Nimonic 90 alloys at 750°C.

Mechanism of low-temperature deformation in quenched aluminium-magnesium alloys

The dislocation mechanisms for plastic flow in quenched AlMg alloys with 0.45, 0.9, 2.7 and 6.4 at. % Mg were investigated using tensile tests and change-in-stress creep experiments in the temperaturhttp://eprints.iisc.ernet.in/cgi/users/home?screen=EPrint::Edit&eprintid=28109&stage=core#te range 87° -473° K. The higher the magnesium content in the alloy, the higher was the temperature dependence of flow stress. The alloys showed no perceptible creep in the vicinity of room temperature, while they crept at lower as well as higher temperatures. The most probable cause of hardening at temperatures below ∼ 200° K was found to be the pinning of dislocations by randomly distributed solute atoms, while athermal locking of dislocations by dynamic strain ageing during creep was responsible for the negligibly small creep rate in the room temperature range.

Clustering kinetics in aluminium-silver alloys

Resistometric studies of isochronal and isothermal annealing of an Al-0.64 at.% Ag alloy have given a value of 0.13 ± 0.02 eV for the silver-vacancy binding energy and 0.55 ± 0.03 eV for the migration energy of solute atoms.