2021 to 2023 Research

Army/Navy/NASA VLRCOE Projects:

• Adaptive Human Pilot Modeling for Shipboard Operations (J.Horn)
• High-Order Time-Invariant Linearized Models of the Coupled Flight Dynamics, Free Wake, and Acoustics (U. Saetti, J. Horn, K. Brentner)
• Acoustically Aware Vertical Lift Autonomy (E. Greenwood, J. Langelaan, K. Brentner)
• Cold Spray Deposition of Polymer-coated metal/ceramic particles on CFRPs for Improved Erosion Resistance (N. Yamamoto. D. Wolfe)
• Proprotor and Wing Interactional Aerodynamics for Performance, Acoustics, and Vibration (S. Lee, K. Brentner)
• Scaling for Interactional Aerodynamics and Acoustics of Multirotor Systems (J. Palacios, M. Miller, E. Greenwood)
• Fundamental Interactional Aerodynamics of Low-Drag Rotor Hub/Pylon Flows (S. Schmitz, N. Jaffa, D. Reich, J. Coder)
• Hybrid Gas-Electric Rotorcraft Drivetrain Concepts for Enhanced Vehicle Performance (D. Hall, B. Bill, H. DeSmidt)
• Human-Intuitable Collision Avoidance for Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Rotorcraft (A. Wagner, J. Langelaan)
• Semi-Passive, Low-Power Ice Protection for eVTOL (J. Palacios, D. Wolfe)

Office of Naval Research (ONR):

• Experimental analysis of advanced control and estimation systems for autonomous shipboard landing (Horn, Langelaan)
• Characterization and scaling of co-axial unmanned rotorcraft, (Langelaan)
• Multi-functional Nano-porous Ceramics (Singh and Yamamoto)
• Out-of-Autoclave Fabrication and Characterization of CNT-Reinforced Fiber Reinforced Plastics (Bakis, Yamamoto)
• Advanced Damping System for Broadband Vibration and Interior Noise Control of Composite Airframes of Transport Rotorcraft (Smith, Shepherd, Bakis, Beck)
• Precision Flight Operations Near Underway Surface Vessels (Johnson)
• Passive Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Adaptive Sampling in a Riverine Environment (Johnson)
• Advanced Automated Aircraft Landing on Ships (Johnson with STI)
• Flight Test Measurement of Airwake Disturbances for Validation of Virtual Dynamic Interface Simulations (Horn, Snyder USNA, + Barron Assoc)
• Autonomous Control Modes and Optimized Path Guidance for Shipboard Landing in High Sea States  (Horn with ART)
• Pilot-in-the-Loop CFD Method Development (Horn)
• 2017 DURIP Award: Time-Resolved PIV Measurements for High Resolution Flow Measurements (Leishman, Gnanamanickam, Zhang at ERAU)
• 1D-patterned Nanocomposites Structured Using Oscillating Magnetic Fields  (Yamamoto)
• DURIP Award on Scalable manufacturing of hierarchical 3D polymer nanocomposites using oscillating magnetic fields (Yamamoto)
• DURIP Award on High temperature mechanical  (tensile and bend) test facility (Singh)

ASCENT Program Tasks:

• Rotorcraft Noise Abatement Operating Conditions Modeling and Procedures Development   (Brentner, Horn, CDI )
• Urban Air Mobility Noise Reduction Modelling (Brentner, Greenwood, Horn)
• Measurements to Support Noise Certification for UAS/UAM Vehicles and Identify Noise Reduction Opportunities (Greenwood, Johnson, Brentner)
• eVTOL Ice Accretion Characterization (Palacios)

NASA:

• Performance and Acoustic Tests of Small UAS Scale Stacked Rotor Configurations (Greenwood, Palacios)
• Efficient Modeling Method to Capture Rotor-Rotor Interaction Noise (NASA LaRC)
• Gust Load Alleviation for eVTOL Aircraft (STTR with CDI)
• Full-Scale eVTOL Aircraft Performance and Aeroacoustic Test, Evaluation, and Modeling (STTR with CDI)
• Anechoic Wind Tunnel Testing of NASA Langley 3D Printed Co-rotating Rotors (NASA LaRC, NIA)
• Dragonfly: exploration of Saturn’s moon Titan via rotorcraft – Phase A (Langelaan, Schmitz, Palacios, Smith)
• Design and fabrication of an ice adhesion strength rig using centrifugal forces (NASA Glenn)
• Ice protective coating evaluation for Rotorcraft (NASA Langley)
• Acoustic testing of rotor blade asymmetric trailing edge vortex interaction structure (NASA Ames)

USAF (Agility Prime + SBIR/STTR):

• Acoustics Path Planning for UAM Vehicles
• eVTOL Simulation with Boulder Flight Systems
• eVTOL Simulation and Virtual Cert Tool with CDI
• eVTOL Quiet Coaxial Props with Harmony Aeronautics
• Novel Acoustics Techniques for Low Noise Compound Gyrodyne eVTOL Configurations with Jaunt Air Mobility
• Energy-Dense, Fast-Charging Batteries to support Air Force Modernization and Electrification

Army ADD and CCDC Ft Eustis:

• Coating Evaluation for Loss of Lube (SBIR with Acree Technologies)
• Ferrium Gear Testing (SBIR with Questek Innovations)
• Boeing Next Generation Rotorcraft Transmission (DeSmidt at UTK)
• Multidisciplinary Design of Low-Noise Propellers (Smith, Zhang and Brentner)

Army Research Lab (ARL):

• Next Generation e-VTOL Propulsion System Design, Optimization, & Simulation (DeSmidt at UTenn)
• Tiltrotor Wind Tunnel Model Design (Smith and Zhang)
• Conceptual Design, Optimization and Simulation of Medium Scale Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Propulsion System (DeSmidt at UTenn)

Bell Helicopter TEXTRON:

• Gear Research Consortium (Isaacson)
• Tiltrotor download test facility design

Boeing:

• Undergraduate design-build-test projects
• High Reduction Ratio transmissions (Smith et al)
• Scuffing Testing of Gear Steels (Isaacson)
• Gear Research Consortium (Isaacson)

Sikorsky:

• High-Speed Co-axial Hub System (Schmitz)
• Evaluation of the Effect of Reversed Bending on Gear Tooth Life
• Performance Evaluation of Ferrium C64
• Gear Research Consortium (Isaacson)

Piasecki Aircraft:

• Damage Tolerant Control Design for a Winged Compound Rotorcraft (Horn and Johnson)

LORD Corporation:

• Fluid Free Tuned Isolation Mounts (Rahn and Smith)
• Vibration Control via Coupled Fluidic Pitch Links (Rahn and Smith)
• Passive Balancing Device for Supercritical Drive Shafts (Palacios)

Terafugia:

• Acoustics for Urban Air Mobility Concepts (Brentner)

Joby Aviation:

• Five blade-fully thrusting, 9-ft diameter rotor testing in icing conditions (Palacios)

Hughes Research Lab/Boeing:

• Ice protective coating evaluations for rotorcraft (Palacios)

Vinati:

• Performance and Design Optimization of the F-Helix eVTOL Concept

National Science Foundation (NSF):

• Flexible Fluidic Matrix Composites  for Vibration Control and Energy
• Harvesting (NSF Fellowship for Matt Krott, NSF Fellowship for Mike Trowbridge)
• Development and validation of Efficient CFD Approaches for Co-axial rotor systems for Terrestrial Aircraft Design and Planetary Exploration NSF Fellowship for Jason Cornelius)
• Mixing elastic waves to nondestructively characterize microstructure during additive manufacturing of metals (Lissenden, Nassar)

Department of Defense (DoD):

• Acoustically Insensitive Rotor Blades (Dan Weitsman SMART Fellowship)
• Engine Icing CFD Simulations (NDSEG Fellowship for Belen Veras-Alba)
• Handling Qualities Requirements for High Speed Rotorcraft Configurations (SMART Fellowship for Tom Berger – now employed at Army Ames)

NAVAIR:

• Coupled Atmospheric Turbulence / Ship Airwake Simulations for Launch & Recovery Flight Simulations (Schmitz, STTR with Craft Tech)
• Autonomous UAV Aerodynamic Performance Analysis for the Near-Ship Environment (STTR Phase II with CRAFT-Tech, Horn)

Army AMRDEC:

• Technology Demonstration for Verifying the Viability of Additive Manufacturing (AM) for Army Aircraft  (Keist)

DARPA (via U of Oklahoma):

• A Bio-inspired Approach to fly Undetected in Cluttered Environments (Johnson)

Gear Research Institute (Aerospace Bloc) – Isaacson, PSU ARL:

Avio Group (Italy), Bell Flight, Boeing (Mesa and Philadelphia), Carpenter Tech Corp, GE Aviation, GE Global Research, Pratt & Whitney, REM Surface Engineering, Rolls Royce, Sikorsky Aircraft, UTC Aerospace Systems

ITT Enidine:

• Acoustic Emission for Elastomeric Components (Smith, Moose)
• PSU College of Engineering & Aerospace Engineering Dept
• Fast Aeroacoustic Analysis for Complex Rotorcraft Configurations (Greenwood)
• Acoustics Scaling and Parametric Variations for Fixed Pitch Rotors in Edgewise Flight (Greenwood)

Innovative Dynamics Inc. – IDI:

• Electrothermal protection of rotors using supercapacitors (Palacios)