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Glen Throneberry; Mostafa Hassanalian; Christopher Hocut; Abdessattar Abdelkefi. Dynamics and Performance of a Vibratory-Based Actuation Mechanism for Hovering Air Vehicles. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleGlen Throneberry, Mostafa Hassanalian, Christopher Hocut, Abdessattar Abdelkefi. Dynamics and Performance of a Vibratory-Based Actuation Mechanism for Hovering Air Vehicles. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGlen Throneberry; Mostafa Hassanalian; Christopher Hocut; Abdessattar Abdelkefi. 2021. "Dynamics and Performance of a Vibratory-Based Actuation Mechanism for Hovering Air Vehicles." , no. : 1.
Venus has a harsh environment that makes its exploration especially difficult. Standard rovers like on Mars would not work as the intense temperature, and pressure would cause them to have a short operating time. At an altitude of about 55 km, Venus has an Earth-like atmosphere where a robotic system could survey for different features. A fixed-wing drone that can fly at this altitude would be practical. To obtain better information on Venus, the UAV can operate at lower altitudes until pressure and temperature operational limits are met. Then the drone can come back to an altitude of 55 km and alleviate until it is ready to go back into the lower altitudes. The atmospheric analysis is done to model Venus’ characteristics at lower altitudes between 0 km and 60 km. Functions are made that model the atmospheric properties of Venus, such as temperature, pressure, density, and viscosity. These modeled atmospheric properties are then used to investigate the wing and thrust loading of a fixed-wing UAV in Venus. The results from this wing and thrust loading investigation are that, as wing loading and altitude increase, thrust loading also increases. This general trend is not consistent for all flight modes. For the case analyzed, thrust loading decreases between 0 N/m2 and 16 N/m2, and increases between 17 N/m2 and 80 N/m2 for flight at a constant altitude and cruise speed. There is a specific wing loading that requires the minimum thrust loading for each flight mode and altitude. For flight at a constant altitude and cruise speed, the best wing loading to have is about 16.75 N/m2. For flight at accelerated climb speed, the best wing loading to have is as low as it can be, in this case, it is 10 N/m2. This study gives outlines for future steps of designing fixed-wing UAVs for Venus exploration.
G. Acosta; M. Hassanalian. Power minimization of fixed-wing drones for Venus exploration in various altitudes. Acta Astronautica 2020, 180, 1 -15.
AMA StyleG. Acosta, M. Hassanalian. Power minimization of fixed-wing drones for Venus exploration in various altitudes. Acta Astronautica. 2020; 180 ():1-15.
Chicago/Turabian StyleG. Acosta; M. Hassanalian. 2020. "Power minimization of fixed-wing drones for Venus exploration in various altitudes." Acta Astronautica 180, no. : 1-15.
In this paper, the thermal effects of solar panels are investigated experimentally and computationally on the efficiency of an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) in laminar and turbulent flows. At first, the impact of temperature on output power and efficiency of an eFlex 30 Wp solar panel is studied. Then, the surface temperature and output voltage of two different types of solar panels, a flexible and a solid panel, are measured under a heat lamp. The heat lamp provides the radiation and raises the temperature of the solar panels. A thermal camera and laser thermometer are used to measure the surface temperature of the solar panels. Considering a tilt-rotor UAV as a case study, an energy balance is modeled for the wing of UAV, which is assumed as a flat plate. Applying the Blasius boundary layer for laminar flow and 1/5 power law for turbulent flow, it is shown that there is skin friction drag changes on the top surface of the solar panel due to its dark blue color. In order to validate the results of the proposed model, a thermal-fluid study is carried out on the NACA 2412 airfoil through COMSOL to see whether changing the surface temperature on the solar panel relates to skin drag reduction. The results indicate that an increase in the surface temperature of the solar panel will decrease the output power and efficiency to a maximum of 8%; while this increase in temperature reduces drag by up to 10% in laminar flow. This research shows that despite the reduction of efficiency and generated power by solar panels with increasing the surface temperature on top of a UAV, the aerodynamic efficiency can be improved with drag reduction in laminar flow.
M. Hassanalian; S. Mohammadi; G. Acosta; N. Guido; S. Bakhtiyarov. Surface temperature effects of solar panels of fixed-wing drones on drag reduction and energy consumption. Meccanica 2020, 56, 3 -22.
AMA StyleM. Hassanalian, S. Mohammadi, G. Acosta, N. Guido, S. Bakhtiyarov. Surface temperature effects of solar panels of fixed-wing drones on drag reduction and energy consumption. Meccanica. 2020; 56 (1):3-22.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Hassanalian; S. Mohammadi; G. Acosta; N. Guido; S. Bakhtiyarov. 2020. "Surface temperature effects of solar panels of fixed-wing drones on drag reduction and energy consumption." Meccanica 56, no. 1: 3-22.
Throughout the last decade, there has been an increased demand for intricate flapping-wing drones with different capabilities than larger drones. The design of flapping-wing drones is focused on endurance and stability, as these are two of the main challenges of these systems. Researchers have recently been turning towards bioinspiration as a way to enhance aerodynamic performance. In this work, the propulsion system of a flapping-wing micro air vehicle is investigated to identify the limitations and drawbacks of specific designs. Each system has a tandem wing configuration inspired by a dragonfly, with wing shapes inspired by a bumblebee. For the design of this flapping-wing, a sizing process is carried out. A number of actuation mechanisms are considered, and two different mechanisms are designed and integrated into a flapping-wing system and compared to one another. The second system is tested using a thrust stand to investigate the impact of wing configurations on aerodynamic force production and the trend of force production from varying flapping frequency. Results present the optimal wing configuration of those tested and that an angle of attack of two degrees yields the greatest force production. A tethered flight test is conducted to examine the stability and aerodynamic capabilities of the drone, and challenges of flapping-wing systems and solutions that can lead to successful flight are presented. Key challenges to the successful design of these systems are weight management, force production, and stability and control.
P. Lane; G. Throneberry; I. Fernandez; M. Hassanalian; R. Vasconcellos; A. Abdelkefi. Towards Bio-Inspiration, Development, and Manufacturing of a Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle. Drones 2020, 4, 39 .
AMA StyleP. Lane, G. Throneberry, I. Fernandez, M. Hassanalian, R. Vasconcellos, A. Abdelkefi. Towards Bio-Inspiration, Development, and Manufacturing of a Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle. Drones. 2020; 4 (3):39.
Chicago/Turabian StyleP. Lane; G. Throneberry; I. Fernandez; M. Hassanalian; R. Vasconcellos; A. Abdelkefi. 2020. "Towards Bio-Inspiration, Development, and Manufacturing of a Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle." Drones 4, no. 3: 39.
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the current state of drone technology and its applications in the mining industry. The mining industry has shown increased interest in the use of drones for routine operations. These applications include 3D mapping of the mine environment, ore control, rock discontinuities mapping, postblast rock fragmentation measurements, and tailing stability monitoring, to name a few. The article offers a review of drone types, specifications, and applications of commercially available drones for mining applications. Finally, the research needs for the design and implementation of drones for underground mining applications are discussed.
Javad Shahmoradi; Elaheh Talebi; Pedram Roghanchi; Mostafa Hassanalian. A Comprehensive Review of Applications of Drone Technology in the Mining Industry. Drones 2020, 4, 34 .
AMA StyleJavad Shahmoradi, Elaheh Talebi, Pedram Roghanchi, Mostafa Hassanalian. A Comprehensive Review of Applications of Drone Technology in the Mining Industry. Drones. 2020; 4 (3):34.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJavad Shahmoradi; Elaheh Talebi; Pedram Roghanchi; Mostafa Hassanalian. 2020. "A Comprehensive Review of Applications of Drone Technology in the Mining Industry." Drones 4, no. 3: 34.
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) have a variety of applications in our daily life that have attracted the attention of many researchers around the world. There are a variety of innovations in the flight mechanisms that UASs are applying for flight. There is also a significant interest in the development of new types of drones that can fly autonomously in different locations, such as cities, marine, and space environments and perform various missions. This paper reviews the different configurations, flight mechanisms, and applications of UASs. First of all, UASs are divided into four main categories, including Horizontal Takeoff and Landing (HTOL), Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL), Hybrid, and Bio-Based drones. Then each category is divided into some sub-categories in order to have a coherent review. The characteristics, advantages and drawbacks of each category are discussed elaborately. Moreover, a comprehensive study is carried out on the applications of UASs and their specifications.
S. Darvishpoor; J. Roshanian; A. Raissi; M. Hassanalian. Configurations, flight mechanisms, and applications of unmanned aerial systems: A review. Progress in Aerospace Sciences 2020, 121, 100694 .
AMA StyleS. Darvishpoor, J. Roshanian, A. Raissi, M. Hassanalian. Configurations, flight mechanisms, and applications of unmanned aerial systems: A review. Progress in Aerospace Sciences. 2020; 121 ():100694.
Chicago/Turabian StyleS. Darvishpoor; J. Roshanian; A. Raissi; M. Hassanalian. 2020. "Configurations, flight mechanisms, and applications of unmanned aerial systems: A review." Progress in Aerospace Sciences 121, no. : 100694.
Migrating birds may take advantage of V-shaped flocking to reduce the required energy for their flight. Studies have shown that the birds in different positions in V-shaped flight contend with different drag forces. Lead and follower birds may have to overcome more drag forces than the other birds in a V-shaped flock. Some observations of different kinds of flocking birds repositioning within a flock have been reported. This observation is here interpreted in an energetic context as well as its aerodynamic aspects. This paper presents the repositioning aerodynamics analysis of birds that fly in V-shaped flocks and their energy-saving consequences. This analysis demonstrates how Canada Geese can fly very far in a single day through repositioning. Extensive analysis shows that leader and tail position switching of 14 Canada Geese can improve the flight range and endurance of these migrating birds more than 44.6%. This study gives the guidelines for energy saving and optimization of flocking migrating birds through evolution.
A. Mirzaeinia; F. Heppner; M. Hassanalian. An analytical study on leader and follower switching in V-shaped Canada Goose flocks for energy management purposes. Swarm Intelligence 2020, 14, 117 -141.
AMA StyleA. Mirzaeinia, F. Heppner, M. Hassanalian. An analytical study on leader and follower switching in V-shaped Canada Goose flocks for energy management purposes. Swarm Intelligence. 2020; 14 (2):117-141.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Mirzaeinia; F. Heppner; M. Hassanalian. 2020. "An analytical study on leader and follower switching in V-shaped Canada Goose flocks for energy management purposes." Swarm Intelligence 14, no. 2: 117-141.
Marine current power has been utilized in recent years as one of the most foreseeable renewable energy sources. In this study, the optimal design of hydrofoil is carried out for hydrokinetic turbines to improve their hydrodynamic performance in Golden Gate Strait with the low-speed current. In order to design optimal hydrofoils for different sections of a blade, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and XFoil are coupled. For hydrofoil’s shape parameterization, the B-spline curve is used. The coordinate’s values of the control points are designated to act as optimization parameters. Five hydrofoils from root to tip are designed for a turbine at low current speed with three blades. Hydrofoils are optimized from hub to tip in distances 0.4, 1.2, 2.4, 3.4, and 4.4 m. Optimum chord length and twist angle distribution along the blade are obtained using Harp_Opt, which is based on Blade Element Momentum theory. Finally, the power coefficient, rotational speed, cavitation criteria, and power are calculated for an optimized turbine and compared to the first turbine and Betz criterion. It is assured that cavitation will not occur at the tip of the blade which the linear velocity is maximum. The summation of cavitation number and minimum pressure coefficient (σ+CpMin) is estimated to be 1.8. The power coefficient is computed using Harp_opt for both initial turbines with hydrofoil NACA 4415 and turbine with optimized cross sections from hub to tip. The power coefficient is improved 26% for speeds of 0.5–2 m/s and 50% for speeds of 2–3 m/s. An optimal marine current turbine which is useable for relatively lower currents is designed in this study by applying and combining different tools for different stages of research.
S. Mohammadi; M. Hassanalian; Hamid Arionfard; S. Bakhtiyarov. Optimal design of hydrokinetic turbine for low-speed water flow in Golden Gate Strait. Renewable Energy 2020, 150, 147 -155.
AMA StyleS. Mohammadi, M. Hassanalian, Hamid Arionfard, S. Bakhtiyarov. Optimal design of hydrokinetic turbine for low-speed water flow in Golden Gate Strait. Renewable Energy. 2020; 150 ():147-155.
Chicago/Turabian StyleS. Mohammadi; M. Hassanalian; Hamid Arionfard; S. Bakhtiyarov. 2020. "Optimal design of hydrokinetic turbine for low-speed water flow in Golden Gate Strait." Renewable Energy 150, no. : 147-155.
In this paper, the design process of a fixed-wing Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) is presented. The design cycle begins with mission requirements, followed by collecting statistical data from available MAVs. Next, MAV's sizing and weight estimation are conducted based on mission requirements. Finally, the aspect ratio, taper ratio, and airfoil selection are performed. As the MAV has a low aspect ratio and low Reynolds number airflow, the aerodynamics is not fully understood. The propeller wash increases the complexity of the aerodynamic flow; therefore, the MAV is manufactured for wind tunnel testing. The absent of actual flight performance and flight dynamics of fixed-wing MAVs are the main driven factors for this research. The wind tunnel experimental data are used in the flight performance equations to evaluate the MAV's actual flight performance and compare it with the estimated values. As MAV is very sensitive to the external disturbances which make the prediction of its dynamics a hard task, a nonlinear flight simulation model is created for the MAV's dynamics prediction. This model uses the experimentally measured data to predict the MAV's dynamics and its stability against wind disturbances. The results in this paper indicate that using aerodynamics historical data will give a huge error in estimating MAV's flight performance. The measured data in this research can be used to eliminate this error. Also, the flight dynamics of fixed-wing MAVs cannot be assumed linear, and the technique used in this paper gives a very accurate flight dynamics estimation.
A. Aboelezz; M. Hassanalian; A. Desoki; Basman Elhadidi; G. El-Bayoumi. Design, experimental investigation, and nonlinear flight dynamics with atmospheric disturbances of a fixed-wing micro air vehicle. Aerospace Science and Technology 2019, 97, 105636 .
AMA StyleA. Aboelezz, M. Hassanalian, A. Desoki, Basman Elhadidi, G. El-Bayoumi. Design, experimental investigation, and nonlinear flight dynamics with atmospheric disturbances of a fixed-wing micro air vehicle. Aerospace Science and Technology. 2019; 97 ():105636.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Aboelezz; M. Hassanalian; A. Desoki; Basman Elhadidi; G. El-Bayoumi. 2019. "Design, experimental investigation, and nonlinear flight dynamics with atmospheric disturbances of a fixed-wing micro air vehicle." Aerospace Science and Technology 97, no. : 105636.
The development of new concepts for smart cities and the application of drones in this area requires different architecture for the drones’ stations (nests) and their placement. Drones’ stations are designed to protect drones from hazards and utilize charging mechanisms such as solar cells to recharge them. Increasing the number of drones in smart cities makes it harder to find the optimum station for each drone to go to after performing its mission. In classic ordered technique, each drone returns to its preassigned station, which is shown to be not very efficient. Greedy and Kuhn‒Munkres (Hungarian) algorithms are used to match the drone to the best nesting station. Three different scenarios are investigated in this study; (1) drones with the same level of energy, (2) drones with different levels of energy, and (3) drones and stations with different levels of energy. The results show that an energy consumption reduction of 25‒80% can be achieved by applying the Kuhn‒Munkres and greedy algorithms in drone‒nest matching compared to preassigned stations. A graphical user interface is also designed to demonstrate drone‒station matching through the Kuhn‒Munkres and greedy algorithms.
Amir Mirzaeinia; Mostafa Hassanalian. Minimum-Cost Drone‒Nest Matching through the Kuhn‒Munkres Algorithm in Smart Cities: Energy Management and Efficiency Enhancement. Aerospace 2019, 6, 125 .
AMA StyleAmir Mirzaeinia, Mostafa Hassanalian. Minimum-Cost Drone‒Nest Matching through the Kuhn‒Munkres Algorithm in Smart Cities: Energy Management and Efficiency Enhancement. Aerospace. 2019; 6 (11):125.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAmir Mirzaeinia; Mostafa Hassanalian. 2019. "Minimum-Cost Drone‒Nest Matching through the Kuhn‒Munkres Algorithm in Smart Cities: Energy Management and Efficiency Enhancement." Aerospace 6, no. 11: 125.
There is currently a growing interest in the area of drag reduction of unmanned aerial vehicles. In this paper, the swarming flight of the fixed-wing drones and a load balancing mechanism during the swarm is investigated. As an example, the swarm flight of EBee Sensfly flying wings is analyzed through the proposed methodology. The aerodynamic drag forces of each individual drone and the swarm are modeled theoretically. It is shown that drones through the swarming flight can save up to 70% of their energy and consequently improve their performance. As swarming drones have different loads and consume a different level of energy depending on their positions, there is a need to replace them during the flight in order to enhance their efficiency. To this end, regarding the number of drones, a replacement algorithm is defined for them so that they will be able to save more energy during their mission. It is shown that there is more than 21 percent improvement in flight time and distance of swarming drones after replacement. This method of replacement and formation can be considered as one of the effective factors in a drag reduction of swarming aerial vehicles.
A. Mirzaeinia; M. Hassanalian; K. Lee. Energy conservation of V-shaped swarming fixed-wing drones through position reconfiguration. Aerospace Science and Technology 2019, 94, 105398 .
AMA StyleA. Mirzaeinia, M. Hassanalian, K. Lee. Energy conservation of V-shaped swarming fixed-wing drones through position reconfiguration. Aerospace Science and Technology. 2019; 94 ():105398.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Mirzaeinia; M. Hassanalian; K. Lee. 2019. "Energy conservation of V-shaped swarming fixed-wing drones through position reconfiguration." Aerospace Science and Technology 94, no. : 105398.
A new strategy is proposed in order to effectively design the components of actuation mechanisms for flapping wing micro air vehicles. To this end, the merits and drawbacks of some existing types of conventional flapping actuation mechanisms are first discussed qualitatively. Second, the relationships between the design of flapping wing actuation mechanism and the entrance requirements including the upstroke and downstroke angles and flapping frequency are determined. The effects of the components of the actuation mechanism on the kinematic and kinetic parameters are investigated. It is shown that there are optimum values for different parameters in order to design an efficient mechanism. Considering the optimized features for an actuation mechanism, the design, analysis, and fabrication of a new hybrid actuation mechanism for FWMAV named “Thunder I” with fourteen components consisting of two six-bar mechanisms are performed. The results show that this designed hybrid actuation mechanism has high symmetrical flapping motion with hinged connections for all components. The proposed methodology for the modeling and fabrication of Thunder I’s actuation mechanism can be utilized as guidelines to design efficient FWMAVs actuation mechanisms.
Mostafa Hassanalian; Abdessattar Abdelkefi. Towards Improved Hybrid Actuation Mechanisms for Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles: Analytical and Experimental Investigations. Drones 2019, 3, 73 .
AMA StyleMostafa Hassanalian, Abdessattar Abdelkefi. Towards Improved Hybrid Actuation Mechanisms for Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles: Analytical and Experimental Investigations. Drones. 2019; 3 (3):73.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMostafa Hassanalian; Abdessattar Abdelkefi. 2019. "Towards Improved Hybrid Actuation Mechanisms for Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles: Analytical and Experimental Investigations." Drones 3, no. 3: 73.
There is currently a growing interest in the area of drag reduction. In this work, the thermal effects of body color of some species of aquatics like Orcas and Dusky dolphins are investigated with respect to their swimming routes and geometric and behavioral characteristics. Considering the marine and atmospheric characteristics of these aquatics' routes, a thermal analysis is performed. The surrounding fluxes including the water flux, sun irradiation, and core temperature are considered in an energy balance to determine the skin temperature of the top side of the animal/organism's body. To study the effects of color on the surface temperature of the aquatic species, an experiment is carried out in the water on a flat plate with black and white color. Applying a turbulent analytical solution for heated boundary layers, it will be shown that the black color on the top of the bodies of these marine organisms is very efficient in terms of skin drag reduction. Moreover, to investigate the effects of the temperature on underwater skin friction drag reduction, the turbulent flow is simulated around a flat plate and a 2- dimensional modeled Killer whale at different temperatures. The results show that the top black body color of Orca and Dusky dolphin decreases their skin friction drag by 7%. This study will also provide the reason for this evolution of color scheme of other extremely fast marine animals, such as billfish, whales, and sharks. This method of drag reduction can be considered as one of the effective factors in skin drag reduction of underwater robots.
M. Hassanalian; H. Abdelmoula; S. Mohammadi; S. Bakhtiyarov; J. Goerlich; U. Javed. Aquatic animal colors and skin temperature: Biology's selection for reducing oceanic dolphin's skin friction drag. Journal of Thermal Biology 2019, 84, 292 -310.
AMA StyleM. Hassanalian, H. Abdelmoula, S. Mohammadi, S. Bakhtiyarov, J. Goerlich, U. Javed. Aquatic animal colors and skin temperature: Biology's selection for reducing oceanic dolphin's skin friction drag. Journal of Thermal Biology. 2019; 84 ():292-310.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Hassanalian; H. Abdelmoula; S. Mohammadi; S. Bakhtiyarov; J. Goerlich; U. Javed. 2019. "Aquatic animal colors and skin temperature: Biology's selection for reducing oceanic dolphin's skin friction drag." Journal of Thermal Biology 84, no. : 292-310.
In this work, seven wings inspired from insects’ wings, including those inspired by the bumblebee, cicada, cranefly, fruitfly, hawkmoth, honeybee, and twisted parasite, are patterned and analyzed in FlapSim software in forward and hovering flight modes for two scenarios, namely, similar wingspan (20 cm) and wing surface (0.005 m2). Considering their similar kinematics, the time histories of the aerodynamic forces of lift, thrust, and required mechanical power of the inspired wings are calculated, shown, and compared for both scenarios. The results obtained from FlapSim show that wing shape strongly impacts the performance and aerodynamic characteristics of the chosen seven wings. To study the effects of different geometrical and physical factors including flapping frequency, elevation amplitude, pronation amplitude, stroke-plane angle, flight speed, wing material, and wingspan, several analyses are carried out on the honeybee-inspired shape, which had a 20 cm wingspan. This study can be used to evaluate the efficiency of different bio-inspired wing shapes and may provide a guideline for comparing the performance of flapping wing nano air vehicles with forward flight and hovering capabilities.
G. Throneberry; M. Hassanalian; A. Abdelkefi. Insights into Sensitivity of Wing Shape and Kinematic Parameters Relative to Aerodynamic Performance of Flapping Wing Nano Air Vehicles. Drones 2019, 3, 49 .
AMA StyleG. Throneberry, M. Hassanalian, A. Abdelkefi. Insights into Sensitivity of Wing Shape and Kinematic Parameters Relative to Aerodynamic Performance of Flapping Wing Nano Air Vehicles. Drones. 2019; 3 (2):49.
Chicago/Turabian StyleG. Throneberry; M. Hassanalian; A. Abdelkefi. 2019. "Insights into Sensitivity of Wing Shape and Kinematic Parameters Relative to Aerodynamic Performance of Flapping Wing Nano Air Vehicles." Drones 3, no. 2: 49.