Article
Remote Sensing
Yauhei Chu, Chunleung Ho, Yoonjo Lee, Boyang Li
Summary: Solar-powered UAVs have the potential to greatly increase flight endurance, drawing attention in recent research and development within industries.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Ramdas Gadekar, Mangal Kothari, Mangal Abhishek
Summary: This paper presents a systematic study of the design optimization, development, vibration analysis, and flight testing of a single power plant variable pitch quadrotor unmanned aerial system (UAS) for industrial applications. The study involves the optimization of rotor design, powerplant selection, mechanical power transmission design, static and dynamic analysis of prototypes, development of an attitude controller, system integration, vibration analysis, and performance analysis. The design achieves a payload capacity of 2-3 kg and endurance exceeding one hour. The estimated best endurance achieved is 2.2 h and estimated best range is more than 150 km.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Nianhong Han, M. A. Siddique, Zichen Zhang, Linchuan Tian, Haiyang Hu, Hui Hu
Summary: A flight-testing campaign was conducted to examine the in-flight icing characteristics and its effects on the flight performance of a fixed-wing UAV. The results showed that the accumulation of ice on the exposed surfaces of the UAV, such as wings, fuselage, stabilizers, Pitot probe, and propeller, degraded the aerodynamic performance and increased power consumption. Inflight icing also caused structural vibrations and posed serious threats to flight safety.
COLD REGIONS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Liang Zhang, Dongli Ma, Muqing Yang, Xiaopeng Yang, Yayun Yu
Summary: This paper establishes systematic mathematical and physical models to analyze the performance parameters of solar-powered UAVs under different flight conditions and over time. A track control strategy based on maximum energy utilization is proposed. The research findings provide important reference for the mission and track planning of solar-powered UAVs.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Youming Qin, Nan Chen, Yixi Cai, Wei Xu, Fu Zhang
Summary: The Gemini II bi-copter is a novel design that controls attitude by using cyclic flapping response in hinges connecting the blades, eliminating the need for heavy servo motors. It simplifies the propulsion system and enhances UAV performance by addressing issues caused by traditional servo motors. The Gemini II is the first servoless bi-copter that can precisely control its 3-D position and orientation with only two actuators.
IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Luz Lara, Salvador M. Aceves, David E. Jaramillo, Julio Moreno-Blanco
Summary: Increasing the maximum allowable pressure of the cryogenic storage vessel can significantly enhance the flight endurance of small UAVs powered by liquid hydrogen. Two different scenarios were considered in this study, and the results showed a 22% and 43% increase in flight endurance, respectively, due to the improved utilization efficiency of stored hydrogen in the modified storage vessels.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Review
Thermodynamics
Li Chen, An He, Jianlin Zhao, Qinjun Kang, Zeng-Yao Li, Jan Carmeliet, Naoki Shikazono, Wen-Quan Tao
Summary: This review summarizes the recent advances and challenges in pore-scale modeling, discussing its practical applications in geoscience, polymer exchange membrane fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells. Notable results from pore-scale modeling are presented, while the challenges facing the development of pore-scale models are also discussed.
PROGRESS IN ENERGY AND COMBUSTION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Sahin Yildirim, Nihat Cabuk, Veli Bakircioglu
Summary: This study presents a comparative analysis of different UAV configurations using a proposed universal UAV. The octocopter, decacopter, and dodecacopter were experimentally evaluated for flight performances and vibration levels. The dodecacopter exhibited the best overall performance, while the decacopter showed the lowest roll angle error. The octocopter demonstrated the best vibrationless flight performance.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Chao Zhang, Lifeng Wang, Wenhua Ye, Junfeng Wu, Zhijun Shen, Igor Menshov
Summary: The article proposes a diffuse interface model for compressible multicomponent flows with mass, momentum, and energy transport phenomena. The model is reduced from a seven-equation model to a five-equation model by assuming different time scales for pressure and velocity relaxations. The proposed model maintains equilibrium near the diffused interface and shows good agreement with experimental results. The numerical methods used achieve second-order accuracy in space and time.
JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Yubin Lan, Shicheng Qian, Shengde Chen, Yingjie Zhao, Xiaoling Deng, Guobin Wang, Yu Zang, Juan Wang, Xingyan Qiu
Summary: The study found that the downwash wind field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) shows significant differences at different flight heights, with a notable impact on droplet deposition. Increasing flight height leads to changes in the downwash wind field, affecting droplet deposition distribution and reducing deposition in the effective spray area.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Diaa Emad, Abdelfatah Mohamed, Mohamed Fanni
Summary: This study focuses on the dynamic modeling and control of a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with active morphing wings. A multi-input multi-output (MIMO) control system using model predictive control (MPC) is designed to achieve specific flight maneuvering and track desired trajectories. The control system successfully rejects disturbances and exhibits acceptable behavior in pitch and roll angles.
JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT & ROBOTIC SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Duy Khang Dang, Biao Zhou
Summary: Liquid water management is crucial for the performance and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Nature-inspired leaf-like designs with branching configurations show more efficient water management and better fuel cell performance. Studying air-liquid water transport phenomena in biomimetic flow field designs can provide insights for improving flow field designs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Transportation Science & Technology
Javier Garcia-Heras, Manuel Soler, Daniel Gonzalez-Arribas, Kurt Eschbacher, Carl-Herbert Rokitansky, Daniel Sacher, Ulrike Gelhardt, Juergen Lang, Thomas Hauf, Juan Simarro, Alfonso Valenzuela, Antonio Franco, Damian Rivas
Summary: This paper discusses how incorporating convective information into flight planning algorithms can reduce reroutings due to storm encounters. The study shows that planning robust trajectories can decrease storm encounters, increase predictability at the cost of fuel and time.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART C-EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Giulio Gori, Pietro M. Congedo, Olivier Le Maitre, Tommaso Bellosta, Alberto Guardone
Summary: This paper investigates the impact of in-flight ice accretion under parametric uncertainty through experimental cases and sensitivity analyses, revealing the varying effects of different uncertain inputs on the outputs in different icing conditions.
JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Benjamin D. Hoffmann, Adam Tessmann, Greg Quinn, Faye Lawton
Summary: This study analysed aerial treatment data from two ant-eradication programs and found that Isolair was more efficient than the use of two underslung buckets, and the use of upgraded Flight Management System (FMS) and higher flight speed was more efficient for bait dispersal by drone. The study suggests practitioners to publish their aerial treatment data and try new methods to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Claudio Paliotta, Erjen Lefeber, Kristin Ytterstad Pettersen, Jose Pinto, Maria Costa, Joao Tasso de Figueiredo Borges de Sousa
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Artur Zolich, David Palma, Kimmo Kansanen, Kay Fjortoft, Joao Sousa, Karl H. Johansson, Yuming Jiang, Hefeng Dong, Tor A. Johansen
JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT & ROBOTIC SYSTEMS
(2019)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Ricardo Bencatel, Smrithi Keerthivarman, Ilya Kolmanovsky, Anouck R. Girard
Summary: This article presents a flight control system for hydrofoiling catamaran sailboats, aiming to replace or guide the crew in tracking a commanded ride height. The system utilizes coordination between the main lift source surface, the daggerboard foil, and the stabilization surfaces, the rudder foils, showing high sensitivity to wave disturbances in both model and sea trials. The full state feedback (FSF) controller, initially based on linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) theory-based gains and modified with manual tuning, performs almost as well as skilled helmsmen, with ancillary components like the ride height estimator also discussed.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katherine L. C. Bell, Jennifer Szlosek Chow, Alexis Hope, Maud C. Quinzin, Kat A. Cantner, Diva J. Amon, Jessica E. Cramp, Randi D. Rotjan, Lehua Kamalu, Asha de Vos, Sheena Talma, Salome Buglass, Veta Wade, Zoleka Filander, Kaitlin Noyes, Miriam Lynch, Ashley Knight, Nuno Lourenco, Peter R. Girguis, Joao Borges de Sousa, Chris Blake, Brian R. C. Kennedy, Timothy J. Noyes, Craig R. McClain
Summary: Only a small fraction of the deep sea has been scientifically explored and characterized due to various constraints. To address this issue and promote inclusion and accessibility to ocean discovery, low-cost, scalable tools and collaborative research methods are needed. This study focuses on technical capacity needs for equitable deep-sea exploration and identifies opportunities and challenges related to data collection and analysis. It also presents a prototype camera system and an online AI-driven video analysis platform, as well as recommendations for future collaborative design projects in the deep sea.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Information Systems
Roberto Petroccia, Gabriele Ferri, Pietro Stinco, Alessandra Tesei, Stefano Fioravanti, Thomas Furfaro, Joao Alves, Andrea Molaschi, Jose Magalhaes, Paulo Sousa Dias, Joao Borges Sousa
Summary: This study explores innovative concepts that utilize a network of maritime unmanned systems and digital underwater communications to improve communication efficiency and rescue effectiveness in submarine rescue operations. The successful demonstration in Portugal showcases the potential of this approach.
2022 IEEE MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE (MILCOM)
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
R. Praveen Jain, Joao Borges de Sousa, A. Pedro Aguiar
Summary: This letter addresses the problem of steering a robotic vehicle along a geometric path specified with respect to a reference frame moving in three dimensions, termed the Moving Path Following (MPF) motion control problem. The MPF problem is solved for a large class of robotic vehicles that require a minimum positive forward speed to operate. This restriction poses additional challenges with respect to the control design, and is developed using geometric concepts, wherein the attitude control problem is formulated on the Special Orthogonal group SO(3). To this end, a MPF error model formulation is first derived that allows to exclude the conservative constraints on the initial position of the vehicle with respect to the reference path by enabling the explicit control of the progression of a virtual point moving along the reference path. The task of the MPF control law is then to steer the vehicle towards the moving path and to converge to the virtual point. Stability and convergence guarantees of the resulting closed-loop system are provided using the Input-to-State Stability concept. In particular, we show that the proposed controller is robust to imperfect tracking errors and external disturbances (e.g., autopilot errors and wind gusts). Simulation results are presented to illustrate the efficacy of the proposed MPF control law.
IEEE CONTROL SYSTEMS LETTERS
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
R. Praveen Jain, Joao Borges de Sousa, A. Pedro Aguiar
Summary: This paper addresses the Moving Path Following (MPF) motion control problem for robotic vehicles that require a minimum positive forward speed to operate. The control design is developed using geometric concepts, with the attitude control problem formulated on the Special Orthogonal group SO(3).
2021 AMERICAN CONTROL CONFERENCE (ACC)
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Ocean
Kanna Rajan, Fernando Aguado, Pierre Lermusiaux, Joao Borges de Sousa, Ajit Subramaniam, Joaquin Tintore
Summary: The oceans provide essential ecosystem services but are changing due to human activity, necessitating more advanced observation techniques for better understanding and prediction.
MARINE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Ocean
Mario Monteiro Marques, Victor Lobo, A. Pedro Aguiar, J. Estrela Silva, J. Borges de Sousa, Maria de Fatima Nunes, Ricardo Adriano Ribeiro, Alexandre Bernardino, Goncalo Cruz, Jorge Salvador Marques
Summary: The paper discusses the development of an integrated system for maritime situation awareness using unmanned aerial vehicles, with a focus on the role of the automatic detection subsystem. Utilizing sensors onboard UAVs for automatic vessel detection, the system aims to assist human operators in generating situational awareness of maritime events effectively and efficiently. The system demonstrates high precision rates, low latency, and suitable recalls, comparable to other state-of-the-art approaches, through field tests detecting multiple vessels and lifesavers in different types of images.
MARINE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY JOURNAL
(2021)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Miguel Aguiar, Jorge Estrela da Silva, Joao Borges de Sousa
2020 59TH IEEE CONFERENCE ON DECISION AND CONTROL (CDC)
(2020)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Marine
Joshua Baghdady, Michael Incze, Paulo Dias, Keila Lima, A. Zachary Trimble, Noah Hafner, Raymond Andrade, Maria Costa, Manuel Ribeiro, Joao Sousa, Ben Jones, Margo Edwards
GLOBAL OCEANS 2020: SINGAPORE - U.S. GULF COAST
(2020)
Article
Oceanography
Aya Saad, Annette Stahl, Andreas Vage, Emlyn Davies, Tor Nordam, Nicole Aberle, Martin Ludvigsen, Geir Johnsen, Joao Sousa, Kanna Rajan
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Joao Galante, Manuel Ribeiro, Roberto de Nobrega, Jorge Neiva, Antonio Sergio Ferreira, Joao Borges Sousa
2019 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (ICUAS' 19)
(2019)
Article
Robotics
Matheus F. Reis, R. Praveen Jain, A. Pedro Aguiar, Joao Borges de Sousa
FRONTIERS IN ROBOTICS AND AI
(2019)
Article
Robotics
Matheus F. Reis, R. Praveen Jain, A. Pedro Aguiar, Joao Borges de Sousa
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2019)
