Eric Serani

Hybrid Electric Integrated Optimized System (HELIOS) Design of a Hybrid Propulsion System for Aircraft

This paper discusses select design aspects and early testing results for the HELIOS project. The objective of this project was to complete preliminary research and design of a hybrid electric propulsion system for unmanned aerial vehicles. Efficiency models showed that a mechanically additive system would provide the greatest benefits when compared to other additive system designs. Utilizing a clutch-less gearing system to mechanically combine the output power of an internal combustion engine with an electric motor, a 15% increase in fuel efficiency over traditional gas powered UAVs of similar size was projected. Preliminary efficiency tests using a custom-built dynamometer have shown that this model will be satisfactorily accurate. The technology provides also additional operational safety in case of engine failure. Operating the aircraft in electric mode only allows for low noise operation during any phase of the operation. Preliminary testing of the HELIOS system was performed on the 13 ft wingspan aircraft being constructed by students from Daniel Webster College located in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Rapid, International Design and Test of a Hybrid-Powered, Blended-Wing Body Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Student engineering teams collaborated across three international universities to develop a 3 m wingspan unmanned aircraft in a single academic year. This aircraft, named Hyperion, is inspired by the NASA/Boeing X48-B blended wing body, and serves as a test platform for high efficiency aerodynamics and propulsion. The design concept includes a novel hybrid gas-electric propulsion system developed by a University of Colorado spinout company, Tigon EnerTec. The aircraft features a high-lift blended-wing body design, composite materials, and advanced flight controls, and was successfully flight tested in the Spring of 2011. Students at the University of Colorado, the University of Stuttgart, Germany, and the University of Sydney, Australia, benefited greatly from the multi-national design and delocalized manufacturing, which was conceived to simulate modern industry practices. Hyperion’s unique architecture and advanced subsystems establish novel technologies that can be incorporated into UAV, general aviation, or commercial markets.

Design of a Blended Wing Body UAS With Hybrid Propulsion

Student engineering teams developed a 3 m scale model aircraft, named Hyperion, inspired after the NASA-Boeing X48-B blended wing body to use as a test bed for advanced technical studies. The design concept includes a novel hybrid gas/biodiesel-electric power train as a green aircraft technology. The hybrid propulsion system allows for new concepts of operation in unmanned vehicles as it can operate in an internal combustion-only, electric-only, or hybrid mode. The aircraft is designed through a collaboration of 3 international universities: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Sydney, AUS, and the University of Stuttgart, GER. The Hyperion aircraft has a blended fuselage and wing to utilize advanced aircraft design and aerodynamic efficiency. The flying wing architecture is a fuel efficient platform to demonstrate the latest developments in ‘green’ aircraft technology. The optimal design requires a full systems engineering analysis, including aerodynamic and structural analysis of the vehicle; design of the flight mechanics, navigation, and control systems. The vehicle is fabricated primarily from composite materials. Hyperion’s unique architecture and advanced subsystems establish novel technologies that can be incorporated into UAV, General Aviation, and larger aircraft.Copyright

Hyperion Blended Wing Body Aircraft Technology

Student engineering teams develop a 3 m scale model inspired after the NASA-Boeing X48-B blended wing body to use as a test bed for advanced technical studies. The design concept implements a novel hybrid gas/biodiesel-electric power train as a green aircraft technology. The Hyperion aircraft will serve as a test-bed for research and development in the following focus areas: aerodynamics, structures and materials, weights and mass properties, handling and control, flight mechanics, and efficiency improvements on performance. additional authors as list is limited to 20: Dries Verstraete, Kai Lehmkuehler, University of Sydney; Ewald Kraemer, University of Stuttgart.

Entrepreneurship: Bridging Academia and Industry

A case study is presented demonstrating the logistics and synergies behind starting a university spin-out company and the advantages of spawning entrepreneurship out of an academic environment. A recent start-up company, TIGON Enertec, Inc., has emerged out of the University of Colorado (CU) from the collaboration of multiple incubation programs with the vision to increase the success-rate of university spin-offs. Several timely developments, organizations, and funding opportunities were enabling this start-up; A) NASA funds on workforce development. B) The University of Colorado who created the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI). C) The Center for Space Entrepreneurship (e-Space, Inc.), a not-for-profit organization recently formed as a partnership of the University of Colorado, a national leader in aerospace engineering education, and SpaceDev, Inc. a leading entrepreneurial space company. All three components served as pillars for the start-up. The creation of such a supportive environment, which has helped the TIGON team begin their venture, may serve as potential model for university and small business relationships.