Marek Orkisz

The Selected Innovative Solutions in UAV Control Systems Technologies

The paper presents selected original solutions concerning UAV control systems technologies. The paper does not describe general theories and global technical solutions used in UAV’s technologies. It presents some tricks created and developed at Rzeszow University of Technology. Presented solutions have been developed and implemented into real control systems. They main goal is to improve control precision and increase system functionality. Results presented in this paper have been collected during real flight tests of different classes of UAVs.

PROSPECTIVE ALTERNATIVE PROPULSION SYSTEMS FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

The paper presents selected issues concerning alternative power sources and propulsion systems meant for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The implementation of new propulsions in aviation is a laborious and long-term process, mostly due to safety and economical restrictions and requirements. Broadly, exploited solutions known from automotive industry may serve as a basis for development in aerospace technology, but cannot be applied without considering specific technical aspects (related to aircraft technology and flying objects physics). These aspects are mentioned in the text and some issues concerning suitability of types of aircraft are described. The paper presented contains a review of research on non-conventional propulsion systems for UAVs, conducted in Rzeszow University of Technology. Selected results of the research the fuel cell and the solar-cell UAVs and the aerial hybrid-electric drive test stand are shown in adequate pictures. The small-unmanned flying objects seem to be an accurate basis for such research. They allow reducing costs and improving safety in comparison to full-scale manned aircraft. They are also much quicker in manufacturing and easier to maintain and repair. Moreover, due to their various applications they may comprise the target market for this kind of propulsions. In particular, the issues of parallel hybrid-electric propulsions, fuel cell and solar-cell-assisted systems with appropriate examples are mentioned in the paper.

The Airspeed Automatic Control Algorithm for Small Aircraft

This paper presents selected results authors have reached during research of airspeed control algorithm developed for Single Engine Piston Light (SEPL) aircraft powered by piston engine with constant-pitch propeller in tractor configuration. There are some theoretical discussions about control law’s structure and methods of adjusting them to control plant’s operational features in this paper. Moreover, practical implementation of developed algorithm is described. Finally, results achieved both during computer simulations and flight tests are presented and discussed.

Multidisciplinary design and optimization of gas turbine engine low pressure turbine at preliminary design stage

The gas turbine engine has evolved rapidly during past decades to provide a reliable and efficient business solution for global transportation. The engine design process is clearly a large contributor to this evolution. This process is highly iterative, multidisciplinary and complex in nature. The success of an engine depends on a carefully balanced design that best exploits the interactions between numerous traditional engineering disciplines such as aerodynamics and structures as well as lifecycle analysis of cost, manufacturability, serviceability and supportability. To take into account all of these disciplines and optimization should be used. Currently most of present state-of-art numerical modelling methods, which are used mainly at detailed design stage, are unsuitable for this task due to very high computational time. The solution to this problem can be found in multidisciplinary design and optimization at preliminary design stage with use of simple 1-2D models. This paper presents current aero engine design process and indicates possibilities of future improvements by utilization of proposed methodology, which take into account aerodynamic, thermodynamic and structures (blade, fixing and disc) calculations, connected in one multidisciplinary model, which is suited for optimization. All disciplinary models are presented and described in this paper as well as connection between them, with study over design variable, goal function and constrains that should be used. Moreover, a strategy of optimization is proposed as well as methods for acceleration of optimization process by use of surrogate. The presentation of methodology is followed by example optimization of low-pressure aero engine turbine.