Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Aeronautics Breakthrough Technologies to Meet Future Air and Space Transportation Needs and Goals (1998) / Chapter Skim
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6 Breakthrough Technologies to Meet NASA's Goals
6 Breakthrough Technologies to Meet NASA's Goals
Pages 89-102
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From page 89... ...
Because NASAts budget for aerospace R&D is limited' the committee believes that identifying crosscutting technologies is critical. Although all of the technologies discussed in the previous chapters deserve funding consideration by NASA, the five breakthrough technology categories listed in this chapter represent the committee's priority areas of focus (see Table 6-~.
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From page 90... ...
go Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Aeronautics TABLE ES-1 NASA's Goals for Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology and the Recommended Breakthrough Technology Categories Reduced Reduced Breakthrough TechnologyReduced Perceived Noise Aircraft Category Emissions Levels Accident Rate Cyber Technology Modeling and simulation M M H Advanced, robust, real-time sensors M H M and actuators Automated manufacturing L Improved methodsfordeve~oping M M H flight-critica~ software Human-computer integration M M H Structures and Materials Lightweight structures High-temperature materials Propulsion Technology M Advanced air vehicle propulsion H H concepts Advanced propellants for launch vehicles Aerospace Vehicle Configurations Advanced configurations M M Precision Air Traffic Operations in Terminal Areas L Reduced runway occupancy time L - M Mitigation of wake vortices L - M V/STOL air vehicles L M ~ = Low impact on achieving the goal; M = Moclerate impact; H = High impact.
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From page 91... ...
Breakthrough Technologies to Meet NASA's Goa/s Increased Design Invigorated Reduced Triple Aviation Confidence and Genera ~Pay~oad Cost System Reduced Air Reduced Cycle Aviation Reduced to Low Earth Throughput Trave~ Costs Time Industry Trave~ Time Orbit H M H M M M M M M L L M L M M H M M M M H M L M M H H M M L M M H H M L M M M H M L H L M H H M H H H M M M M 91 M M M M H L L M
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From page 92... ...
The five cyber technology areas are: mocle~ing and simulation for both vehicle design and the characterization of the air transportation system; advanced, robust, real-time sensors and actuators for air vehicle structures, materials, and propulsion systems; automated aerospace manufacturing and space launch operations; improved methods for developing flight-critica~ software; and optimized human-computer interactions for aircraft flight decks and for the process of aerospace vehicle design. Modeling and Simulation Modeling and simulation has developed at a very rapid pace during the past several decades, and NASA's past activities in this area have been noteworthy.
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From page 93... ...
Advanced, Robust, Real-time Sensors and Actuators Advanced sensor and actuator technologies for aerospace applications should eventually provide for the active, real-time control of vehicle performance and safety. Embedding sensors and actuators within structures and materials will create intelligent or "smart structures" with properties that enhance performance through controlled structural deformation and health monitoring that detects damage and determines remaining useful life.
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From page 94... ...
Therefore, reducing these costs through increased automation would reduce the overall cost of acquiring new aircraft. Lower aircraft purchase costs for airlines could contribute to the NASA goal of reducing the cost of air travel, and reducing the cost of new general aviation aircraft could help meet the NASA goal of reinvigorating this sector of the aerospace industry.
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From page 95... ...
Yet the full potential of computing and information technology for aerospace applications, such as the safe and efficient operation of aircraft and the design of aerospace vehicles, will not be realized until interactions between humans and computers have been improved. Although humans are the most advanced sensors and actuators in existence, occasional lapses in action or concentration, and the inability to process information at desired rates, can, and often does, lead to system failures.
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From page 96... ...
Recommenclation. NASA should focus its aeronautics and space transportation research and technology development to meet the 10 goals on the following areas of cyber technology: modeling and simulation applied to both vehicle design and the characterization of the air transportation system; advanced, robust, realtime sensors and actuators for air vehicle structures, materials, and propulsion systems; increased automation of aerospace manufacturing and space launch operations; improved methods for developing flight-critica~ software; and improvements in human-computer integration for aircraft operations and aerospace vehicle design.
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From page 97... ...
Because immediate breakthroughs in the development of lightweight structures and high-temperature materials suitable for high-speed civil transports and reusable launch vehicles are not readily apparent, NASA should invest in fundamental research on structures and materials research, keeping in mind important end use requirements, such as affordability, manufacturability, and maintenance.
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From page 98... ...
Determining if fuel ceil propulsion technologies can be made feasible from a total vehicle system perspective will require aircraft design studies involving fuel cells. Investments in other areas where NASA has expertise, such as fuels and material development for fuel cells, will also contribute to their potential as useful power sources for air vehicles.
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From page 99... ...
AEROSPACE VEHICLE CONFIGURATIONS The overarching necessity for the total integration of component technologies in the development of air vehicles will require that both conventional and unconventional configurations continue to be exp~orecl to accomplish NASA's goals. However, the committee believes that unconventional advanced configurations have a better potential for achieving these goals.
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From page 100... ...
However, to meet the JO-year goal of tripling aviation system throughput, the committee believes that NASA should focus on the development of technologies and procedures for reducing runway occupancy time, mitigating wake vortices, and increasing the use of V/STOL air vehicles at existing airports. Existing government-funclecl initiatives focused on increasing throughput at airports, such as NASA's capacity and terminal area productivity programs, should support R&D in these three areas.
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From page 101... ...
Procedural approaches to "managing" wake vortex encounters safely include displaced runway thresholds, variable glide path approaches, precision approach paths for aid weather operations, and dynamic encounter aids associated with advanced sensors. NASA should vigorously support research on all of these technologies and procedures.
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From page 102... ...
To further the goal of tripling the aviation system throughput in 10 years, NASA should support R&D focused on mitigating terminal area constraints. The most promising areas of focus include the reduction of runway occupancy time, the mitigation of aircraft wake vortices, and the operation of V/STOL air vehicles at existing airports.
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