Would planes be better if they were more like birds? Engineers from the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College have been studying our feathered-friends to answer this very question, the answer to which will be revealed at the Royal Society Summer Science 2021.
PNNL intern Ki Ahn spent this past year as an undergraduate at PNNL gaining hands-on research experience in clean energy storage technologies for vehicles and aviation. Ahn is enrolling in Stanford University this fall to finish his bachelor’s degree. With plans to major in mechanical engineering or computer science, he wants to explore how future aircraft technologies can be designed to reduce harmful environmental effects.
A 30-year program that made flying safer through continued innovations in airplane inspection, maintenance and airworthiness research has ended its tenure at Sandia National Laboratories. The Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Assurance Center, or AANC, operated by Sandia for the FAA, is moving to the National Institute of Aviation Research at Wichita State University to combine with another long-standing FAA center. The planned move supports shifts in structure at both Sandia and the FAA.
Combustion engines can develop high frequency oscillations, leading to structural damage to and unsafe operating conditions. In Physics of Fluids, research clarifies the feedback processes that give rise to these oscillations. The investigators studied simulated combustion events in a computational model of a rocket combustor and their analysis involved sophisticated techniques, including symbolic dynamics and the use of complex networks to understand the transition into oscillatory behavior.
The 180th ASA Meeting, being held virtually June 8-10, will feature sessions on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted hearing health, affected noise annoyance in urban settings, and adjusted how teachers talked and listened to their students. There will be presentations on how acoustics shapes speech in children, impacts mental health, and potentially signals health problems.
Humberto “Tito” Silva III, a Sandia National Laboratories researcher, has been named Engineer of the Year by the world’s largest aerospace technical society, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
The FirePoint Innovations Center at Wichita State University has welcomed the first class of students into its Future Innovators Program, a new engineering internship opportunity aimed at introducing historically underrepresented students into the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) technical talent pipeline.
DHS S&T has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea (MOLIT), which authorizes the two countries to conduct a field demonstration of S&T-funded technology in civil aviation security.
With the support of a three-year, $1.1 million contract from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, engineers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will study flow separation on existing planes with complex three-dimensional geometries — like the jets the Air Force currently uses —and what can be improved for aircraft of the future. Through improved aerodynamics, researchers aim to increase the efficiency, range, and even the stealth of aircraft.
S&T is pushing the boundaries of technology, architecture, and industry partnerships to meet TSA’s current and future challenges and improve the screening experience for both travelers and screeners.
A shoe scanner may allow people passing through security screening to keep their shoes on. PNNL built the scanner based on the same technology it used to develop airport scanners. It's licensed to Liberty Defense.
A new study has found Australia's government-owned airports could produce enough electricity to power 136,000 homes, if they had large-scale rooftop solar systems installed.
A new technology developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Honeywell is providing needed atmospheric environment information to the aerospace industry.
A research team has developed a modular solution for drone delivery of larger packages without the need for a complex fleet of drones of varying sizes. By allowing teams of small drones to collaboratively lift objects using an adaptive control algorithm, the strategy could allow a wide range of packages to be delivered using a combination of several standard-sized vehicles.
If you’re looking for an indoor space with a low level of particulate air pollution, a commercial airliner flying at cruising altitude may be your best option. A newly reported study of air quality in indoor spaces such as stores, restaurants, offices, public transportation — and commercial jets — shows aircraft cabins with the lowest levels of tiny aerosol particles.
A University of Washington study provides the first look at how much noise pollution is impacting the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. The paper found that aircraft were audible across a large swath of the peninsula at least 20% of weekday hours, or for about one hour during a six-hour period. About 88% of all audible aircraft in the pre-pandemic study were military planes.
The New York Academy of Sciences is hosting two programs on Space Exploration this week, with topics including legal agreements for “off planet” governance, bioengineering to make space travel safer for astronauts, and questions of bio-ethics related to interplanetary travel.
An important part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) mission is to develop, implement, improve-upon, and ensure the effectiveness of cutting-edge screening equipment and protocols that help protect the traveling public.
A mock B61-12’s strike in the dusty Nevada desert successfully completed the first in a series of flight tests with the U.S. Air Force’s newest fighter jet, demonstrating the bomb’s first release from an internal bomb bay at greater than the speed of sound.
A new report outlines future research paths that are needed for airlines to reduce carbon emissions and notes that the only way to achieve emission reduction goals is with Sustainable Aviation Fuels.
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) applauds Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson’s order that returns the Boeing 737 MAX to service following the fatal Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes last year and the aircraft’s subsequent grounding.
The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) has received another $13.7 million contract from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to extend the Modeling for Affordable, Sustainable Composites (MASC) research program.
Overcoming COVID-19 pandemic challenges through virtual means, teams from Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. Air Force under the guidance of the National Nuclear Security Administration performed a critical B61-12 flight test aboard the F-35A Lightning II jet fighter.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic reduction in travel, especially to other countries.
Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College have discovered how birds are able to fly in gusty conditions – findings that could inform the development of bio-inspired small-scale aircraft.
Experts discuss impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic on air transportation, in an FAA-supported NEXTOR-III webinar.
The University of California San Diego’s Center for Energy Research (CER) has been awarded two grants from the Department of Energy (DOE) for research focused on developing environment-friendly and cost-competitive energy sources and systems.
The University of Illinois Chicago has received an $8 million award from the Army Research Laboratory, or ARL, to support the development of specialized sensors to enable drones to use different types of fuel. They also will seek to advance hybrid-electric optimization, which has relevance for commercial drones and other vehicle types.
With holiday travel season on the horizon, a just-released annual forecast from Dean Headley, co-author of the Airline Quality Rating, offers new insights into making travel plans in these extraordinary times.
A Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) has been test-fired for the first time at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System. RDEs are a tantalizing engineering concept that could be transformative for rocket propulsion
The current state-of-the-art process for converting biomass-derived ethanol into aviation fuels is a costly endeavor, both in terms of energy use and capital cost. Zhenglong Li, an ORNL scientist, simplified the process by developing a catalyst that can convert ethanol into mixed olefins.
Organisations could improve the transparency and accountability of COVID-19 policy making processes by learning from safety-critical industries like aviation, a new paper shows.
In conjunction with Australia's Department of Defence, University of South Australia material scientists have developed a range of lightweight panels that can change colour on demand, allowing drones to match their appearance to the background colours of the sky.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program awarded $1 million to a small business to advance explosive detection equipment.
Michael Moloney, CEO of AIP, joins the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space as a member of their board of directors in their efforts to optimize the use of the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory. The laboratory is used “for improving quality of life on Earth, promoting collaboration among diverse users, and advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.” Moloney joins three other new members on the board of directors: Eric D. Isaacs, Elizabeth R. Cantwell and Gale J. Allen.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has reported that it found 4,432 firearms in carry-on baggage at airport security checkpoints in 2019, and more than 20,000 firearms since 2014.
At the height of a thunderstorm, the tips of cell towers, telephone poles, and other tall, electrically conductive structures can spontaneously emit a flash of blue light.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) will receive $1.1 million of the $3.3 million in research, education and training grants awarded to universities that comprise the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE).
Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR)'s Digital Twin program is using two Blackhawk helicopters and a B-1 Bomber to help the military maintain and repair similar aircraft.
A drone prototype that mimics the aerobatic manoeuvres of one of the world’s fastest birds, the swift, is being developed by an international team of engineers in the latest example of biologically inspired flight.
Weather forecasts have become less accurate during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the reduction in commercial flights, according to new research.
The process that airlines must use to calibrate their jet fuel emissions measuring systems is costly and time-consuming. But researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology won an $847,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant to find a faster and less expensive way to calibrate the devices. To reduce the impact of civil aviation on local air quality and human health, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has established and continually improved emissions standards for turbojet and turbofan engine emissions since 1981.
Navatek LLC, a contractor focused on technology research for U.S. government agencies such as the Department of Defense and NASA, is opening an office on the Wichita State University campus in fall 2020.
Delta Air Lines and Mayo Clinic, a global leader in serious and complex medical care, are deepening their relationship to provide additional safety and COVID-19 infection control measures for customers and employees. The collaboration is another significant step in Delta’s efforts to build upon its foundation of care and cleanliness, known as the Delta CareStandard, to mitigate the risk of transmitting COVID-19 during travel.
Instead of responding to each flight delay as if it were an isolated event, airlines should consider the likelihood of potential disruptions ahead, researchers report in the journal Transportation Science.
During more than 90 approaches to Zurich Airport conducted under the leadership of the Swiss SkyLab Foundation, researchers from Empa and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) tested an assistance system that supports pilots via a display during quiet and, at the same time, fuel-efficient approaches. The results show a measurable reduction in noise emissions and fuel consumption. Now the system, developed by DLR, is to be made ready for production.
DHS S&T added a new calculator to their online tools today to estimate the natural decay of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in the air under various environmental conditions.
The FAA has extended funding for the Maryland Smith-supported consortium that has developed decision support tools, operational and system concepts, and policymaking tools that benefit the FAA, the airline industry and the flying public.
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