M. Voskuijl

Ministry of Defense, Netherlands · Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA)

Over the past years, the use of acoustics for detection and localisation of hazardous drones has increased. A large number of studies focusing on this work use beamforming for this application. The aim of the research presented here is to investigate if a different technique can be used to improve the localisation range which can be achieved by bea...

Due to technological advances in the drone industry, security threats induced by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming more relevant. Fast and accurate localisation systems need to be designed. One approach is localisation of UAVs by their sound using acoustic techniques. So far, a systematic performance assessment of acoustic techniques for...

Towards a Data-Driven Military: A Multidisciplinary Perspective assesses the use of data and information on modern conflict from different scientific and methodological disciplines, aiming to generate valuable contributions to the ongoing discourse on data, the military and modern warfare. Part one, ‘Military Systems and Technology’,, approaches th...

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-0173.vid This paper presents an overview of the design and validation of a novel passive camber morphing system for rotorcraft. The passive system works for a variable speed rotor where a potential increase in pilot control authority and power reduction is possible. In the proposed concept, th...

War game simulations are decision-making tools that may provide quantitative data about the scenario analyzed by stakeholders. They are widely used to develop tactics and doctrines in the military context. Recently, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) have become a relevant element in these simulations because of their prominent role in contemporary confl...

This paper presents a generic trim problem formulation, in the form of a constrained optimization problem, which employs forces and moments due to the aircraft control surfaces as decision variables. The geometry of the Attainable Moment Set (AMS), i.e. the set of all control forces and moments attainable by the control surfaces, is used to define...

This paper discusses the development and whirl tower testing of an active translation induced camber morphing system for rotorcraft. The system deploys the morphing flap based on the amplitude and type of the input signal. As a case study, a demonstrator is developed and tested primarily under the centrifugal force generated by a whirl tower setup....

This paper presents a Control Allocation formulation aimed at altering the dynamic transient response of an aircraft by exclusive means of the aerodynamic effectiveness of its control effectors. This is done, for a given Flight Control System architecture and, optionally, closed-loop performance, by exploiting the concept of Control Center of Press...

Loitering munitions are increasingly used in armed conflicts. An extensive database of loitering munitions is developed based on information available in the public domain. This database includes dimensions, weights, and performance parameters such as flight endurance and communication range. Based upon this dataset, 6 categories of loitering munit...

The use of formation flight to achieve aerodynamic benefit applied to rotorcraft has, unlike its fixed-wing counterpart, received little attention in the literature. This document presents a proof-of-concept of rotorcraft formation flight from two independent investigations: a numerical study of a fully articulated helicopter influenced by an upstr...

In recent years, there has been a large increase in the use of uncrewed attack aircraft, or attack drones, in the Yemen conflict. At the same time, the flight endurance and payload capabilities of these uncrewed aerial vehicles seem to have increased significantly. This article presents a flight performance analysis of the Samad aircraft family ope...

In the modern aircraft design process numerical simulation is one of the key enablers. However, computational time increases exponentially with the level of fidelity of the simulation. In the EU Horizon2020 project AGILE different aircraft design analysis tools relative to different levels of fidelity are used. One of the challenges is to reduce th...

The use of formation flight to achieve aerodynamic benefit as applied to rotorcraft is, unlike its fixed-wing counterpart, an unproven principle. This document presents a proof-of-concept of rotorcraft formation flight through a numerical research study, supported by results from an independent wind-tunnel experiment. In both cases, two helicopters...

Rotor morphing has been investigated in the past for improvement of rotor performance, either for reduction of rotor power demand or for vibratory load alleviation. The present study investigates the application of camber morphing for improvement of rotor performance in hover and vertical flight conditions, with a particular focus on the combinatio...

Purpose: In recent years, increased awareness on global warming effects led to a renewed interest in all kinds of green technologies. Among them, some attention has been devoted to hybrid-electric aircraft – aircraft where the propulsion system contains power systems driven by electricity and power systems driven by hydrocarbon-based fuel. Examples...

There is an error in Equation 21 of the original article. The weight of the battery is a function of the energy stored at the start and will not vary during flight whereas the fuel weight will vary as a function of the energy level. Hence, the correct equation is.

Within the NATO STO AVT-251 Task Group, a generic Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) planform was redesigned based on requirements derived from parts of the flight envelope of the defined mission. Because of the lambda-shape planform and associated flow phenomena including shocks and vortices, the aerodynamic design process relies heavily on high-f...

An approach to position and size control surfaces on a given aircraft configuration is presented in this paper. The approach is hybrid in nature, as it blends methods of different fidelity to reduce computational time while preserving models representativeness. A high-fidelity method is used to obtain an accurate aerodynamic database, while a semi-...

The research and innovation AGILE project developed the next generation of aircraft Multidisciplinary Design and Optimization processes, which target significant reductions in aircraft development costs and time to market, leading to more cost-effective and greener aircraft solutions. The high level objective is the reduction of the lead time of 40...

The SABRE project has been initiated under the EU's Horizon programme for development of blade morphing technologies for helicopter rotors. The project targets reductions in fuel burn and NOx emissions of upto-% through the use of morphing rotor blades. A new design tool for rotorcraft, HOPLITE, is being developed to investigate the effects of roto...

Collaborative design of a Blended Wing Body aircraft with novel propulsion systems is carried out. Due to complexity of the configuration, several partners with disciplinary expertise bring more knowledge to MDO of novel configuration. The objective: to implement collaborative MDO framework for novel configurations with large multinational team, de...

Novel configuration design choices may help achieve revolutionary goals for reducing fuel burn, emission and noise, set by Flightpath 2050. One such advance configuration is a blended wing body. Due to multi-diciplinary nature of the configuration, several partners with disciplinary expertise collaborate in a Model driven ‘AGILE MDAO framework’ to...

A new simulation model to predict tail rotor drivetrain maneuver loads at hover is developed. The model consists of a high fidelity dynamic engine simulation coupled to a multibody dynamics simulation of the main rotor system, tail rotor and drivetrain, including torsional flexibility of drivetrain shafts. Simulations of yaw doublets at hover demon...

Installation effects of the lateral rotors for a compound helicopter were investigated by means of unsteady CFD simulations. The helicopter featured a box-wing design for additional lift in cruise and wingtip-mounted lateral rotors in pusher configuration for additional thrust in cruise and counter-torque in hover. It was found that propeller perfo...

The potential environmental benefits of hybrid electric regional turboprop aircraft in terms of fuel consumption are investigated. Lithium–air batteries are used as energy source in combination with conventional fuel. A validated design and analysis framework is extended with sizing and analysis modules for hybrid electric propulsion system compone...

A new set of analytical range equations (a modification of the traditional Bréguet range equation) suitable for formation flight at transonic flight speeds under realistic operating conditions (constantMach number and altitude) is derived. Formations of two aircraft of the same type are analyzed to determine the effects of 1) weight differences bet...

A technique to reduce the main rotor hub forces and moments in high-speed maneuvers is proposed. The main working principle is a mechanical gearing ratio that distributes pitch commands from the (auto)pilot overmain rotor cyclic pitch and the horizontal stabilizer incidence angle. The optimal gearing ratio is determined by the weighted pseudoinvers...

A new technique to reduce the main rotor hub forces and moments at high speed maneuvers is proposed. The main working principle is a mechanical gearing ratio that distributes pitch commands from the (auto)pilot over main rotor cyclic pitch and the horizontal stabilizer incidence angle. The optimal gearing ratio is determined by the weighted pseudo...

A novel take-off and landing system using ground-based power is proposed in the EU-FP7 project GABRIEL. The main feature of this system is the complete removal of the landing gear from civil aircraft. The proposed system has the potential to reduce aircraft weight, emissions, and noise. A feasibility study of the structural design of the connection...

To ensure a consistent design representation for serving multidisciplinary analysis, this research study proposes an intelligent modeling system to automatically generate multiphysics simulation models to support multidisciplinary design optimization processes by using a knowledge based engineering approach. A key element of this system is a multip...

The trim drag of conventional aircraft configurations in cruise flight is in the order of 0-1% of the total aircraft drag. Blended wing body aircraft typically have multiple redundant flight control surfaces at the trailing edge with only a limited moment arm with respect to the center of gravity. This aircraft configuration therefore potentially h...

A new approach to flight control system design is presented which takes into account the operational usage (condition) of the helicopter. The flight control system gains are scheduled as a function of the condition of the helicopter, provided by the health and usage monitoring system. As a result, the utilization rate of the helicopter can be incre...

Recent results are presented on the modelling, control and identification of helicopters carried out under the Helicopter Active Control (HELI-ACT) project. Designing high-bandwidth control systems pushes the existing flight mechanics models to their limits, especially if structural load prediction and alleviation are to be investigated. We describ...

A novel design method for mechatronic systems, based on knowledge-based engineering techniques, is proposed in this research study. The method is particularly suited for mechatronic vehicles which are inherently unstable and require control systems for stabilization. The method is implemented in a dedicated software tool in which physical entities...

Obtaining a representative loading spectrum that corresponds well to the reality is still one of the greatest challenges for fatigue life calculations and optimal design of the trailer body. A good qualitative and quantitative knowledge of the spectrum leads to more efficient usage of material, a better design of connection points and an overall de...

Because of ever-stricter regulations on noise production, it has become more difficult for airports to expand. A ground-based propulsion system is presented that allows airplanes to accelerate to higher liftoff speeds, increase their climb rate, and thereby reduce their noise footprint. This system has been sized for airplanes with a maximum takeof...

A novel take-off and landing system using ground based power is proposed in the EU-FP7 project GABRIEL. The proposed system has the potential benefit to reduce aircraft weight, emissions and noise. A preliminary investigation of the feasibility of the structural design of the connection mechanism between aircraft and ground system has been performe...

• The Design and Engineering Engine (DEE) has been shown its ability able to support the development of E/E systems, finishing a complete design from the logical, technical system architecture to the software components. • The physical plant as well as the software components of the ABS have been generated successfully by the DEE. • The data model...

The level of software integration in vehicles, such as electric cars and aircraft, is rapidly increasing. Due to the increasing complexity of the embedded control software, significant delays can occur in development programs or even errors can be present in the control software of the final product. In the development of the electric and electroni...

The global motor vehicle production is rising steadily year by year. These vehicles have an increasing amount of electronic components and associated control software. As a result, the control software development becomes a key aspect and time consuming part of the design.

Due to highly redundant and strongly coupled control surface configurations of future aircraft, advanced control allocation algorithms have been proposed to optimize the allocation of control power to control surfaces. These algorithms typically assume linear control surface effectiveness. The effect of this assumption was tested by measuring the o...

Structural weight estimation of novel aircraft configurations, such as a box-wing aircraft, in the conceptual and preliminary design phase is a challenge due to a lack of statistical data. Most of the aircraft performance and handling qualities parameters are strongly influenced by the aircraft weight and inertia. Therefore an accurate weight estim...

Structural weight estimation of novel aircraft configurations, such as a box-wing aircraft, in the conceptual and preliminary design phase is a challenge due to a lack of statistical data. Most of the aircraft performance and handling qualities parameters are strongly influenced by the aircraft weight and inertia. Therefore an accurate weight estim...

The goal of this paper is to model and simulate various take-off scenarios related to advanced take-off and landing (TOL) operations supported by a magnetic levitation system as ground-based power. It gives the technical feasibility and the potential benefits of using ground-based power to assist TOLs, and briefly introduces the preliminary design...

Due to ever stricter regulations on noise production it has become more difficult for airports to expand. By adding a ground-based propulsion system airplanes can accelerate to higher lift-off speeds and climb faster. Such a system is presented in this paper and the associated take-off performance characteristics are analyzed. Since 80% percent of...

In this paper we address the theoretical analysis of commercial aircraft formation flight. To investigate the usefulness of wind tunnel tests for detailed analysis of the flow phenomena associated with formation flight of commercial aircraft, the problem is revisited and extended where appropriate. For this purpose an enhanced mathematical model wa...

Mechatronic systems are characterized by the synergetic integration of mechanic, electronic, software and control design aspects. The development of control software requires data and information from all design domains in order to create the required integrated functionality. This paper proposes a method that combines function modeling and multi-d...

The conceptual and preliminary design of a 300-passenger box-wing aircraft configuration, designated the PrandtlPlane, is investigated. Currently there are still a number of technical issues which must be investigated thoroughly to demonstrate the feasibility of this configuration. This research study is focused on two aspects of the PrandtlPlane d...

Next generations of civil transport aircraft will need to be evaluated not only against their behaviour as an aircraft system but also as a part of the larger air transport system. The sustainability issues related to noise and emissions, represented by environmental impact, combined with the complex behaviour of the stakeholders in the transport s...

Next generations of civil transport aircraft will need to be evaluated not only against their behaviour as an aircraft system but also as a part of the larger air transport system. In addition to this are the sustainability issues related to for instance noise and emissions, represented by environmental impact. Both issues mandate the incorporation...

This paper presents the implementation of a framework for flight mechanical analysis with adaptable aerodynamics methods in the preliminary stage of aircraft design. Basis to the framework are software modules for the disciplines conceptual design, flight mechanics and aerodynamics which have been developed within different design frameworks and wh...

This paper presents the implementation of a framework for flight mechanical analysis with adaptable aerodynamics methods in the preliminary stage of aircraft design. Basis to the framework are software modules for the disciplines conceptual design, flight mechanics and aerodynamics which have been developed within different design frameworks and wh...

This chapter deals with aircraft performance, that is, the capability of aircraft to execute certain maneuvers and to meet mission requirements. Aircraft performance is based on the study of the forces acting on an aircraft and the effects that these forces have on its flight path. The resulting motions are grouped into four main classes: (i) accel...

Like for all mechatronic systems, the role of control software in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design is becoming more important. As part of an automated control software development framework, this article discusses the development of a simulation model generation method. As a basis, the application of knowledge-based engineering (KBE) is suggest...

A new parametrization method for aircraft shapes is presented to enhance shape optimization for aircraft design. This parametrization method was implemented in a tool that creates feasible initial solutions for multidisciplinary design optimization problems. The tool combines all aspects of the aerodynamic design process: parametrization, aerodynam...

This paper presents a methodology for the design of the primary flight control surfaces, in terms of size, number and location, for fixed wing aircraft (conventional or unconventional). As test case, the methodology is applied to a 300 passenger variant of the Prandtl Plane. This box wing aircraft is deemed to have low induced drag compared to conv...

The development of control software for mechatronic systems requires data and information from all design domains in order to create the required integrated functionality. This paper proposes a method that combines function modeling and multi-domain modeling primitives to generate control software. Provided a function model based on the Function-Be...

Research studies have indicated that the optical flow parameter, time to close tau, is the basis of purposeful control in the animal world, and used by both fixed wing and helicopter pilots during manoeuvring. This parameter is defined as the instantaneous time to close a gap (spatial or force) at the current closing rate. A novel automatic flight...

NOMENCLATURE k variable describing profile of motion [-] p, q, r angular roll, pitch and yaw rates in aircraft body axes [deg/s] Q e engine torque [Nm] t time [s] T total duration time of motion [s] x, y, z position [m] Greek notation φ, θ, Ψ Euler angles, describing aircraft attitude [deg] θ 0 , θ 0,tr main rotor and tail rotor collective pitch [d...

The development of embedded control software for mechatronic systems is mainly a non-automated process, requiring the intervention of a human programmer. A project has been started with the intention to develop a set of prototype tools and a framework with which an interdisciplinary product development team can automatically generate control softwa...

This paper discusses how structural load objectives can be included in a rotorcraft flight control system design in an efficient and straightforward way using multivariable control techniques. Several research studies have indicated that pitch link loads for various rotorcraft types can reach high or even unacceptable values, both in steady state a...

Helicopters generally exhibit a ratelike response type in pitch and roll axes, and when feedback control is used to increase the level of augmentation to provide attitude command and attitude hold, there is generally a reduction in performance. Use of nonlinear elements in the control system can lead to recovery of some of this performance. The pap...

Several research studies indicate that the Blended Wing Body concept offers a significant performance improvement compared to conventional civil transportation aircraft due to its efficient aerodynamic configuration. Technical challenges are currently present in nearly all key areas of the design of a Blended Wing Body aircraft as a result of its h...

This paper describes the development and validation of a high fidelity simulation model of the Bell 412 helicopter for handling qualities and flight control investigations. The base-line model features a rigid, articulated blade-element formulation of the main rotor, with flap and lag degrees of freedom. The Bell 412 HP engine/governor dynamics are...

In December 2005 the first flight-test took place of an H-infinity controller on the National Research Council of Canada's Bell 412 Advanced Systems Research Aircraft (ASRA). The ASRA is a helicopter which has been modified for research use; it is equipped with a programmable digital full-authority fly-by-wire control system. This paper presents re...

H-infinity control techniques have been applied to the design of a longitudinal axis augmentation system for a tilt-rotor aircraft. Two designs are presented, based on a simulation model of the Bell Boeing XV-15. The aim has been to investigate how multi-objective model-following control can be used to address the dual requirements arising from the...

The drive to develop a European Civil Tilt Rotor (CTR) aircraft has led to renewed interest and research in Europe into the dynamics, control and handling qualities of this type of aircraft. This paper presents preliminary results from a study into the design of a high-performance stability and control augmentation system for such an aircraft. Cent...

The paper presents a summary of results from a project that has involved the development of flight mechanics models and control laws for a fly-by-wire research helicopter. The aim of the project was to investigate the application of advanced control to the design of helicopter control systems meeting future combined handling qualities, structural l...

The design and initial flight-test of two nonlinear flight control laws for the Bell 412 Advanced Systems Research Aircraft is presented. Both control laws are nonlinear in one axis and provide an attitude command attitude hold response type. Nonlinear elements are used to specify the speed of response and thus the attitude quickness of the flight...

This paper describes the development of H ∞ controllers for two helicpter models. The study was first carried out using rigid body state feedback only and was then extended to include the rotor flap and lag states. It was observed that the H ∞ controllers gave better robustness and performance than the baseline controllers. Moreover, using rotor st...

Several research studies have indicated that pitch link loads for various rotorcraft types can reach high or even unacceptable values, both in steady state and manoeuvring flight. This is especially the case for high-speed aggressive manoeuvres. An investigation into the nature of the pitch link loads for the FLIGHTLAB Generic Rotorcraft has been c...