1,720,964 research outputs found
Towards a methodology for new technologies assessment in aircraft operating cost
Full text linkThe need for a greener and competitive aircraft is leading to the use of new technologies. A thorough assessment of these technologies is mandatory from the initial phases of aircraft design to understand their feasibility and to select the most promising one both in terms of performances and in terms of costs. This paper proposes a methodology to assess the operating cost of innovative technologies for regional aircraft. In particular, two NASA studies have been adopted to determine the impact onto costs of MEA and AEA technologies and advanced ECS solutions for two innovative regional aircraft concepts developed during the European Clean Sky 2 research. The proposed methodology is able to assess the effect of on-board systems electrification level in terms of fuel and maintenance costs savings. The methodology, which allows to evaluate the effect of specific technological improvements onto costs, is applied exploiting the results provided by a reliable cost model and gives the opportunity to quantify operating cost savings for different regional aircraft. Applying the modified cost model to the reference aircraft under study, savings ranging from 1.6 to 3.1% of direct operating cost are estimated for MEA and AEA technologies. Greater savings are estimated for the individual cost items involved. More specifically, a reduction of fuel cost ranging from 6 to 14.5% is envisaged as a consequence of the lower SFC associated to innovative ECS technologies
Technology RoadmappIng Strategy, TRIS: Methodology and tool for technology roadmaps for hypersonic and re-entry space transportation systems
Full text linkThis paper describes the methodology developed by Politecnico di Torino in support to the elaboration of hypersonic and re-entry space transportation systems roadmaps, currently on going at ESA. TRIS (Technology RoadmappIng Strategy) is here presented as a collection of algorithms leading the stakeholders from the selection of a set of elements (e.g. the technologies) up to the generation of their incremental paths towards a final target (e.g. Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8). In particular this paper focuses on the generation and update of technology roadmaps for hypersonic and re-entry systems. In particular, the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) experiment is presented as validation case study, allowing the comparison of the TRL increase path suggested by the proposed methodology and the decisions that were taken at the time of the IXV mission planning
Cost estimation methodology and tool for future Reusable Access To Space Systems
Full text linkThis paper aims at presenting the latest upgrades to HyCost Methodology and Tool, developed by Politecnico di Torino under funding and supervision of the European Space Agency (ESA), to support Life Cycle Cost (LCC) estimation of reusable access to space vehicles. The main idea is to support engineers in cost estimation activities during conceptual and preliminary design phases, allowing for the evaluation of Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDTE) Costs, Production Costs, as well as Direct and Indirect Operating Costs (DOC and IOC), for a wide set of high-speed aerospace systems. Politecnico di Torino has already disclosed a LCC methodology and tool specifically tailored to air-breathing high-speed transportation systems. Complementary, this paper discloses the methodology upgrades to extend the methodology and tool capabilities to future Reusable Access to Space Vehicles. At first, the applicability of already existing parametric cost estimation relationships (CERs) to the peculiarities of Reusable Access to Space Vehicles is assessed and then, when necessary, new parametric equations are defined. Specifically, the new set of equations is considered fundamental to capture the impact of different vehicle configurations (e.g. staging strategy, staging Mach number, parallel or series configuration, etc...) onto costs, as well as the impact of the most promising propulsive solutions, ranging from scramjet and combined cycle engines to rocket engines. Ultimately, the upgraded methodology is validated against the available SpaceX Starship cost data
A methodology for preliminary sizing of a Thermal and Energy Management System for a hypersonic vehicle
Full text linkThis paper addresses a methodology to parametrically size thermal control subsystems for high-speed transportation systems during the conceptual design phase. This methodology should be sufficiently general to be exploited for the derivation of Estimation Relationships (ERs) for geometrically sizing characteristics as well as mass, volume and power budgets both for active (turbopumps, turbines and compressors) and passive components (heat exchangers, tanks and pipes). Following this approach, ad-hoc semi-empirical models relating the geometrical sizing, mass, volume and power features of each component to the operating conditions have been derived. As a specific case, a semi-empirical parametric model for turbopumps sizing is derived. In addition, the Thermal and Energy Management Subsystem (TEMS) for the LAPCAT MR2 vehicle is used as an example of a highly integrated multifunctional subsystem. The TEMS is based on the exploitation of liquid hydrogen boil-off in the cryogenic tanks generated by the heat load penetrating the aeroshell throughout the point-to-point hypersonic mission. Eventually, specific comments about the results will be provided together with suggestions for future improvements.status: Publishe
Using the ESA exploration technology roadmaps in support of new mission concepts and technology prioritization
Full text linkExploration technology roadmaps have been developed by ESA in the past few years and the edition of 2015 has just been released. In the context of Moon exploration initiatives and using HERACLES mission as case study, the authors will apply methodologies studied to simulate technology roadmapping activities and technologies prioritization processes. In particular, the roadmaps for the procurement of technologies required for the HERACLES mission are here presented through its main building blocks
Space systems engineering tools for technology roadmapping activities: TrIS, technology roadmapping strategy, and HyDaT, database on hypersonic transportation systems
Full text linkA technology roadmap is the output of the technology roadmapping process, a complex and continuously evolving process, which aims at selecting technologies, mission concepts, capabilities and building blocks to pursue incremental paths to increase the Technology Readiness Level, according to specific strategic plans. Technology roadmaps are crucial not only to illustrate the technologies' procurement plan for specific missions in the future, but also the achievement for Europe of technological milestones enabling operational capabilities, essential for current and future space missions. Coordination of requirements and funding sources among all European stakeholders (ESA, EU, National Agencies, Industries) is one of the objectives of technology roadmaps. The paper presents the results of a research activity carried out by Politecnico di Torino in support to the work on-going at ESA to elaborate technology roadmaps for the hypersonic and (re-)entry space transportation systems' domain. Traditionally the approach has always been based on workshops and brainstorming. The idea at the basis of the research activity has been the development of a flexible and rational methodology to generate technology roadmaps to better support strategic decisions in combination with traditional methods. The research activity thus focuses on the development of an innovative methodology to derive, track and manage the technology roadmaps' basic pillars (Technology Areas, Operational Capabilities, Mission Concepts and Building Blocks) and on the implementation of the methodology itself into two ad-hoc tools: TRIS, Technology Roadmapping Strategy, and HYDAT, Database on Hypersonic and (re-entry) transportation systems. TRIS is a versatile software tool that implements the objective methodology for technology roadmaps' derivation and update. HYDAT is a smart database, able to collect, categorize and analyze data to support technology roadmaps for (re-)entry missions and reusability applications. In addition, HYDAT can support hypersonic and (re-)entry conceptual design activities. First, the paper describes the main settings of the database that manages all relevant initiatives for technological development of hypersonic and (re-)entry systems, categorizing them according to the roadmap pillars. Secondly, the paper presents TRIS, the tool used to derive, track and manage the pillars and consequently to generate the technology roadmaps. Eventually, the paper presents and discusses the results obtained by the application of HYDAT and TRIS to IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle), analysing main activities expected in the near and far future to enhance hypersonic and (re-)entry technologies and proposing a TRL increase path in terms of missions and activities to perform, and in which schedule to carry out them
Economic and environmental sustainability of liquid hydrogen fuel for hypersonic transportation systems
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Parametric approach to operating costs estimation for an innovative regional aircraft
No full textThe focus of the present paper is the evaluation of the operating cost of innovative regional aircraft. The paper proposes a parametric cost model for the assessment of both Direct Operating Cost (DOC) and Indirect Operating Cost (IOC). The present work is carried out in the framework of the Clean Sky II (CS-2) research program, in the Regional IADP IRON project, which deals with the development of an innovative regional aircraft. In particular, the methodology proposed is derived from already existing cost models and it is properly modified in order to be sensitive to innovative technologies and new subsystems configurations in compliance with the Clean Sky II requirements. Finally, the model is applied to the IRON reference aircraft to estimate the possible reduction of its operating cost due to new technologies implemented
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