Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
AE1254 question paper
http://www.ziddu.com/download/3059104/AE1254QB.rar.html
if you need this ,open the above link and download it.
AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES-I
1. Derive the Clapeyron’s three moment equation (16).
2. What is strain energy? (2)
3. Define Cantigliano’s theorem (2).
4. Define Maxwell’s Reciprocal theorem.(2)
5. Explain Eccentric loading? (2)
6. Explain Euler’s column curve. (2)
7. Derive Maximum Shear Stress theory (16).
8. What is Composite beam? (2)
9. Define Johnson’s parabolic formula. (2)
10. Define Rankine’s formula. (2)
Submit the above on the re-opening day .
Friday, January 30, 2009
De-icing & Anti-icing
Anti-icing is the process of protecting against the formation of frozen contaminant, snow ice from the surface.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Land-attack BrahMos cruise missile successfully test-fired in Pokhran
MISSILE AND TECHNOLOGY:BRAHMOS is a Supersonic Cruise Missile that can be launched from submarine, ship, aircraft and land based Mobile Autonomous Launchers (MAL). The missile is launched from a Transport-Launch Canister (TLC), which also acts as storage and transportation container.
Primarily BRAHMOS is an anti-ship missile. It has the capability to engage land based targets also. The missile can be launched either in vertical or inclined position and will cover 360 degrees.
The BRAHMOS missile has identical configuration for land, sea and sub sea platforms. The air-launched version has a smaller booster and additional tail fins for stability during launch.
LATEST NEWS:
The Army on Tuesday tested the land-attack version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a firing range near Pokhran in Rajasthan, in a move to fine-tune its use as a precision-strike weapon in future battles.
This comes shortly after the air-breathing missile, with a strike range of 290-km, was tested for the first time from a vertical launcher fitted on a moving warship in the Bay of Bengal on December 18.
``The test was successful, meeting all parameters,'' said a defence ministry official. Incidentally, the Army has begun the progressive induction of its BrahMos LACM (land-attack cruise missile) version, with the first battery being handed over to it in June 2007.
Army plans to progressively induct three batteries, each with four road-mobile autonomous launchers on 12x12 Tatra vehicles, to constitute its first BrahMos regiment shortly to use the missile as a "precision strike weapon''.
Last month's launch of BrahMos, which flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach (almost three times the speed of sound), took place from a vertical launcher fitted on Rajput-class destroyer INS Ranvir. The missile has already been fitted "in an inclined configuration'' on destroyer INS Rajput.
The "universal vertical launcher'' used on December 18 is significant since it is fitted under the warship's deck, protecting it from the atmospheric conditions and imparting some stealth to the weapon system, and allows the missile to be fired in any direction.
"Eight missiles come in one such launcher module. Two such modules, with 16 missiles, will be fitted in each of the three Kolkata-class P-15A destroyers being built at Mazagon Docks (at a cost of Rs 11,662 crore),'' said a source.
Three more Talwar-class "stealth'' guided-missile frigates being built at Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad (Russia), at a cost of Rs 5,514 crore, will also be armed with BrahMos missiles to give them more punch. "The same vertical launchers will be fitted on submarines,'' said the source.
Incidentally, India and Russia have now begun preliminary work on a "hypersonic'' BrahMos-2 missile capable of flying at a speed between 5 and 7 Mach.
But the work on the submarine and air-launched versions of BrahMos-1 is still quite some time away from successful completion. While the air-launched version will now be integrated with a naval TU-142 aircraft for tests, defence scientists say they are waiting for a suitable platform for testing the submarine-launched version.
Pakistan is also going in for large-scale induction of its 'Babur' cruise missile, which is touted as being capable of carrying nuclear warheads to a distance of 500 km. It was tested for the first time in August 2005, with a clear Chinese imprint behind its development.
The long-term plan of the Indian armed forces is, of course, to have nuclear-tipped LACMs, with strike ranges in excess of 1,500 km. Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles do not leave the atmosphere and are powered and guided throughout their flight path.
Cruise missiles, which can evade enemy radars and air defence systems since they fly at low-altitudes, are also much cheaper as well as more accurate and easier to operate.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
HAL's NEW TRAINER AIRCRAFT "SITARA"
Length 10.91m
Height 4.31m
Wingspan 9.08m
Maximum Take-off 4500kg
Weight
External Payload 1000kg
Prototype Aircraft Snecma Larsac 04-H20.
The intermediate jet trainer, designated HJT-36, is known in India as the Sitara ('Star'). Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) started design work on the intermediate jet trainer in 1997. The concept was initially developed as a successor to the successful Kiran trainer for the Indian Air Force and Navy. HAL was awarded a contract in 1999 by the government of the Republic of India for the completion of development, testing and certification of two prototype IJT aircraft.
In February 2003, a contract for an initial 16 trainers for the Indian Air Force was placed. An Indian Air Force demand for 200 to 250 aircraft is envisaged with a market potential for higher numbers. Two prototype aircraft have been built. Over 280 flights have been completed by the aircraft. The HJT-36 is scheduled to enter service with the Indian Air Force in 2010.
Construction of the first prototype, the S3466, started in 2002 and it completed its first flight in March 2003. The second prototype aircraft, the S3474, completed its first flight in March 2004. The HJT-36 took part in the air display at Farnborough International Air Show in 2006. At the Aero-India air show in February 2007 in Bangalore, whilst taking part in the air display, the first prototype crashed on the runway when taking off. The aircraft provides high-speed training for pilots entering level II training. The maximum operating speed is Mach 0.8 and the g-limits are from +7g to –2.5g. The service ceiling for the trainer is 12,000m (39,370ft).
HJT-36 design:
The aircraft is of light alloy and composite construction, using a conventional low wing design with a sweptback wing of 9.8m span and 18° leading edge sweepback.About a quarter of the aircraft's line replaceable units are common with the HAL Tejas trainer aircraft.
The aircraft is fitted with hydraulically retractable tricycle-type landing gear. The single-wheeled main units retract inward and the twin nose wheel unit retracts forward. Training cockpit The cockpit uses a conventional tandem two-seat configuration with the trainee pilot forward and the instructor in the raised seat to the rear. The single-piece canopy gives the pilots good, all-round vision. The seats are lightweight zero-zero ejection seats, model K-36LT manufactured by Zvesda. The pilots have both conventional and manual flight controls. The aircraft has a full glass cockpit and digital avionics. The cockpit layout conforms to the style of current-generation combat aircraft.
Smiths Aerospace was contracted to supply the integrated avionics system, which includes open systems architecture mission computer, an attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) and air data computers. The cockpits are equipped with active matrix liquid crystal displays supplied by Thales. The instructor's station in the rear cockpit has a data entry display panel.
HJT-36 weapons:
The aircraft has five external hardpoints for carrying weapon systems. There is one centreline hardpoint under the fuselage and two weapon pylons under each wing for carrying rocket and gun pods and bombs. The maximum external payload is 1,000kg.
Turbofan engine :
The ITJ engine is installed in the rear section of the fuselage and fitted with a bifurcated air intake. The aircraft carries 1,150l, 917kg of usable fuel in the fuselage and wing tanks. The prototype aircraft are powered by a Snecma Larzac 04-H-20 turbofan non-afterburning engine developing 14.12kN.
In the summer of 2004, Hindustan Aeronautics announced the selection of the Saturn AL-55 turbofan engine rated at 16.68kN for the production series intermediate jet trainer. The AL-55 engine is being developed by NPO Saturn and produced at the Ufa Engineering Building Association (UMPO) in Russia.
An agreement between the governments of India and Russia for the licensed production of the AL-55I engine in India was reached in August 2005. The agreement included assistance in setting up the AL-55I production facilities at HAL's aero engineering centre at Koraput. The first AL-55I engine was delivered in June 2008. The aircraft is fitted with a 9kW starter generator and two nickel cadmium 43Ah batteries.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
INDO-AMERICAN SCIENTIST ON TRAIL OF POLLUTERS
WASHINGTON: Cloaked in the clouds of emissions and exhaust that hang over the city are clues about the polluting culprits. A University of Houston (UH) research team, headed by Shankar Chellam, is hot on their trail. The case hinges on unique identifiers found in fine particulate matter, a mixture of organic, inorganic or metal material.
This material is given off by natural sources, such as sea spray and grassfires, and manmade sources, such as vehicles and industrial operations, and then suspended in the air.
"Fine particulate matter is tiny - about 30 times smaller... than a human hair - but it carries in it a lot of information about where it came from," explained Chellam, environmental engineering professor at UH's Cullen College of Engineering.
Like any good detective, Chellam has enlisted a team with varying expertise, including urban air quality expert Matthew Fraser of Arizona State University, UH doctoral students of engineering and a NASA scientist.
Chellam, who did his B.Sc and M.Sc in mechanical engineering and chemistry respectively from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India, and Ph.D in environmental science and engineering from Rice University, Houston, said scientists are only beginning to understand the biochemical basis of how airborne fine and coarse particulate matter and its individual components affect human health.
When their investigation started six years ago, Chellam said: The team was surprised, "maybe naively," that most research at the time focused on ozone, which is formed when emissions mix with sunlight. Much less attention was paid to airborne particulate matter in the Houston area.
"Most previous studies have been concerned with gases, particularly ozone," Chellam explained.
"It is the particulate matter - both fine matter that is smaller than 2.5 micrometers and coarse matter that is larger than 2.5 micrometers, but smaller than 10 micrometers - that we are interested in."
Chellam said identifying pollution sources - even if only by industry or machine type, rather than individual factory or operator - is a public safety issue, because fine particulate matter is easily absorbed by the lungs and enters the bloodstream, said a UH release.
"Studies show that people living close to highways and refineries are more likely to become seriously ill," said Chellam.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
HUBBLE'S FINAL FRONTIER
YOU gotta love the Hubble Space Telescope. It's been up there for 18 years, orbiting Earth and snapping, literally, out-of-this-world photographs: stars, galaxies, swirls of dust and gas. Breathtaking.
As they say in science circles, Hubble has revolutionized astronomy and fired up the imaginations of people back here on terra firma.
But alas, the show will soon be over.
Just as the International Year of Astronomy begins, Hubble is preparing for its final act. In March the space shuttle Atlantis will make NASA’s fifth and final Hubble service mission.
With luck the mighty machine will continue capturing more knock-out images until, with the click of a command from Earth, Hubble will turn itself off and get ready to plunge into the sea.
What a story. Does this National Geographic documentary tell the tale in the style it deserves? Sort of.
Certainly, the pictures are great.
Added to Hubble’s more famous images such as the Pillars of Creation are excellent animations from NASA and its ilk, artists’ illustrations and historical footage. It sounds like a dog’s breakfast but it works.
So, too, do the scientific talking heads. They’re articulate and passionate about Hubble and the discoveries it has helped them make. We get basics on the life cycle of stars and the formation and shenanigans of galaxies, along with the visible evidence Hubble revealed about invisible black holes and the expansion of the universe. Full marks to the production crew at Skyworks Digital.
There is, of course, a but. In fact, there are two: the soundtrack and the narration. The adventures of Hubble and its friends are sufficiently interesting that there’s no need to present them like a sci-fi thriller with dramatic sound effects and over-the-top musical punctuation. Nor is there any need to assume viewers are morons, capable of taking in only simple sentences, or fragments thereof.
‘‘Space (pause) is big (pause).
Really big (pause). You just won’t believe how vastly hugely mind bogglingly big it is.’’ OK, that last bit is from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by the late, great Douglas Adams. When he does it, it’s fabulous.
When the narrator of Hubble’s Final Frontier does it, it drives me insane.
So, too, does her breathy ‘‘come up and see my etchings’’ voice-over. On top of an absurdly melodramatic script littered with gems such as ‘‘the death throes of stars’’ and ‘‘we are Hubble’s only chance of surviving’’, the result is unpleasant. In space no one can hear you scream. Not so next door, where my shut-up-just-shut-ups resounded. There’s one consolation, though: you can hit the mute button during her monologues and just enjoy the visuals.
AIR INDIA TO SLASH AIRFARES FROM JAN 1
A day after Kingfisher Airlines announced a fare cut, national carrier Air India on Monday announced a similar fare reduction from Jan 1.
"In view of the slackening demand in post-peak season and continued decline in fuel prices, Air India will be adjusting domestic fares downwards on various sectors shortly," an Air India spokesperson said here.
The spokesperson, however, did not divulge the quantum of fare cut, saying it was still being worked out. "We would be able to come with reduced fares by January 1," he said.
Private air carrier Kingfisher Airlines Sunday said it would cut fares from the New Year.
Kingfisher chairman Vijay Mallya said in a statement that the airline would begin the New Year on an aggressive note by slashing fares. But he did not quantify the reduction either.
Low cost carriers are also expected to follow suit, said an industry official.
Despite the fall in fuel prices, Indian air operators have been unwilling to cut fares, demanding that aviation turbine fuel (ATF) be brought under the "declared goods" category, which would bring down sales tax from an average of 32 percent at various airports to a uniform 4 percent.
The proposal is now before parliament.
Sales tax varies from 4% to 32%, and accounts for over 35% of operational costs of airlines.
Last month, Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal said at a function here that he did not favor fare cuts as long as the aviation fuel was not classified as a declared good.
However, air operators started cutting fares following pressure from the government, especially as aviation fuel costs have been slashed, with civil aviation minister Praful Patel urging air carriers to pass on the benefit to travellers.
The lean season ahead also forced the issue for operators.
State governments are likely to oppose the uniform taxation policy as it would lead to revenue loss due to lower sales tax collection.
Over the past four months, there has been a sharp decline in aviation fuel prices. While some air carriers earlier this month reduced the fuel surcharge on the ticket price by Rs.200 to Rs.400, they did not touch the basic fare.
Oil companies have reduced aviation fuel prices seven times since September. The fuel is now sold at Rs.32, 691.28 per kilolitre in Delhi after prices were slashed by Rs.4, 208.37 in the first week of December.
LOWCOST AIRLINES NOT SUITABLE FOR INDIA
India is not a suitable country for low-cost airline operations as it not only lacks infrastructure like low-cost secondary airports but also the cost of their staff is at par with full service carriers (FSC), a study has claimed.
Also, the LFCs have to face tough competition from Indian Railways and road transport for destinations of shorter durations.
"India has very few secondary airports from which the low fare carriers (LFCs) could operate. Of the 127 airports with the Airports Authority of India, only 80 are operational," aerospace expert Harmoz P Mama claimed in a study 'Civil Aviation in India: Challenges and Prospects'.
Highlighting the poor airline coverage of smaller airports of the country, he said, "The top five airports in India handle about 70% of all domestic passenger traffic in India, which indicates poor airline coverage of most of the other airports."
Beyond these are primarily small, crumbling airstrips with huts masquerading as terminal building which are totally unsuitable for airline operations, he claimed.
The low fare airlines in order to save their staff -- particularly the pilots and engineers -- from being poached have to pay salaries on a par with those of FSCs, he said. Apart from it, low-cost airlines also have to bear the brunt of the high price of Air Turbine Fue(ATF), which actually is a high percentage of their total costs.
BIOFUEL MIRACLE BY BOEING
Air New Zealand and Boeing Announce December Date for Sustainable Biofuels Test Flight:Partnership with Rolls-Royce and UOP highlights the path to fuel certification
SEATTLE, Nov. 11, 2008 -- Air New Zealand and Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced Dec. 3 as the date for the airline's sustainable biofuels flight from Auckland using a 747-400 jetliner. Conducted in partnership with Rolls-Royce and UOP, a Honeywell company, one of the airplane's four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines will be powered in part using advanced generation biofuels derived from jatropha. Air New Zealand now becomes the first airline to use a commercially viable biofuel sourced using sustainability best practices.
Boeing, Air New Zealand and UOP have worked diligently with growers and project developer Terasol Energy to identify sustainable jatropha in adequate quantities to conduct thorough preflight testing. Using proprietary UOP fuel processing technology, the jatropha crude oil was successfully converted to biojet fuel, marking the world's first large-scale production run of a commercially viable and sustainable biofuel for aviation use.
"This flight strongly supports our efforts to be the world's most environmentally responsible airline," said Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe. "We recently demonstrated the fuel and environmental gains that can be achieved through advanced operational procedures using Boeing 777s. We're also modernizing our fleet as we await our Trent 1000-powered 787-9 Dreamliners, which will burn 20 percent less fuel than the planes they replace. Introducing a new generation of sustainable fuels is the next logical step in our efforts to further save fuel and reduce aircraft emissions."
As part of the fuel verification process, UK-based engine maker Rolls-Royce's technical team conducted extensive laboratory testing to ensure compatibility with today's jet engine components and to validate the fuel meets stringent performance criteria for aviation fuel.
"In preparation for Air New Zealand's test flight we achieved our near-term goal - identifying and sourcing the first large-scale run of sustainable biofuel for commercial aviation," said Boeing Commercial Airplane's Managing Director of Environmental Strategy Billy Glover. "The processing technology exists today, and based on results we've seen, it's highly encouraging that this fuel not only met but exceeded three key criteria for the next generation of jet fuel: higher than expected jet fuel yields, very low freeze point and good energy density," Glover explained. "That tells us we're on the right path to certification and commercial availability."
Because of the unique environment in which aviation operates, stringent criteria are in place to ensure that any alternative fuel meets or exceeds current jet fuel requirements. Advance testing for the Air New Zealand flight showed that the jatropha-based biofuel met all critical specifications, including a freeze point at -53 degrees Fahrenheit (-47 degrees Celsius) and a flash point at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
"Laboratory testing showed the final blend had excellent properties, meeting and in many cases exceeding the stringent technical requirements for fuels used in civil and defense aircraft," said Chris Lewis, Rolls-Royce company specialist for fuels. "The blended fuel therefore meets the essential requirement of being a 'drop-in' fuel, meaning its properties will be virtually indistinguishable from conventional fuel, Jet A1, which is used in commercial aviation today."
To process the jatropha crude, the team relied on UOP's green jet fuel processing technology based on hydroprocessing methodologies that are commonly used to produce transportation fuels. During processing, hydrogen is added to remove oxygen from the biomass, resulting in a bio-derived jet fuel that can be used as a petroleum replacement for commercial aviation. Boeing is working with airlines and engine manufacturers to gather biofuel performance data as part of the industry's efforts to revise the current American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards to include fuels from sustainable plant sources. Jatropha, which can be grown in a broad range of conditions, produces seeds that contain inedible lipid oil that is extracted and used to produce fuel. Each seed produces 30 to 40 percent of its mass in oil. Plant oil used to create the fuel for the Air New Zealand flight was sourced from nonarable lands in India and Southeastern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania).
Air New Zealand is one of several air carriers working to diversify and secure its energy future through participation in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group. That effort includes a commitment to sustainability criteria for fuel sourcing and commercializing plant-based fuels that perform as well as, or better than, kerosene-based fuel but with a smaller carbon lifecycle. The goal is to create a portfolio of next-generation biofuels that can be blended with traditional kerosene fuel (Jet A) to improve environmental performance.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
A-10 Thunderbolt
Key Data
Crew 1 pilot
Wingspan 17.53m
Length 16.26m
Height 4.47m
Empty Weight 25,000lb
Maximum Take-Off Weight 50,000lb
Non-Afterburning Turbo Fan Engines
2 x General Electric TF34-GE-100
The A-10 Thunderbolt is also known as the Warthog, the Flying Gun and the Tankbuster. The aircraft was used extensively during Operation Desert Storm, in support of NATO operations in response to the Kosovo crisis, in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The A-10 is a high-survivability and versatile aircraft, popular with pilots for the 'get home' effectiveness. The mission of the aircraft is ground attack against tanks, armoured vehicles and installations, and close air support of ground forces.
The aircraft is suitable for operation from forward air bases, with short take-off and landing capability. The aircraft has a long range (800 miles) and endurance and can loiter in the battle area.
The manoeuvrability at low speed and at low altitude (below 1,000ft) allows accurate and effective targeting and weapon delivery over all types of terrain.
The first flight of the A-10 was in May 1972, and a total of 707 aircraft have since been produced. Originally manufactured by Fairchild, since 1987 the prime contractor for the A-10 has been Northrop Grumman, which carries out support and structural upgrade programmes from the Integrated Systems and Aerostructures Divisions at Bethpage, New York and at St Augustine in Florida.
Over 350 A-10 aircraft are in service with the US Air Force, Air Combat Command, the US Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard.
In June 2007, Boeing was awarded a contract for the A-10 wing replacement program. Boeing will supply 242 replacement wing sets by 2018.
A-10C – PRECISON ENGAGEMENT UPGRADE PROGRAM
Improvements include: hands-on throttle and stick control, two new Raytheon Technical Services 5in x 5in multifunction cockpit displays, Situational Awareness Datalinks (SADL), digital stores management system, Integrated Flight and Fire Control Computer (IFFCC) from BAE Systems Platform Solutions for automated continuously computed weapons delivery, Sniper XR or Litening targeting pods for precision-guided weapons and helmet-mounted sighting system.
COCKPIT
The single-seat cockpit is protected by all-round armor, with a titanium 'bathtub' structure to protect the pilot that is up to 3.8cm thick. The cockpit has a large bulletproof bubble canopy, which gives good all-round vision.
The cockpit is equipped with a head-up display, which is used for targeting and weapon aiming, a Have-Quick secure radio communications system, inertial navigation and a Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) system.
Lockheed Martin has begun delivery of 21 USAF A-10 aircraft with the embedded global positioning system/inertial navigation system (EGI), which pinpoints the exact location of the aircraft. The aircraft are also to be fitted with BAE Systems Terrain Profile Matching systems (TERPROM).
The pilot is equipped with night-vision goggles and also the infrared imaging display of the Maverick AGM-65.
WEAPONS
The aircraft has 11 stores pylons, providing an external load capacity of 7,260kg. There are three pylons under the fuselage and the loads can be configured to use either the centre-line pylon or the two flanking fuselage pylons.
For weapon guidance, the aircraft can be fitted with Pave Penny laser guidance / electronic support measures, pod installed on the starboard fuselage pylon. Each wing carries four stores pylons: three outboard and one inboard of the wheel fairing.
The A-10 can carry up to ten Maverick air-to-surface missiles. The Raytheon Maverick AGM-65 missile uses a variety of guidance systems, including imaging infrared guidance and warheads, including a high-penetration, 57kg conical-shaped charge warhead. Range is more than 45km. The A-10 can also carry the Sidewinder air-to-air missile, which is an all-aspect short-range missile with maximum speed over Mach 2.
The A10 is capable of deploying a wide range of ordnance: for example, the LDGP Mk 82 226kg, 500lb general-purpose bombs, BLU-1 and BLU-27/B Rockeye II cluster bombs and the cluster bomb unit CBU-52/71.
The Northrop Grumman Litening ER (Extended Range) targeting pod has been successfully integrated on an A-10. Litening ER features a 640 x 512 pixel thermal imager, CCD TV, laser spot tracker / rangefinder, IR marker and laser designator.
The aircraft is armed with a General Dynamics GAU-8/A Avenger 30mm cannon, mounted in the nose of the aircraft.
"The A-10 has 11 stores pylons, providing an external load capacity of 7,260kg."
Using the cannon, the A-10 is capable of disabling a main battle tank from a range of over 6,500m. The cannon can fire a range of ammunition, including Armour-Piercing Incendiary rounds (API) weighing up to 0.75kg, or uranium-depleted 0.43kg API rounds.
The magazine can hold 1,350 rounds of ammunition. The pilot can select a firing rate of 2,100 or 4,200 rounds per minute.
ENGINES
The two non-afterburning turbo fan engines, TF34-GE-100, supplied by General Electric, each supply 9,065lb thrust. The location of the engines, high on the fuselage, allows the pilot to fly the aircraft fairly easily with one engine inoperable.
Battery Powered Airplane
Take your everyday metal moni motoglider, trick it out with a custom battery pack and you've got the ElectraFlyer C, a small electric airplane that debuted at the AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, last week.
The plane, which received its airworthiness certificate in April, features a 5.6 kWh lithium battery with a projected life cycle (the number of times it can be depleted and recharged) of 1,000 cycles. The battery has a max weight of 78 pounds and can be custom-built to fit the available space in an airplane. It provides juice for a motor driving a 45-inch superlight PowerFin propeller made of a foam core surrounded by an outer shell of carbon fiber and glass fabric.
Once in the air, the ElectraFlyer C cruises at 70 miles per hour. Top speed is 90 mph and the stall speed is 45. The plane can fly for 90 to 120 minutes before the battery needs recharging. When the battery winds down, just plug it into a 110V outlet -- your house is full of them -- and you're good to go in just more than six hours. Bump the voltage to 220 and you're flying again in two hours.
The people at Electric Aircraft Corporation say the small plane carries some big benefits. The motor is nearly silent, which means no earplugs for pilots, and brings the potential for flying into new sites. And then there's the a dramatic improvement in what the company calls "neighbor relations" -- no droning engines to drive them nuts. Electric motors don't produce a lot of soot or pollution, and overhauls are a snap. And by combining this motor with the ElectraFlyer's slow turning propeller, you've got a flight that is practically vibration free.
But the most compelling sell is an economic one: The company estimates that "refueling" the plane with a full charge of the battery will cost, on average, a whopping sixty cents.
fuel for aircrafts from jatropha plant
I know all of you are wondering why I am writing about a little known plant called "Jatropha Curcas". Well... it all has to do with making biodiesel and the production of electricity using biodiesel as a fuel. This is to inform you of a source of vegetable oil that is relatively unknown in the United States and North America. The European community has already seen the light as have some Asian, African, Indian, and South American countries. Running engines on vegetable oil is nothing new... did you know that Rudolf Diesel originally designed his engine to run on peanut oil? Maybe the US has not seen the light yet because we are mostly engaged in the growing of food crops and oils like soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and peanut oil. All these oils are edible and thus fetch high prices. After all, why should US farmers grow a completely inedible plant!? Used cooking oil is great for the "do it yourself" enthusiast, but there is not enough supply of used cooking oil to supply a whole nation. This is where Jatropha comes in...
Jatropha has the following benefits when looked at from the fuel production angle:
* it costs almost nothing to grow
* it is drought resistant
* it can be grown almost anywhere - even in sandy, saline, or otherwise infertile soil
* it is easy to propagate (a cutting simply pushed into the ground will take root)
* it is not invasive, or spreading, or damaging like kudzu
* it is capable of stabilizing sand dunes, acting as a windbreak, and combating desertification
* it naturally repels both animals and insects
* it lives for over 50 years producing seeds all the time
* it is frost hardy (does not like hard freezes)
* it does not exhaust the nutrients in the land
* it does not require expensive crop rotation
* it does not require fertilizers
* it grows quickly and establishes itself easily
* it has a high yield (Jatropha can yield about 1,000 barrels of oil per year per square mile - oil content of the seed is 55-60%)
* no displacement of food crops is necessary
* it is great for developing countries in terms of energy and jobs
* the biodiesel byproduct, glycerine, is profitable in itself
* the waste plant mass after oil extraction can be used as a fertilizer
* the plant itself recycles 100% of the CO2 emissions produced by burning the biodiesel
Holiday announcement
College closes from 8th to 18th of Jan and reopens on 19th of Jan..
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
first mile stone in aeronautics
