NASAs Five New Aeronautics Ideas

0

NASA has chosen five new aviation-related technologies that it intends to study intently over the next two years as part of its ongoing Convergent Aeronautics Solutions project, the agency said recently. The researchers will focus on fuel cells, the use of 3D printing to improve electric-motor performance, energy storage in lithium-air batteries, ways to change the shape of a wing in flight, and a new antenna design based on the use of lightweight aerogel. “These five innovative concepts, in addition to six we selected in 2015, have the potential to help us solve some of the biggest challenges we face in aviation,” said Doug Rohn, NASA’s manager for the research program.

Rohn acknowledged that some of the research efforts might prove to be dead ends. “We’re going to ask the questions and see if these ideas are feasible or not,” he said. “A successful feasibility assessment may determine the concept won’t work.” The work will be done by interdisciplinary teams of researchers at NASA centers in Virginia, California and Ohio. One of the research projects, the adaptive-wing concept, shown in this illustration, would enable part of the wing to fold up to a vertical position during the takeoff and landing phase of flight, acting as a rudder, so the tail could be smaller. During cruise flight, the smaller tail would add less drag, so the airplane could use its fuel more efficiently.

LEAVE A REPLY