2024 AIAA Aviation Forum, EATS, and ASCEND

The AIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium (EATS) connects both aerospace and electrical engineers to share technological developments and challenges as they work towards electrifying aircraft systems. During the EATS conference, there will be multiple keynote addresses, discussion panels, and many technical sessions to share knowledge between the aerospace and electrical engineering communities. The AIAA Aviation Forum, which brings members of the aerospace industry together to discuss aircraft design and development in the context of air traffic operations, technology, and policy, is being held in conjunction with EATS. Additionally, Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery (ASCEND), is also being held in conjunction with EATS, which was developed to convene space professionals and organizations from every discipline and industry to build the space economy, support space exploration, and further space science.

In the following events (listed below in chronological order), members of the IDEAS Lab will either be participating or are authors on the paper presented at that time. We hope to see you there!

EATS Opening Keynotes - EATS-KN1/EATS-KN2/EATS-KN3, Monday through Wednesday, July 29 through July 31, 09:30-10:15, Alliance Ballroom 320

Prof. Cinar is the chair of the Electrified Aircraft Technologies Symmposium this year, and will be hosting the keynote speaker sessions at the conference. The keynote sessions include topics such as bringing hybrid electric flight to reality, the importance of electrifying aircraft and aviation innovation, and the pathways towards electrifying aircraft at NASA’s Glenn Research Center.

Technical Session - EATS-15: Modeling Insights for Electric Aircraft Design III, Tuesday, July 30, 10:30-10:50, Alliance Ballroom 308

Yi-Chih Wang will be presenting “Modeling and Simulation of High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells in Parallel Hybrid Electric Turboprop Aircraft With Multi Whale Optimization Algorithms”. Integrating renewable energies, particularly hydrogen and fuel cells, into new sustainable aircraft configurations is essential to achieving the 2050 target of zero carbon emissions. This study presents a model for different power management controls of High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (HT-PEMFC) in a parallel hybrid electric turboprop aircraft (Dash 8 Q300), utilizing multi-whale optimization algorithms (WOA). Results indicate that HT-PEMFCs should avoid operating at high current density to maximize power output. Instead, operating at moderate current density can conserve fuel and optimize the correlation between payload and passenger capacity.

Technical Session - EATS-14: Electric Vehicle Design Considerations II, Tuesday, July 30, 11:10-11:30, Alliance Ballroom 310

Maxfield Arnson will be presenting “System-Level Energy Pack Requirements for Sustainable Commercial Aviation”. This paper presents comprehensive guidelines for the design of alternative energy aircraft, with a focus on battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell powertrains. Traditional first-order models like the Breguet Range Equation are found to be inadequate for predicting the performance of electric aircraft due to their inability to account for varying power requirements and thermal management complexities. To address these limitations, the study utilizes advanced aircraft sizing methods following the guidelines provided. This work provides crucial metrics and insights beyond common specific energy or power-to-weight ratios, offering detailed information that both aircraft designers and component technologists can use to develop technology solutions and optimize aircraft designs for sustainable aviation by 2050.

Aviation Forum 360 - F360-08: Disruptive Technologies in Sustainable Aviation hosted by SARES, Wednesday, July 31, 13:00-15:00, Academy Ballroom 421

Aviation is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries, as well as being viewed as making positive contributions to sustainability. This panel will address current issues such as electrification, renewable energy sources, alternative/green aviation fuels; environmental modeling; energy; exergy; aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul; airworthiness; and reliability/safety. At this panel, Prof. Cinar will talk about the research and education activities within the Michigan Initiative for Sustainable Aviation (MISA) as well as engagements with industry and external partners.

Presentation - SOCIETY-02: Societal Impact of Space Activity I, Thursday, August 1, 13:00-13:20, Summit Ballroom 207

Prof. Cinar is a co-author on “Natural Disaster-Resilient Spaceport Network Planning”. Geohazards, including landslides, flooding, and erosion, have consistently posed challenges to US infrastructure. As commercial and governmental space transportation become more widespread, the effect of natural disasters on space launch infrastructure also grows more pronounced. For example, hurricanes have significantly disrupted operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center, notably the Space Launch System tests in 2022. To sustain the growth of the space industry and accommodate future launch demands, new spaceports may need to be constructed. This paper develops a spaceport network design model, in order to rigorously identify new spaceport locations that satisfy launch demand while remaining resilient to natural disaster impacts.

Presentation - SOCIETY-02: Societal Impact of Space Activity I, Thursday, August 1, 13:40-14:00, Summit Ballroom 207

Prof. Cinar is a co-author on “A Review of Documented Community Impacts Due to Spaceport Development”. As the annual number of space launches continues to increase, new spaceports may need to be created in order to keep up with demand. Development of successful and sustainable spaceports requires a holistic understanding of the impact they have on the host community. Economic factors have historically been the primary drivers in the development of new spaceports, but purely quantitative economic data often fails to fully capture the lived experience of local residents. Technical research is beginning to address the environmental impact of spaceports, but little literature exists on the social impact of spaceport development and operation. This paper seeks to present a synthesis of existing literature on the community effects of spaceport developments throughout the world, placing a focus on non-economic social impacts.

Aviation Technical Panel - FL-10/EATS-35: Technical Challenges in Sustainable Aviation hosted by SARES, Thursday, August 1, 15:30-17:30, Alliance Ballroom 320

The aviation industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. It can be viewed as making a positive contribution to sustainability. The main objective of the “Sustainable Aviation Panel”, which Prof. Cinar is speaking on, is to address current issues in the field of aviation such as electric aircraft, renewable energy sources, alternative/green aviation fuels, environmental modelling, energy, exergy, aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, airworthiness, and reliability/safety.

Presentation - SOCIETY-03: Societal Impact of Space Activity II, Thursday, August 1, 15:50-16:10, Summit Ballroom 207

Nattanan Wongprapinkul will be presenting “Development of a Plume Evolution Model for Launch Vehicle Ground Cloud Deposition”. The study of rocket exhaust ground cloud evolution has been the focus of numerous research efforts. These studies aim to understand and predict the transport and dispersion of launch vehicle ground clouds under a variety of meteorological conditions, which consist of high concentrations of toxic acidic mixtures and particulate matters. Such understanding is critical for assessing environmental impacts and ensuring the safety of the areas surrounding the launch pad. This study focuses on near-field and far-field acidic deposition, utilizing a Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model (LPDM) as a principal model. This model was integrated with the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model to provide atmospheric data, enabling comprehensive simulations at any location and time in the US. The model extended its predictions to include the Starship integrated flight test launches at SpaceX Starbase launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas. The results, when combined with wind statistics, indicate a significant potential for the ground cloud to reach the residential areas.

Presentation - SOCIETY-03: Societal Impact of Space Activity II, Thursday, August 1, 16:10-16:30, Summit Ballroom 207

Prof. Cinar is a co-author on “Development of a Qualitative Model for Predicting Soil Acidification Due to Solid Rocket Motor Exhaust”. Increasing rocket launch rates coincide with growing concerns around climate change and pollution. Few prior efforts have attempted to assess the long-term environmental impacts of rocket launches, and those that did, primarily during the US Space Shuttle program, voiced concerns about HCl depositions from solid rocket motors. This work details a qualitative model which uses a small, readily available collection of data inputs, allowing the model to cover the majority of the continental United States. The results depict regions of resiliency/vulnerability to soil acidification relative to one another.