Final Project for AE 1350 By Elizabeth Deems and Eric Aufderhaar |
Welcome! On this page you will find my final project for AE 1350 at GT. I worked collaboratively with Eric Aufderhaar to deisgn a flying hotel and do research on a Mars Cycler. Enjoy! |
Resource Web Pages: www.nasa.gov www.adl.gatech.edu/classes/ae1350/design_data.html Flying Hotel: www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/jetliner/a380/index.shtml www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/8803/fa3xx.htm#a3xx www.pbs.org/kcet/chasingthesun/planes/a380.html www.cranfield.ac.uk/coa/tech-avt/wing/wing-2.htm Mars Cycler: http://members.aol.com/dsfportree/ex90i.htm http://cosmographica.com/gallery/portfolio/portfolio351/pages/370-Marsv Cycler.htm www.sciam.com/2000/0300issue/0300singer.html www.sciam.com/2000/0300issue/0300oberg.html |
Flying Hotel and Mars Cycler Study Elizabeth Deems Eric Aufderhaar Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering December 7, 2001 Introduction This project was completed for the Georgia Institute of Technology Introduction to Aerospace Engineering class. It contains two parts: an in-depth look at a Blended Wing-Body aircraft and a brief look at a Mars Cycler. The results can be used by any aeronautical/aerospace corporation for future studies of these types of aircraft or any student interested in doing more research. Statement of Problem We tackled two state-of-the-art problems in aeronautics and aerospace studies. First, we designed a "Hotel-in-the-Sky" hydrogen-fueled Jumbo Jet that flies at subsonic speeds. Second, we designed a Hydrogen Fuel-Cell-based Mars Cycler which continually orbits between Mars and Earth. Flying Hotel Background Currently, the design of the standard civil airplane puts constraints on the number of passengers and the length of flight. By taking a new approach, airliners will be able to fly further with more people than ever before. The way we look at it, though, airliners will also be able to provide a "Hotel in the Sky," or a flying hotel, with the same design. This flying hotel, or the mass transporter, will use a blended wing-body aircraft with Hydrogen fuel. By employing this design, you can fly further in a more luxurious setting, which will provide a vacation while getting to your vacation! Approach We began with Internet as well as library research. By looking through what was done in the past, we could provide a sound basis for our models. We sketched ideas for each design and talked about the pros and cons of each. After deciding on a design for the flying hotel, we made a spreadsheet to calculate all the technical data for the aircraft. For some values, we looked at what had been done in the past and did our best to calculate from there. For the rest, we used the equations given to us in lecture (Komerath). Our 4 engines are Pratt and Whitney, model JT9D-7Q, -7Q3, which each giving 53000 pounds of thrust. They each weigh 9295 pounds and each have a TSFC of .0000165, as was given to us in class. The plane has an empty weight of 350,000 kilograms. Then, adding 100,000 kilograms of fuel and 100,000 kilograms of cargo, we get a take off weight of 550,000 kilograms. The plane will hold 150 people, along with as much baggage as they would like. The interior of the plane has rooms that are set up like rooms in a train. They have bunked beds and are only intended for sleeping. There are no showers, but there are large common area bathrooms. On the plane, there will be a small gift shop, exercise room, lounge area, and casino. Results The technical results of the study of the flying hotel are in the attached spreadsheet. The plane can fly as low as possible without hitting anything on the ground. However, it can only fly below 50,000 feet because of the engine design limitations. As for speed of the aircraft, it will not fly as a speed lower than Mach .2. Due to the rise in speed of air over the wings of the craft, it cannot fly faster than Mach .89. To travel 10000 miles with liquid Hydrogen fuel, we need about 88,000 kilograms of fuel and a 1251 m^3 container. For this plane, we will carry 100,000 kilograms. of fuel. The values we have calculated are fairly hard to come by because no one has built a blended wing-body aircraft and tested it. Therefore, many of our numbers are educated estimates, and should be refined later on. The closest practical test of this concept has been with Northrop's Flying Wing Program. Summary & Conclusions We attempted to calculate and model the technical information necessary to start thinking about a hotel-in-the-sky-type commercial transport. In doing so, we looked at the blended wing-body design as well as Hydrogen fueled engines. The blended wing-body concept along with Hydrogen fuel engine technology go well together because of the need for more storage space for Hydrogen fuel. The design also allows for more living and recreational space for the passengers on their trip. For further study, one could look more deeply into modeling the design and more accurate technical data of the flying hotel. Also, it would be beneficial to further look into the reality of having a continuous mission to Mars. Not too far in to the future, we will hopefully we will be traveling there. The future of aeronautical and aerospace studies is always going beyond what we can imagine, and these two designs are leading the way in terms of cutting-edge technology. Mars Cycler Looking into space, we can also see many reasons for the need of a Mars Cycler. Soon, astronauts will be visiting Mars to study the nearest Earth-like planet, and we need to have a convenient and cost-efficient way of getting there. By using a space station as well as two Cyclers, we can transport people to and from Mars with "ease." Details The Mars Cycler concept has been around for over twenty years, originally being proposed by Alan L. Friedlander and John C. Niehoff. But in 1985, former astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin popularized the Mars Cycler concept by proposing a spacecraft that would make use of the gravity wells of Earth and Mars to change its trajectory, saving fuel. This addition to the Cycler concept will reduce the operational costs significantly and make it an economically viable mechanism for exploring Mars and its environs. Our proposal for a Mars Cycler program involves the use of already proven technologies and concepts coupled with a mission plan guaranteed to accomplish the goal of Martian exploration with minimum expense. The first step in the construction of our Mars Cycler involves a modification to the existing Space Transportation System (STS) that United States utilizes. Instead of letting the 92,000 ft.³ external tank burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, boosters will be attached to the tank allowing it to enter orbit around the Earth. A minimum of three external tanks will then be refitted for human occupation at either the International Space Station (ISS) or another space station specifically devoted to the construction of the Mars Cycler. The three refitted external tanks will then be mounted on a center truss section containing a command center, station keeping ion engines, and one-time use chemical rocket engine for leaving Earth's orbit. After construction, our Mars Cycler will then "Spin-up", that is, it will use small boosters to spin the spacecraft about its long axis, thereby simulating gravity using centripetal force. The one-time use chemical rocket engine will then burn, sending our Mars Cycler on its way to Mars. Upon reaching the Mars system, the three modified external tanks will break away from the command section and will aero brake until they approach Deimos. Deimos provides the easiest base for a sustained exploration of the Mars system. Its orbit allows people to control a vast array of robotic explorers without the lag experienced when controlling robots from Earth. Deimos also provides easier access, more sunlight for power, and if solar radiation is approaching, you can move to the other side of the moon for protection. The remaining truss section will slingshot around Mars and use its station keeping thrusters to point it back to Earth. A single Mars Cycler would have a six month transit time to Mars, with about a 32 month total orbit. A system of Mars Cyclers then, could shuttle back and forth between Earth and Mars every six months, providing reliable and cheap access to Martian exploration and exploitation. |
Figure 1: Blended Wing-Body Aircraft from Cranfield College of Aeronautics |
Figure 2: Artist's Rendition of a Mars Cycler |