R. C. Airships developed in IIT Bombay

AE-664 Lighter-Than-Air Systems Capsule-1

R. C. Airships developed in IIT Bombay Prof. Rajkumar S. Pant

Aerospace Engineering Department IIT Bombay


PADD Genesis of LTA Systems @ IIT Bombay


Program on Airship Design & Development Carried out from 2001 to 2003 Seven Member Team headed by Prof. S. K. Sane, IITB

4 from IITB & 3 from Industry ( ADRDE, ADA, AAI) One Independent Consultant

Establish Techno-Economic Feasibility Operation, Design & Development of Airships in India

Promote Usage Multiple roles; Pax/Cargo, CasEvac, Tourism, ………

Develop Technology Base Enhance existing expertise in Parachutes & Aerostats

Explore avenues of Joint Development National & Global Partners Private Sector participation


Tasks Completed in PADD

Project Definition Report Design and Development of Two Airships

Cargo and Passengers in Lower Himalayas, UK

Demo airship & PaxCargo Airship Payload = 100 kg & 1500 kg

@ Hot (ISA+15) and High (3500 m) conditions o Operation at lower altitudes also explored

Feasibility Report for leasing a few airships


Methodology for Airship initial sizing

Estimate Volume (or Payload) of non-rigid a/s

Meeting user-specified and operating reqmt.

Useful for… Conceptual design studies

Determine sensitivity of operational requirements on configuration related parameters

Investigating what-if scenarios

Carrying out MDO of an airship system


Methodology for Determination of Baseline

Specifications of a Non-Rigid Airship

Paper AIAA-2003-6830, Proceedings of AIAA's 3rd Annual

Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations (ATIO)

Forum, Denver, Colorado, Nov. 17-19, 2003.

Technical Note, AIAA Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 45, No. 6,

pp. 2177-2182, Nov-Dec 2008.

Key Publications


Pax/ Cargo Airship

Demo Airship

Demo Airship Suspension car

Key Output of PADD


REMOTELY CONTROLLED AIRSHIPS Design, Fabrication & Flying


Parameter MICRO MINI MACRO Length (m) 4.99 6.42 8.00 Envelope Volume (m3) 6.8 8.6 26.6 Payload (kg) 1.0 3.0 6.0 Endurance (min) 15 18 25 Max. Speed (m/s) 7 10 12 Engine Power (HP) 0.41 0.60 2.0

Micro, Mini and Macro R C Airships


Micro RC Airship (2002)

Volume = 6.8 m3

Length = 5 m Engine Displacement = 2.49 cc Power = 0.41 BHP @ 17000 RPM Payload = ~ 1 kg Max. Speed = 25 km/h Endurance = 15 min

with 200 ml fuel No. of Flight days = 4

at IIT Gymkhana First Flight Video


Mini RC Airship (2003)

Length = 5 m Volume = 8.64 m3

Payload = ~3.0 kg Max. Speed = 36 kmph Endurance = 15 min with 300 ml fuel No. of Flight days = 6 at Pune, Bangalore, Coimbatore

Pune Trial Video


Mooring Mast

Gimbal Mechanism

Mooring Mast in Use


Macro RC Airship (2009)

Length = 8 m Volume = 26.59 m3

Payload = 6.0 kg Flight Altitude = SASE, Manali, 6572 ft Engine Displacement = 10.0 cc Power = 2 BHP @ 14000 RPM

Flight Video

On-Board Camera View


Just after release at SASE Helipad

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DEVELOPMENT OF AUTONOMOUS OUTDOOR AIRSHIP

Aim of the project


Data collection applications which require

long endurance flight

Ability to Hover at a location

Independent of LOS of Flyer or ground

station

Need for Autonomous Airship


Investigate the efficacy of

outdoor remotely controlled airship

autonomous airships

o as a platform for aerial observation and data collection

Obtain an insight into issues related to

operational capabilities

limitations

Objectives


Methodology for airship conceptual sizing and design

6-DOF dynamic model of the airship

suitable for controller design & computer simulation

Study strategies for autonomous control system

Implement the best one an airship

Tasks to be done


Baseline specifications

Parameter Value Net lifting capacity @ sea-level 2 kg Max. permissible wind for safe operation 10 m/s Max. speed 15 m/s Deployment altitude 200 m Cruising altitude (AGL) 100 m Endurance at cruising condition 30 min Control Range 1 km


FABRICATION AND SYSTEM INTEGRATION

Outdoor Autonomous Airship


Gondola Design and Fabrication

CAD Model Fabricated Gondola


System Integration & Testing

Nose Battens Yaw motor on Fin Fins on Envelope


Fully Assembled Airship


Attaching Nose Battens to Mast


Field Trials (29 & 30 Nov 2013)


The Test Crew

Jônatas Sant’ Anna Santos,

ALTAVE


INDOOR & OUTDOOR AIRSHIPS Student Projects


KVPY Summer Project I


KVPY Summer Project I

Demo Flight, August 2004

Rahul Sangole, PVG CoET, Pune Rohit Belapurkar, MIT, Pune

Kshitija Deshpande PIET, Pune June-August 2004


RC Capsule Airship

Shailesh Agashe, Ketan Palashikar,

Gaurav Nakanekar, Rahul Sangole

PVG’s COET, Pune, 2006

Demo Flight, March 2006 Speed & Direction Control Spot turn


INDOOR AIRSHIPS Student Projects


TAMUBlimp Project (2011)


Demonstration Flight


ZEPHYR 2013 BLIMP Semi-Outdoor Blimp


Indoor Airship 2013


Lift Test


Design Inputs Payload 0.3 kg

Fabric Density 190 gsm

Shape Zhiyuan

Output Support Equipment 1.0 kg

Length 4.2 m

Volume 3.6 m3

Semi-outdoor Airship


1st Feb 2013: Structures Lab IITB

Test Flight (Indoor)


2nd Mar 2013: Victor Menezes Convention Centre IITB

Test Flight (Semi-Outdoor)


BIOMIMETIC AIRSHIP Recent Project


Existing Biomimetic LTA Systems

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Other Biomimetic LTA systems

42


Selection of Shape

Performance Fineness ratio Swimming styles Butterfly fish


Design Issues in Biomimetic Systems

Performance

44

- Fin shapes

- Swimming style


INDOOR BIOMIMETIC AIRSHIP LTA Systems Laboratory, IIT Bombay


Key Fabrication Issues •Material= Nano-clay coated polyester

•Shape = Butterfly Fish

•Joining Process = Heat Sealing


Assembled Airship

R. C. Airships developed in IIT Bombay

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