The future of travel is undergoing a remarkable transformation, and the researchers at the McNair Center are at the forefront of this revolution. Part of NASA's University Lead initiative, they're answering critical questions about advanced materials for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) vehicles – the backbone of future travel, logistics, and emergency services. Safety and efficiency are paramount for UAM, driving the need for robust maintenance practices. The McNair Center's research is not only shedding light on these challenges, but also providing innovative solutions that could reshape the industry.
The center's research takes a bold step in combining sensing, predictive analytics, and repair techniques for thermoplastic composite structures, offering a cost-effective approach for UAM operation and maintenance. In the pursuit of this mission, the researchers are conducting a range of experiments and developing models using various test specimens – from small coupons to full-size UAM structural components.
The sensing approach, led by Dr. Paul Ziehl, is utilizing acoustic emission sensors for a minimally intrusive sensing approach, ensuring weight and cost savings without compromising accuracy. With a smart allocation of just a few sensors across the UAM, their algorithms detect and characterize relevant features of impacts on the UAM structure, contributing to its overall safety and durability.
The digital transformation efforts, led by Dr. Abdel-Moez Bayoumi, build on the insights from the sensing approach. Utilizing the impact data gathered, they're characterizing the damage inflicted on UAM vehicles. Carbon Fiber composites, while robust, can experience delamination due to impacts, potentially affecting structural strength. Through advanced algorithms, the team can swiftly predict the resulting damage and offer repair recommendations. Their innovative approach culminates in a dashboard that communicates critical information to field-level maintainers. Not stopping there, they're also developing a digital twin model – a precise 1:1 representation of UAM structures and their damages – for higher fidelity understanding.
Dr. Wout DeBacker leads the charge on automated repair, a task made possible by amalgamating insights from previous steps. Traditional repair methods, heavily reliant on user experience, don't align well with the cutting-edge thermoplastic materials used in UAM vehicles. Dr. DeBacker and his team are exploring a spectrum of approaches like cold spray, overprinting, and scarf patches. Experimentation and automation guarantee repairs that restore UAM structural strength, thus ensuring operational safety and efficiency.
However, this UAM endeavor is not a solitary pursuit. Collaboration is its cornerstone. The McNair Center's researchers emphasize the importance of seamless data exchange and information flow. This synergy ensures that sensor-detected damage is precisely characterized using predictive analytics and promptly repaired through automated means. Their interdisciplinary approach fosters teamwork both internally and externally, addressing the evolving needs of the rapidly expanding UAM field.
Project Goals
- Develop a cost-effective maintenance strategy for UAM structural components manufactured from advanced thermoplastic materials.
- Conduct full scale experimentation to validate models and findings and provide key data to UAM stakeholders.