Abstract
High-speed flight transportation systems have gained momentum in the last 10 years due to emerging technologies in missile production and commercial aviation. The development of hypersonic missiles, traveling at or greater than five times the speed of sound, has been marked as a high priority by the U.S. Department of Defense due to an ongoing arms race with Russia and China. It is important to ensure the safe transportation of payloads by considering issues such as structural soundness and aerodynamic stability. The other side of high-speed flight lies in commercial transportation, as previously demonstrated by Concorde, a supersonic airliner. Supersonic flight refers to flying faster than the speed of sound and is once again being developed for commercial application. In this case, it is important to consider the effects these technologies have on communities and environments. Together, these flight technologies test the boundaries of viable transportation.
My technical project was motivated by a nationwide undergraduate competition hosted by the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics (UCAH). Our team, Project Hyper-LARP (Low Altitude Research Projectile), followed competition guidelines to design an unpowered hypersonic glider with a high lift-to-drag ratio that operates at a low altitude and is affordable to manufacture. The flight will induce large thermal and structural loads on the glider, which our design must be able to withstand. In order to meet these requirements, our design process involved vehicle design optimization, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), material selection, and finite element analysis (FEA). Because Hyper-LARP was chosen as a winning concept, the glider is being manufactured and tested in a wind tunnel at the Calspan University of Buffalo Research Center. Through completing this project, I gained experience in working with hypersonic technologies and learning how testing is conducted through real-world applications.
The STS portion of this project focuses on the viability of supersonic flight as a form of commercial transportation. I am deeply fascinated by the operation of Concorde, the only passenger supersonic jet to have operated, and I sought to learn if its shortcomings would still affect commercial supersonic aircraft in the future. Studying these potential barriers is important because high-speed civil jets are currently being developed and built. This paper examined issues such as noise generation, environmental harm, and the affordability of future concepts by looking at historical and current research examples through a technological politics framework. Through this paper, I learned the answer is still complex; while aircraft noise generation becomes less of an issue, environmental effects and customer affordability remain unclear.
Together, both of my research papers offer promising contributions to viable high-speed transportation technologies. My technical project’s hypersonic glider displayed a capable design, proven by being chosen as a winning concept in a nationwide competition. Further research can be conducted using a higher-fidelity CFD model to improve aerodynamic performance and by improving upon FEA to produce more accurate results. My STS research shows current obstacles for civil supersonic flight and offers ideas on potential solutions, such as atmospheric modeling for environmental concerns and utilizing smaller fleets to reduce costs. Further research can be done on whether investing in supersonic transport is justified compared to improving the efficiency of subsonic flight.
I’d like to graciously thank my capstone group for the work and effort they put into the project. We were all willing to jump into the unknown together to create something to be proud of. To my capstone advisors, Xinfeng Gao and Chris Goyne, thank you for your expertise and patiently guiding us to success. To my STS advisors, Coleen Carrigan and Caitlin Wylie, thank you for helping to guide me through this long process. Finally, to my fiancé and my dog for supporting me through the late nights and always being there to lift me up.
Notes
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering
Technical Advisor: Xinfeng Gao, Christopher Goyne
STS Advisor: Caitlin Wylie, Coleen Carrigan
Technical Team Members: Victoria Sun, Michael Della Santina, Michael Novak, Eric Voigt, Channing Reynolds, Genevieve Forrer, Soren Poole, Owen McGilberry, Joe McPhail, Joshua Stoner, Lukas Hange, Ava Frodsham, Arwen Nicolau
