Large Civil Tiltrotor Wake Hazard Assessment Tool

Both NASA and the FAA have identified large civil tiltrotors (LCTRs) as the most promising method for meeting FAA goals for extending future airport capacity, flexibility, efficiency and safety. This has led to important research at NASA exploring flight dynamics and handling qualities associated with these aircraft in terminal area operations. A critical gap in current research tools is a flight simulation capability to properly evaluate and minimize wake hazards associated with operating large, tiltrotors in the terminal area. These wake hazards will impact flight safety of both the large tiltrotors and any rotary wing or fixed wing aircraft operating in their vicinity. A research effort is proposed to develop and deliver a high-fidelity, physics-based model of these wake hazards within flight simulation evaluation software. Phase I will see the development and validation of prototype software including a new set of metrics for rating handling qualities of comparative LCTR configurations when operating in the wakes of nearby aircraft. Phase II will see the development and delivery of a fully-functional desktop analysis and plug-in module that will provide a capability to feel multiple aircraft wake interactions when flying the LCTR and other aircraft within NASA's Vertical Motion Simulator.

The proposed effort directly responds to NASA's SBIR solicitation goal of developing validated physics-based multidisciplinary computational tools applicable for the design, analysis and optimization of rotorcraft. The proposed technology also directly responds to NASA's Subsonic Rotary Wing Program objective to radically improve the capabilities and civilian benefits of rotary-wing vehicles. The research would directly support NASA's work evaluating and developing the LCTR concept for increasing airport capacity, as well as identifying appropriate air traffic patterns for simultaneous non-interfering operations of general combinations of fixed wing and rotary-wing aircraft. NASA could use the technology in the design and evaluation of new operational procedures, providing a means for assessing pilot workload during terminal area operations where wake interactions may occur. Finally, the ability to model multiple aircraft wake interactions will be installed into NASA's Vertical Motion Simulator providing an invaluable new capability for all future NASA research in that facility.

The proposed tool will be of great use to the FAA and U.S. airports as well as NASA, as new air traffic patterns and operation procedures are evaluated in terms of safety and increased capacity upon the introduction of large civil tiltrotors into the National Airspace System (NAS). Coupling of a real-time version of the analysis into the Air Traffic Management (ATM) system could lead to improved predictions and display of wake hazard conditions. The tool would also be useful to aircraft manufacturers in assessing the wake hazard issues associated with future rotary-wing aircraft concepts. The tool would be helpful to contractors designing upgraded wake safety crew advisory systems. The research effort would also apply directly to U.S. Navy concerns over wake hazard issues related to V-22 aircraft formation flight and operations in the vicinity of personnel and other aircraft both near the ground and at sea.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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