• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.574-581
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• 2012

Because of the exposed blade, the UAV using the rotors entail the risks during operation. While a wrapped duct around the fan blades reduces risks, it is a higher thrust performance than the same power load rotor. In this paper, for applying advantages of a ducted fan, the tri-ducted fan air vehicle configuration is proposed. The vehicle has three ducted fans. Two of them are the same shape and size and the third one is the smaller. It is possible to control a rapid attitude stability using thrust vector control. The equations of motion of the tri-ducted fan were derived. Lyapunov control input was applied to the system and stable inputs were derived. A nonlinear simulation was fulfilled by using parameters of a prototype vehicle. It verified a stable attitude and analyzed results.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.413-422
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• 2012

The ducted fan for a small UAV propulsion can reconnoiter and observe in a town and a small area, it has better thrust efficiency and a long endurance than propeller. Thrust characteristics of hover and for ward flight condition for the ducted fan UAV is important issue to improve a endurance. The unsteady 3-dimensional flow fields of the ducted fan UAV is essential to stable flight. In this paper, to verify the design results of the ducted fan and to investigate a stable aeronautical characteristic, the thrust performance and the unsteady 3-dimensional flow fields are measured. Thrust characteristics for the hovering and the forward flight conditions are measured by the 6-components balance system in the subsonic wind tunnel. The unsteady 3-dimensional flow fields are analyzed by using a stationary $45^{\circ}$ slanted hot-wire technique. The swirl velocity is almost removed behind the stator blades. Therefore, the thrust performance of the ducted fan is improved and the flight stability is maintained.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.399-405
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• 2021

In the present study, ground tests and CFD simulations for a ducted fan system were performed to verify the hovering performance of the ducted fan system designed by KARI rotorcraft team. Six blades were composed for the ducted fan, and target rotating speed of the fan was decided to 4,000 RPM. Collective pitch angles were considered from 20 degrees to 36 degrees. The test data were obtained by increasing the rotating speed up to 4,000 RPM in 1,000 RPM increments. The CFD simulations were considered only 4,000 RPM of rotating speed. The hovering performance was represented by thrust, power, duct thrust ratio, and FM(Figure of Merit). Reliability of the performance results was ensured through the test and simulation results, and it was found that the target performance was achieved under conditions above 31 degrees of the pitch angle.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.68-73
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• 2020

This purpose of this paper was to review the development trend of the VTOL MAVs with a ducted propellant that can fly like the VTOL at intermediate and high speeds, hovering, landing, and lifting off vertically over urban areas, warships, bridges, and mountainous terrains. The MAV differs in flight characteristics from helicopters and fixed wings in many respects. In addition to enhancing thrust, the duct protects personnel from accidental contact with the spinning rotor. The purpose of the U.S. Army FCS and DARPA's OAV program is spurring development of a the VTOL ducted MAV. Today's MAVs are equipped with video/infrared cameras to hover-and-stare at enemies hidden behind forests and hills for approximately one hour surveillance and reconnaissance. Class-I is a VTOL ducted MAV developed in size and weight that individual soldiers can store in their backpacks. Class-II is the development of an organic VTOL ducted fan MAV with twice the operating time and a wider range of flight than Class-I. MAVs will need to develop to perch-and-stare technology for lengthy operation on the current hover-and-stare. The near future OAV's concept is to expand its mission capability and efficiency with a joint operation that automatically lifts-off, lands, refuels, and recharges on the vehicle's landing pad while the manned-unmanned ground vehicle is in operation. A ducted MAV needs the development of highly accurate relative position technology using low cost and small GPS for automatic lift-off and landing on the landing pad. There is also a need to develop a common command and control architecture that enables the cooperative operation of organisms between a VTOL ducted MAV and a manned-unmanned ground vehicle.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 2023

Wet multi-disk clutch, a power switching device of the ducted fan, was optimized and results were analyzed. The clutch was divided into two types depending on whether a mechanical lock-up was applied or not. It was optimized under each design condition. Transfer torque capacity, friction material surface pressure, friction surface temperature, and drag torque were calculated as factors to optimize the clutch. The volume of separator plate and drag torque were used as the objective function for optimization. In the case of Type 1, which did not include a mechanical lock-up, the clutch could be operated regardless of the pitch angle of the ducted fan. However, the outer diameter of the friction surface was doubled, the volume was increased by 5~7 times, and the drag torque was increased by 7~12 times compared to those of Type 2, which included a mechanical lock-up.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.895-899
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• 2014

This paper presents the balancing control of a unicycle robot using air power. Since the robot has one wheel to move forward and backward, the balancing control is quite challenging. To control the balancing angle, the accurate angle estimation by a tilt and a gyro sensor is required a priori. A complementary filter is implemented to eliminate the defects of two sensors and to fuse together to estimate an accurate balancing angle. The optimal design of air ducts is found empirically. Experimental studies of the balancing control of a unicycle robot confirm that the robot is well regulated without falling down.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.711-723
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• 2017

This paper proposes a flight control system for an organic flight array(OFA) which has a new configuration to consist of multi modularized ducted-fan unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The OFA is able to apply to various missions such as indoor reconnaissance, communication relay, and radar jamming by using capability of hover flight. The OFA has a distinguished advantage due to reconfigurable structure to assemble or separate with respect to its missions or operational conditions. A dynamic modelling of the OFA is derived based on equations of motion of the single ducted-fan modules. In order to apply nonlinear control method, an affine system of attitude dynamics is derived. Moreover, the control system is composed of a back-stepping controller for attitude control and a PID controller for position control. Then the performance of the proposed controller is verified via a numerical simulation under wind disturbance.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.23-34
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• 2022

Cities around the world are increasing their demand for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) aircraft due to traffic congestion with population concentration. Aircraft with various shapes depending on fixed-wing and propulsion systems, are being prepared for commercialization. Airworthiness certification is required as it is a manned transportation vehicle that flies in the city center and transports people on board. UAM aircraft are vulnerable to lightning and HIRF environments due to the increasing use of composite materials, the use of electric motors, and use of electronic equipment. Currently, the development of certification technology, guidelines, and requirements in lightning and HIRF environments for UAM aircraft is incomplete. In this study, the certification procedures for lightning and HIRF indirect impacts of rotorcraft shown in AC 20-136B and AC 20-158A issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), were verified and applied to the computerized simulation of UAM aircraft. The impact of lightning and HIRF on ducted fan UAM aircraft was analyzed through computerized simulation, and the basis for establishing practical guidelines for certification of UAM aircraft to be operated in the future is presented.