• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.83-90
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• 2017

Performance analysis of the turboshaft engines for combined rotorcraft was executed. A tip jet and a ducted fan aircraft were selected for combined rotorcraft application. Gasturb 12 software was used for turboshaft engine performance analysis. In the results, maximum required power for the tip jet engine is about 1,600 hp class and maximum required power for the ducted fan engine is about 1,000 hp class at the required aircraft mission. This is due to the additional power of the auxiliary compressor to get a bleed air mass flow rate for the tip jet operation. At the same time, fuel consumption of the tip jet aircraft is 2.8 times larger than ducted fan case. Therefore ducted fan type aircraft is more efficient than tip jet aircraft in terms of fuel economy.

• 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 the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.52-65
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• 2021

A large amount of time and cost is consumed due to congestions caused by an increasing number of cars which results in a lot of emissions. To overcome these problems, a new electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is being considered. Since vertical take off and landing without a separate runway is realized and electricity is used as a power source, it could solve the saturated ground traffic congestions without emissions. In this paper, the initial sizing was performed based on the Nexus 6HX of Belltextron which is a tilt-ducted fan type. In this study, the electric propulsion system that only uses battery was implemented instead of current Nexus 6HX hybrid electric propulsion. Aerodynamic analyses were performed using OpenVSP and XFLR5. Power-to-weight ratio, wing loading, estimated weight were calculated with these analyses.

• 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 the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2022

Wind tunnel test for a small scale electric ducted fan with a 104mm diameter was conducted to analyze the aerodynamic characteristics when it was used as a propulsion system of tilt-propeller UAV. Experimental conditions were derived from flight conditions of a sub-scaled OPPAV. Forces and moments of the ducted fan model were measured by a 6-axis balance and 3-dimensional wake vectors which could induce an aerodynamic influence in the vehicle were measured by 5-hole probes. Thrust and torque on hover and cruise conditions were measured and analyzed to drive out the operating conditions when it was applied in the sub-scaled OPPAV. On transition conditions, thrust keep its value with tilt angle variation below 40° and increase after that. But, sideforce increase constantly until 75°. The maximum axial velocity in the wake on hover and cruise conditions was around 60m/s and tangential velocity was around 12m/s. The position of the maximum axial velocity and vortex center move off the fan rotation center line as the tilt angle increases.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.12-25
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• 2017

In local underground mines heavily depending on the natural ventilation, ducted fan auxiliary ventilation system is strongly recommended instead of the total mine ventilation system requiring large capital and operating costs. Optimizing the installation of ducted fans in series in long large-opening mines is required to assure the economy and efficiency of the ventilation system. The two most critical design parameters for optimization are the wall separation distance and gap length between adjoining ducts. This study aims at deriving the optimal values for those two parameters concerning the economic and environmental aspects through the extensive CFD analysis, which minimizes pressure loss, leakage and entrainment of the contaminated air in the gap space. The ranges of the wall separation distance and gap length for study are selected by taking into consideration the existing recommendations and guidelines. The ultimate goal is to optimize the auxiliary ventilation system using ducted fans in series to provide a reliable and efficient solution to maintain clean and safe workplace environment in local long underground mines.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.307-316
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• 2011

In order to clarify the features of tip leakage vortex near blade tip region in a half-ducted axial fan with large bellmouth, the experimental investigation was carried out using a 2-dimensional LDV system. Three sizes of tip clearance (TC) were tested: those sizes were 1mm (0.55% of blade chord length at blade tip), 2mm (1.11% of blade chord length at blade tip) and 4mm (2.22% of blade chord length at blade tip), and those were shown as TC=1mm, TC=2mm and TC=4mm, respectively. Fan characteristic tests and the velocity field measurements were done for each TC. Pressure - flow-rate characteristics and two-dimensional velocity vector maps were shown. The vortex trace and the vortex intensity distribution were also illustrated. As a result, a large difference on the pressure - flow-rate characteristics did not exist for three tip clearance sizes. In case of TC=4mm, the tip leakage vortex was outflow to downstream of rotor was not confirmed at the small and reference flow-rate conditions. Only at the large flow-rate condition, its outflow to downstream of rotor existed. In case of TC=2mm, overall vortex behaviors were almost the same ones in case of TC=4mm. However, the vortex trace inclined toward more tangential direction. In case of TC=1mm, the clear vortex was not observed for all flow-rate conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.221-231
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• 2021

In the present study, numerical simulation was performed to investigate aerodynamic characteristics of a ducted fan-upper/lower vanes system in hover. Sensitivity analysis of aerodynamic forces for a system component was conducted with the deflection angle of upper vanes varying but at the constant rotational speed and the collective pitch angle of fan blades. Then, vane control performance and duct airload distributions were analyzed in detail to physically understand operating mechanisms of individual vane and interference effect between duct and vanes. Finally, new control concept of operating upper vanes has been proposed to improve the control performance of the full configuration. It is found that the side force and rolling moment of upper vanes increase linearly with the variation of those deflection angle; however, the total side force is significantly small due to the reaction force acted on the duct. It is also found that upper vanes close to the duct contraction side have a key role in changing vane control forces. It is revealed that the duct suction pressure is induced by the interaction with the suction side of upper vanes, while duct pressure recovery by the interaction with the pressure side, leading to increase in duct asymmetric force. When four upper vanes are kept in situ at 0° deflection angle or removed, the total control performance was improved with duct asymmetric force reduced and the total magnitude of roll remarkably increasing up to 80%.

• Aerospace Engineering and Technology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.50-59
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• 2005

This paper described performance test of 1st prototype "Tail-Fan" system. KARI(Korea Aerospace Research Institute) developed "Tail-Fan" system as a kind of helicopter anti-torque system(ATS) and designed ATS performance test-rig for Tail-Fan system performance test. For Tail-Fan system performance tests, firstly, test-rig operation tests were carried out for verification of design specifications. And natural frequencies of fan blade and test-rig were measured respectively. To find the operation rotating speed for performance tests, vibration tests using accelerometers on tail gear box(TGB) were carried out. Through the fanplot and vibration test results, rotational speed for Tail-Fan performance test to avoid a resonance were found and performance tests were carried out in flight conditions. We analyzed test data by non-dimensionalization. Through this results, 1st prototype "Tail-Fan" system was satisfied with design requirements.

• 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.