Design, Analysis and Optimization Environment for Directed Energy Systems

Posted by on Oct 24, 2009 in Contracts, Directed Energy Weapon, Distributed Heterogeneous Optimization, Distributed Heterogeneous Simulation, Power Systems, SBIR Phase I, SBIR Phase II | 0 comments

Type of Awards: SBIR Phase I with IEDC and Phase II Contract Numbers: FA9451-07-M-0082 and FA9451-08-C-0058 Agency: U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Status: On Going Periods: 3/14/07 to 3/03/08 and 3/12/08 to 3/02/11 Principal Investigator: B. P. Loop Abstract: The primary objective of the proposed work is to develop a directed energy system analysis and design environment.  This analysis and design environment will be based upon Distributed Heterogeneous Simulation (DHS) and Distributed Heterogeneous Optimization (DHO) technology.  DHS allows the interconnection of models developed in different simulation languages running on different computing platforms to form an integrated system simulation.  DHO is a distributed multi-objective optimization environment tailored for system design.  The Phase II effort will focus on creating directed energy component model library, developing a system model translator, and incorporating high-power microwave device models into a simulation of the electric power system.  The capabilities of the proposed design environment will be demonstrated, and effort toward the transition of the tool to government and industry will be carried out.  PCKA will collaborate with Lockheed Martin and the Directed Energy Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory to identify directed energy applications of...

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Noninvasive Approach to Health Management of Aircraft Power Systems Using Torque Ripple

Posted by on Oct 22, 2009 in Aircraft, Distributed Heterogeneous Optimization, Eric A. Walters, Prognostics and Health Management, Publications, Tommy Baudendistel | 0 comments

T. Baudendistel, PC Krause and Associates, inc;  S. Pekarek, Purdue University;  Steve Peecher, GE Aerospace; Sean Field, Nathan Kumbar, Naval Air Systems Command; E. A. Walters, PC Krause and Associates, inc. In this presentation, a recently developed hardware and software tool for the health management of electric generators, motors, power electronic components, and electric power systems will be presented. This tool enables higher fidelity health management prognostics. The hardware component of this tool is a vibration sensor that is low cost, durable, and relatively straightforward to implement in a drive system or power electronic module. The sensor has been used to detect torque-ripple-induced vibration created by electric machines. It provides a convenient means to detect faults of both electrical and mechanical components of electric drive systems and also facilitates feedback-based control to mitigate the vibration source through control of the excitation to a machine. The first software tool analyzes the raw data acquired by the vibration sensor.  This software utilizes both signal processing and statistical algorithms to reduce the acquired data into a user friendly pareto chart format.  This format allows vehicle level PHM systems to cost-effectively analyze and store pertinent data relating to the health of the power system.  This format also allows ground maintenance teams to quickly assess the health changes between flights without adding to “information overload”. The second software tool is a method of Distributed Heterogeneous Simulation (DHS) that provides a means to simulate the healthy and faulted behavior of large-scale systems at a speed and level of detail heretofore unachievable. Specifically, DHS enables the synchronized interconnection of any number of dynamic subsystem simulations, developed using any combination of a variety of programs/languages, and implemented on a single computer/workstation/supercomputer, a local area network (Intranet), a distributed, and any combination thereof. Theoretically, using an -computer network, DHS can approach an  gain in computational speed over single computer, single numerical algorithm implementation. It is shown that through coupling of these tools, a comprehensive prognostics and health management system (PHM) for aircraft generators and associated electrical systems can be developed. Specifically, using DHS, component and system-level simulations of aircraft generator systems under nominal and failure modes can be performed efficiently. Using the simulation results obtained, the vibration sensor, unique monitoring concepts and advanced signal conditioning are coupled to establish an approach that can effectively detect component degradation and predict time-to-failure, and to develop feedback-based strategies for operation of generator electrical systems under component degradation or failure. Hence, maintaining the war fighting capabilities by extending the life of the aircraft electrical systems. Contact information:...

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Automated Evolutionary Design of a Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Power System Using Distributed Heterogeneous Optimization

Posted by on Oct 9, 2009 in Charles Eric Lucas, Distributed Heterogeneous Optimization, Ning Wu, Oleg Wasynczuk, Power Systems, Publications, Terrestrial Vehicles | 0 comments

Dionysios C. Aliprantis, O. Wasynczuk, Purdue University; N. Wu and C. E. Lucas, PC Krause and Associates, Inc; M. Abul Masrur, U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC The optimal design of hybrid-electric vehicle power systems poses a challenge to the system analyst, who is presented with a host of parameters to fine-tune, along with stringent performance criteria and multiple design objectives to meet. Herein, a methodology is presented to transform such a design task into a constrained multi-objective optimization problem, which is solved using a distributed evolutionary algorithm. A power system model representative of a series hybrid-electric vehicle is considered as a paradigm to support the illustration of the proposed methodology, with particular emphasis on the power system’s time-domain performance. 2006 SAE Power Systems Conference, November 7–9, 2006, New Orleans, LA. Paper #...

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