NASA has selected five university-led teams for potential awards that will see them spend up to five years exploring novel ideas for improving aviation, including wireless networks, aircraft structures, information systems, advanced design methods and electric propulsion. (Image courtesy of NASA.)
Aviation has always been a creative and innovative field and is a highly desirable discipline for engineering students who want the opportunity to develop exciting technology.
Picture an aircraft structure capable of changing shape mid-flight in order to reduce the noise of a sonic boom produced by supersonic airplanes. Or imagine a quiet and energy efficient electric propulsion system that can power a plane from take off, through flight, to landing.
These are two examples of transformative system-level aviation projects currently being pursued by university-led teams which have been selected by NASA. Negotiations for possible awards for spending up to five years exploring novel ideas for improving aviation are currently underway. These projects are all in support of NASA’s strategic research goals for aeronautics.
Total value of the five research awards from NASA Aeronautics’ University Leadership Initiative (ULI) over five years is expected to be no more than USD$50 million.
The university teams selected for negotiations leading to a potential award are:
- University of South Carolina, for research into advanced, wireless communication networks that will enhance the safety and efficiency of air traffic management of both piloted aircraft and drones.
- Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, for research into designing commercial supersonic aircraft capable of modifying their shape during flight in such a way as to help minimize noise from sonic booms.
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for research into designing ultra-efficient aerodynamic aircraft wings that could contribute to significant fuel or energy consumption savings.
- Ohio State University, for research into electric propulsion, including research into battery and energy storage and thermal management, among others.
- Arizona State University, for research into safely integrating the complex set of data sources that will drive future air traffic management systems.
“These awards further enhance the strong relationship we have with our university partners,” said Jaiwon Shin, NASA’s associate administrator for aeronautics.
“We expect the awards will spur the nation’s leading universities to take a larger leadership role in advancing the revolutionary ideas needed to transform aviation and further advance U.S. global leadership in the aviation community.”
One key aspect of the selection process was that NASA did not specify which research topics or disciplines the schools should to pursue, which distinguishes ULI from a standard NASA research award.
Instead, universities were asked to undertake their own compelling investigations and projects, so long as that technical challenge addressed one of the agency’s main aviation research goals.
“Potential outcomes of the research could include revolutionary technologies, operational concepts, design tools, models or other advancements we can’t even begin to characterize today,” said Doug Rohn, director of NASA’s Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program.
The universities that are successfully funded will in turn be able to offer engineering students a variety of exciting experiences in aviation and aeronautical research, which can help these students reach their future career goals in the industry. In addition to the technical challenges, another goal of ULI is to develop these university researchers’ abilities to lead diverse, multi-disciplinary teams.
In many cases, the teams will include members from both academia and industry, including those who may not have an aviation background, but whose expertise offers the potential for technology convergence.
Additionally, teams are encouraged to reach out broadly to underrepresented student populations. These diverse partnerships are expected to bring different perspectives that contribute to novel, innovative approaches.
“With ULI we want to provide a forum for U.S. universities to show their leadership in innovation to contribute to our nation’s aviation community,” Rohn said.
To learn more, check out NASA’s Aeronautics Research.