Dynamic Response of Aerial Refueling Hose-Drogue System with Automated Control Surfaces
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 31, Issue 6
Abstract
The classical hose-drogue system has been modified by adding an automated control surface (ACS) at the point where the hose is connected to the drogue. This control surface stabilizes the static position as well as improves the dynamic characteristics of the hose-drogue system. The hose is assumed to behave as a tensed cable with no bending forces. Under the assumption that the dynamic response is small compared with the static deformation, linearized expressions for both the perturbed motion of the hose in the vertical plane and the hose tension are obtained. The resulting dynamic linear equations have variable coefficients that depend on both the initial steady-state static equilibrium position and the static tension of the hose. Owing to the control surface motion, unsteady aerodynamic forces are generated. These forces depend on the drogue local vertical velocity and on the hose slope at the drogue position, and are approached by means of Theodorsen’s theory. The natural frequencies and normal modes of the complete system are calculated. In addition, the responses to the tanker oscillation/pulse excitation to gust and turbulence are obtained. Finally, the influence of the different parameters on the dynamic response of the hose-drogue–control surface system is presented.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Bisplinghoff, R. L., H. Ashley, and R. L. Halfman. 1957. Aeroelasticity. Cambridge, MA: Addison Wesley.
Bloy, A. W., and M. M. Khan. 2002. “Modelling of the hose and drogue in air-to-air refueling.” Aeronaut. J. 106 (1055): 17–26.
EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). 2017. Certification specification and acceptance means of compliance: large aeroplanes airworthiness regulations. Cologne, Germany: EASA.
Eichler, J. 1978. “Dynamic analysis of an in-flight refueling system.” J. Aircr. 15 (5): 311–318. https://doi.org/10.2514/3.58361.
Goyal, S., and N. C. Perkins. 2005. “A hybrid rod-catenary model to simulate nonlinear dynamics of cables with low and high tension zones.” In Proc., ASME Design Engineering Technical Conf. and Computers and Information in Engineering Conf. Long Beach, CA: ASME.
Hoblit, F. M. 1988. Gust loads on aircraft: Concepts and applications. Washington, DC: AIAA Education Series.
Hoerner, S. F. 1965. Fluid dynamic drag. Bricktown, NJ: Hoerner Fluid Dynamics.
Kuk, T., and K. Ro. 2013. “Design, test and evaluation of an actively stabilized drogue refueling system.” Aeronaut. J. 117 (1197): 1103–1118. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0001924000008721.
Liggieri, A. 2012. “Refueling tanker aerodynamics and hose characteristics.” M.Sc. thesis, School of Engineering, Cranfiled Univ.
McRoberts, R., J. M. Early, F. Morscheck, M. Price, and B. Korn. 2015. “Tanker mission implication on a civil aerial refueling transport system’s benefit evaluation.” J. Aircr. 52 (1): 320–328. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.C032726.
Ribbens, W. B., F. Saggio, R. Wierenga, and M. Feldman. 2007. “Dynamic modeling of an aerial refueling hose and drogue system.” In Proc., 25th AIAA Applied Aerodynamic Conf. Miami: AIAA.
Ro, K., and J. W. Kamman. 2010. “Modeling and simulation of hose-paradrogue aerial refueling systems.” J. Guidance Control Dyn. 33 (1): 53–63. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.45482.
Ro, K., T. Kuk, and J. W. Kamman. 2011. “Dynamics and control of hose-drogue refueling system during coupling.” J. Guidance Control Dyn. 34 (6): 1694–1708. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.53205.
Styuart, A. V., H. Yamashiro, R. Stirling, M. Mor, and R. Gaston. 2011. “Numerical simulation of hose whip phenomenon in aerial refueling.” In Proc., AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conf. Portland, OR.: AIAA.
Theodorsen, T. 1934. General theory of aerodynamic instability and the mechanism of flutter. Washington, DC: National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
Williamson, W. R., E. Reed, G. J. Glenn, S. M. Stecko, J. Musgrave, and J. M. Takacs. 2010. “Controllable drogue for automated aerial refueling.” J. Aircr. 47 (2): 515–527. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.44758.
Zhu, Z. H., and S. A. Meguid. 2006a. “Elastodynamic analysis of aerial refueling hose using curved beam element.” AIAA J. 44 (6): 1317–1324. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.17311.
Zhu, Z. H., and S. A. Meguid. 2006b. “Elastodynamic analysis of low tension cables using new curved beam element.” Int. J. Solids Struct. 43 (6): 1490–1504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2005.03.053.
Zhu, Z. H., and S. A. Meguid. 2007. “Modeling and simulation of aerial refueling by finite element method.” Int. J. Solids Struct. 44 (24): 8057–8073. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2007.05.026.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 31 • Issue 6 • November 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 12, 2017
Accepted: May 14, 2018
Published online: Sep 6, 2018
Published in print: Nov 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Feb 6, 2019
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.