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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Conceptual study of unmanned aerial platforms for real-time monitoring of avalanche parameters Principal Investigator: Prof. R. S. Pant Aerospace Engineering Department, IIT-Bombay OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to carry out conceptual studies of an unmanned aerial platform suitable for operation at high altitudes. The platform is intended to be used for scientific research by SASE, for applications such as real-time monitoring of avalanche parameters at remote and inaccessible locations in the upper Himalayas. INTRODUCTION: Tethered aerostats are an outcome of Lighter-Than-Air Technology, where static lift production mechanism is based on Archimedes Principle. Thus, an aerostat does not require any additional energy to reach to a certain height; for a given volume of envelope that contains the lighter than air gas, displaced weight of air creates a vertically upward force (buoyant force) that leads to the lift. The volume is so designed that the displaced air should be able to produce sufficient lift to balance all the weight groups of the aerostat system, viz., Envelope, fin, nose battens, pivot mechanism, payload cart, tether, recovery system, gas filling ports, safety valves and many such systems. This is followed by the design aspects as suggested by other disciplines such as aerodynamics, aerostatics, materials, and manufacturing techniques that lead to a most desirable aerostat system design. Aerostats are used as a platform to house high-resolution sensors for applications such as aerial surveillance, regional atmospheric data collection and balloon-barrage system. Depending on the payload, range of surveillance, and operational time, these aerostats can be launched to a nominal altitude of 300m to 4600 m from sea level. As a part of our ongoing E gift project our team at IIT Bombay designed and fabricated small aerostats for low altitude deployment. The aerostats designed were purely customised to user requirements. The first aerostat designed and fabricated in our laboratory was used to establish a communication network between the source and a client. The second aerostat designed by the LTA Systems laboratory effectively confirmed the usage of the aerostat system as a platform for low altitude surveillance. In accordance to the same, SASE, Manali approached IIT Bombay and expressed their interest in installing a similar aerial platform that could be used for monitoring snow and avalanche parameters. Eventually a project was assigned to L-T-A Systems Laboratory at IIT Bombay for carrying out a feasibility study and design of a high altitude platform that could be deployed in Manali for real time monitoring of avalanche parameters. The main objective of this project is to setup stationary platforms at various places to monitor the required parameters by adequate usage of an aerostat system and to deploy RPVs for appropriate data collection in regions where line of sight is no achievable due to unavoidable reasons. PROJECT COMMENCEMENT DATE: February 2008 DURATION: 18 months |