Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system includes an engine. The propulsion system further includes an inlet having a forward cowl lip and an aft cowl lip. The forward cowl lip moves between retracted and deployed positions. The forward cowl lip is adjacent to the aft cowl lip when retracted. The forward cowl lip is spaced apart from the aft cowl lip when deployed. The forward cowl lip has a smaller radius of curvature than the aft cowl lip. The propulsion system further includes a controller coupled with the engine and inlet. The controller restricts the maximum thrust commanded position of the engine when the aircraft is on the ground and moving below a predetermined speed. The controller lifts the restriction when the aircraft is moving at at least the predetermined speed. The controller controls the inlet to deploy the cowl lip when the aircraft is on the ground.

Abstract: An aircraft has a first principles takeoff processor (PCE), a predictive flight envelope protection processor (PFEP), and a maximum takeoff weight processor. The PCE is programmed to predict a liftoff location and an energy state of the aircraft at a liftoff on a runway. The PFEP is programmed to assess each of a plurality of potential trajectories for compliance with or violation of a predetermined flight envelope. The maximum weight processor is programmed to: indicate that the aircraft may takeoff at the aircraft weight when any one of the plurality of potential trajectories is in compliance with the predetermined flight envelope; iteratively reduce an input of the aircraft weight to the PCE until the PCE indicates that any one of the plurality of potential trajectories is in compliance with the predetermined flight envelope; and indicate that the input of the aircraft weight as reduced is a maximum allowable takeoff weight.

Abstract: A payload-bus kinematic interface system includes one or more kinematic devices. Each kinematic device includes a first contacting surface and a second contacting surface. The first contacting surface kinematically interfaces with the second contacting surface, passing loads or forces to the second contacting surface.

Abstract: A radio communication system for a vehicle includes a first radio unit to communicate using a first channel within a designated radio frequency band, a second radio unit to communicate using a second channel within the designated radio frequency band, a common receive antenna shared by the first and second radio units, a signal splitter having a splitter input port coupled to the antenna, a first splitter output port, and a second splitter output port, a first circulator, and a second circulator. The first circulator has an input port coupled to the first splitter output port, an output port coupled to the first radio unit, and a termination port coupled to a matched load. The second circulator has an input port coupled to the second splitter output port, an output port coupled to the second radio unit, and a termination port coupled to a second matched load.

Abstract: A radio communication system for a vehicle includes a first radio unit to communicate using a first channel within a designated radio frequency band, a second radio unit to communicate using a second channel within the designated radio frequency band, a common receive antenna shared by the first and second radio units, a signal splitter having a splitter input port coupled to the antenna, a first splitter output port, and a second splitter output port, a first circulator, and a second circulator. The first circulator has an input port coupled to the first splitter output port, an output port coupled to the first radio unit, and a termination port coupled to a matched load. The second circulator has an input port coupled to the second splitter output port, an output port coupled to the second radio unit, and a termination port coupled to a second matched load.

Abstract: Processes for rapidly and accurately measuring the coefficient of moisture expansion for materials, such as adhesives, are disclosed. A replication technique may be used to manufacture highly flat and smooth adhesive samples. Moisture is introduced in a controlled humidity atmosphere, distortion is monitored with an accurate laser interferometer (e.g., ˜1 nanometer (nm) accuracy), and measurements are correlated with moisture content change. Such processes decrease sample size by three orders of magnitude as compared with conventional techniques and have a smaller adhesive mass requirement, which enables measurement of expensive microelectronic adhesives that were previously cost-prohibitive to measure. Also, thinner films allow CME measurements of ultraviolet (UV) cured adhesives that would otherwise have depth of penetration issues. Furthermore, saturation occurs quickly, allowing pre-stabilization at room temperature, which enabled parametric studies as a function of processing or cure state.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a video display, first and second wireless pairing transmitters, and a media distribution processor. The video display is associated with an audio content stream and a seating location in the aircraft. The first wireless pairing transmitter is associated with the video display and has a first wireless coverage volume. The second wireless pairing transmitter has a second wireless coverage volume that overlaps the first wireless coverage volume. The media distribution processor is programmed and configured to: associate a wireless speaker device with the seating location; pair the first wireless pairing transmitter with the wireless speaker device in response to associating the wireless speaker device with the seating location; and direct the audio content stream through the first wireless pairing transmitter to the wireless speaker device in response to connecting the first wireless pairing transmitter with the wireless speaker device.

Abstract: Vehicles, environmental control systems, and methods for operating an environmental control system are provided. In one example, the environmental control system (ECS) includes an ECS refrigeration unit that is configured to receive ambient air and a first portion and a second portion of hot bleed air. The ECS refrigeration unit is operable to indirectly exchange heat between the first portion of the hot bleed air and the ambient air to form a partially cooled, hot air stream, and to compress, further indirect heat exchange, and expand the partially cooled, hot air stream to form a cooled and expanded air stream. A low limit valve control regulates a low limit valve to control a rate of introduction of the second portion of the hot bleed air to the cooled and expanded air stream to form a combined air stream that when exiting the ECS refrigeration unit is a sub-freezing air stream.

Abstract: The interactive aircraft cabin environment control system employs at least one microphone array disposed within the cabin to capture spoken utterances from a passenger and is configured to provide an estimation of passenger location within the cabin based on arrival time analysis of the spoken utterances. A data source onboard the aircraft provides flight context information. Such data sources include sensors measuring real-time parameters on the aircraft, the current flight plan of the aircraft, singly and in combination. A control processor, coupled to the microphone array, is configured to ascertain passenger identity based on the spoken utterances. The control processor is programmed and configured to learn and associate passenger preference to passenger identity.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for data over power in an aircraft that includes a direct current power source for providing power over power lines to devices onboard the aircraft and a data injector coupled to the power lines for digitally modulating radio frequency data onto twisted pair data over power lines to provide data and power to the devices. A controller is coupled to the direct current power source and the data injector for providing the data to digitally modulate the radio frequency onto the twisted pair data over power lines such that power for the devices onboard the aircraft and data for control of the device onboard the aircraft are provided to the devices onboard the aircraft over the twisted pair data over power lines.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a satellite in the form of a plate having a thickness being smaller than a width of the satellite. The apparatus also includes a plurality of contact points distributed on a face of the satellite, allowing for one or more additional satellites to be stacked upon the satellite.

Abstract: A sound pickup transducer array, deployed within an enclosed area, is coupled to a sound recorder. A processor, coupled to the sound recorder, provides a button or speech recognizer through which a person in the enclosed area issues a command signifying the occurrence of a sound for which categorizing is requested. The processor is programmed to respond to the issued command by extracting and storing an audio snippet copied from the audio recorder, in a digital memory, where the snippet corresponds to sound captured before, during and after the issued command. The processor communicates the stored audio snippet to an artificial intelligence system trained to categorize sounds as to what produced them. The artificial intelligence system may employ trained model feature extraction, a neural network categorization system, and/or direction of sound arrival analysis.

Abstract: The processor supplies flight commands to the flight control system by selectively blending pilot input with control signals from the autopilot. The processor generates a projected recovery trajectory through successive iterations, each beginning at the current aircraft location and using a recovery constraint selectable by the processor to influences a degree of flight aggressiveness. A detection system that identifies and invokes a state of threat existence if a threat exists along the projected recovery trajectory. The processor during threat existence in a first iteration commands an initial soft recovery, with permitted blended pilot input. If the threat exists on subsequent iteration, the processor commands a more aggressive recovery while attenuating blended pilot input.

Abstract: A flight vehicle control and stabilization process detects and measures an orientation of a non-fixed portion relative to a fixed frame or portion of a flight vehicle, following a perturbation in the non-fixed portion from one or both of tilt and rotation thereof. A pilot or rider tilts or rotates the non-fixed portion, or both, to intentionally adjust the orientation and effect a change in the flight vehicle's direction. The flight vehicle control and stabilization process calculates a directional adjustment of the rest of the flight vehicle from this perturbation and induces the fixed portion to re-orient itself with the non-fixed portion to effect control and stability of the flight vehicle. The flight vehicle control and stabilization process also detects changes in speed and altitude, and includes stabilization components to adjust flight vehicle operation from unintentional payload movement on the non-fixed portion.

Abstract: Under one aspect, a method is provided for processing a received signal, the received signal including a desired signal and an interference signal that spectrally overlaps the desired signal. The method can include obtaining an amplitude of the received signal. The method also can include obtaining an average amplitude of the received signal based on at least one prior amplitude of the received signal. The method also can include subtracting the amplitude from the average amplitude to obtain an amplitude residual. The method also can include, based upon an absolute value of the amplitude residual being less than or equal to a first threshold, inputting the received signal into an interference suppression algorithm so as to generate a first output including the desired signal with reduced contribution from the interference signal.

Abstract: Systems and vehicle are provided. A vehicle system for a vehicle includes: a trajectory selection module configured to select a potential vehicle path relative to a current vehicle movement condition; a trajectory movement condition module configured to estimate a modeled movement condition of the vehicle along the potential vehicle path; a limit comparison module configured to determine whether the modeled movement condition violates vehicle limits; and a violation indicator module configured to generate an indication of impending violation.

Abstract: A control system for an aircraft cabin includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and a processor. The first and second sensors are configured to detect communicative gestures of a subject and are oriented to detect the communicative gestures in first and second cabin volumes, respectively. The second cabin volume at least partially overlaps the first cabin volume. The processor is configured to: identify a control volume defined by an overlap between the first and second cabin volumes; define a task envelope as a sub-set of the control volume in which the subject may perform the communicative gestures; disregard communicative gestures outside of the task envelope; compare an identified gesture of the communicative gestures performed inside the task envelope with a plurality of stored gestures; and generate a control task to command cabin devices in response to a match between the identified gesture one of the stored gestures.

Abstract: The improved active noise cancellation system for forced air heating or cooling systems onboard aircraft employs a duct having a proximal end coupled to the fan unit to entrain the airflow stream in the direction of a distal end of the duct. A reference sensor is positioned within the proximal end of the duct. A means is provided for injecting an audio frequency control signal into the airflow stream in a manner that does not substantially impede the airflow stream. An error sensor is positioned at the distal end of the duct where it is responsive to sounds carried by the airflow stream, including the audio frequency control signal. An electronic circuit coupled to the reference sensor and to the error sensor supplies a noise abating control signal to energize the control transducer and thereby substantially reduce at least one noise harmonic of the fan unit through destructive interference.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring health of one or more cells in a battery includes a health monitoring system configured to measure voltage on one or more cells when a waveform is injected into the one or more cells. The waveform is measured at an end of a pulse for each current.