Research Summaries

Back Energy-Aware Aerial Logistics

Fiscal Year 2021
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Investigator(s) Dobrokhodov, Vladimir N.
Craparo, Emily M.
Sponsor Naval Research Laboratory (Navy)
Summary The Marine Corps Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) concept creates a pressing need for logistics systems that can move supplies from many small supply points to widely dispersed forces while minimizing exposure to long range precision fires. Current logistics systems are designed to move supplies between major logistics hubs and risk failure in a major EABO action. Small and medium size autonomous aerial logistics (delivery) vehicles offer great promise to support EABO, however energy constrains their range and payload capacity. This program will develop software planners that accept a list of supply delivery requests (location, supply type, and delivery deadline) and then produce routes and schedules for aerial deliveries that are not only energy-feasible, but minimize energy consumption to maximize the utility of the logistics system. In addition to the plans, an output will be the estimated overall energy cost of delivery operations, which will be useful for understanding the energy cost of an aerial logistics infrastructure. The energy-informed planners will use weather forecasts generated by the Navy COAMPS system to consider environmental factors such as wind in the planning process, because those factors can strongly influence the feasibility and energy cost of delivery plans. Planners will be developed for a single logistics hub / many vehicle scenario and a multiple logistics hub / many vehicle scenario.
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Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal