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The purpose of this paper is to present results of practical experience of cold starting a gasoline engine on low volatility fuel suitable for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment.

Experimental research and development is carried out via dynamometer testing of systems capable of achieving cold start of a spark ignition UAV engine on kerosene JET A-1 fuel.

Repeatable cold starts have been satisfactorily achieved at ambient temperatures of 5°C. The approximate threshold for warm engine restart has also been established.

For safety and supply logistical reasons, the elimination of the use of gasoline fuel offers major advantages not only for UAVs but also for other internal combustion engine-powered equipment to be operated in military theatres of operation. For gasoline crankcase-scavenged two-stroke cycle engines, this presents development challenges in terms of modification of the lubrication strategy, achieving acceptable performance characteristics and the ability to successfully secure repeatable engine cold start.

The majority of UAVs still operate on gasoline-based fuels. Successful modification to allow low volatility fuel operation would address single fuel policy objectives.

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Leading British engineering design and consulting firm Amp (www.arup.com) has won the 40th annual MacRobert Award, the UK's biggest prize for engineering innovation. The 2009 award was given for Amp's visionary Beijing Aquatic Center, known as the Water Cube, whose breathtaking architecture is matched by engineering innovations in fabrication, materials and environmental management. In winning the award, Amp beat off three other high caliber finalists. These were Orthomimetics, QinetiQ, and Rolls Royce.

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Presently there exists no way to directly measure strain at high temperatures in engine components such as the combustion chamber, exhaust nozzle, propellant lines, and turbine blades and shaft. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.

Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) prediction, which is a critical element for a blade design, is a strong function of the temperature and strain profiles. Major uncertainties arise from the inability of current instrumentation to measure temperature and strain at critical locations. This prevents the structural designer from optimizing the blade design for high temperature environments, which is a significantly challenging problem in engine design.

Being able to directly measure strains in different high temperature zones would deeply enhance the effectiveness of aircraft propulsion systems for fatigue damage assessment and life prediction. The state of the art for harsh environment, high temperature sensors has improved considerably over the past few years.

This paper lays down specifications for high temperature sensors and provides a technological assessment of these new sensing technologies. The paper also reviews recent advances made in harsh environment sensing systems and takes a peek at the future of such technologies.

The purpose of this paper is to review the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Conference and Show held in Washington DC, with emphasis on unmanned vehicles or service robots and their application on the ground, in the air and in the water.

In‐depth interviews with exhibitors of unmanned vehicles and the providers of the technologies which are fundamental to their design and deployment.

The unmanned vehicle industry is largely driven by government requirements, both military and civilian. Unmanned service robots are also found in applications such as crop monitoring and fish school location at sea. Unmanned vehicles are getting smaller, smarter and more rugged to meet new challenges.

Unmanned vehicles continue to address air, ground and marine application needs where human safety is important. The vehicles continue to become more and more autonomous, smaller and ever better to address a wider range of application requirements.

The purpose of this paper is to review the 2009 AUVSI Conference and Show held in Washington, DC with emphasis on unmanned vehicles or service robots, their application on the ground, in the air, and in the water.

The paper is of in‐depth interviews with exhibitors of unmanned vehicles and the providers of the technologies which are fundamental to their design and deployment.

The unmanned robotic vehicle industry is largely driven by government requirements, both military and civilian. Unmanned service robots are also found in commercial applications such as pipeline surveillance, crop monitoring, and fish school location at sea.

Developers will be challenged to meet the need for improvements in speed, payload, sensor capabilities, autonomous operation, and command and control of fleets of unmanned vehicles.

The paper offers insights into trends and new products in the unmanned robotic vehicle industry.

The purpose of this study is to present a methodology for parameters’ sensitivity analysis of solar-powered airplanes.

The study focuses on a preliminary design and parameters’ relations of a heavier-than-air, solar-powered, high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle. The methodology is founded on the balance of energy production and requirement. An analytic expression with four generalized parameters is derived to determine the airplane flying on the specific altitude. The four generalized parameters’ sensitivities on altitude are then analyzed. Finally, to demonstrate the methodology, a case study is given on the parameters’ sensitivity analysis of a prototype solar-powered airplane.

When using the presented methodology, the nighttime duration and the energy density of batteries are more sensitive on flight altitude of the prototype airplane.

It is not easy to design a solar-powered airplane to realize high-attitude and long-endurance flight. For the current state-of-art, it is a way to figure out the most critical parameters which need prior consideration and immediate development.

This paper provides an analytical methodology for analyzing the parameters’ sensitivities of solar-powered airplanes, which can benefit the preliminary design of a solar-powered airplane.