A Self-Sustaining, Boundary-Layer-Adapted System for Terrain Exploration and Environmental Sampling

This thesis describes the preliminary design of a system for remote terrain exploration and environmental sampling on worlds with dense atmospheres. The motivation for the system is to provide a platform for long-term scientific studies of these celestial bodies. The proposed system consists of three main components: a buoyancy-driven glider, designed to operate at low altitude; a tethered energy harvester, extracting wind energy at high altitudes; and a base station to recharge the gliders. This system is self-sustaining, extracting energy from the planetary boundary layer. A nine degree of freedom vehicle dynamic model has been developed for the buoyancydriven glider. This model was used to illustrate anecdotal evidence of the stability and controllability of the system. A representative system was simulated to examine the energy harvesting concept.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Aerospace and Ocean Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Aerospace and Ocean Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Morrow, Michael Thomas

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Woolsey, Craig A.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Schaub, Hanspeter
• Mason, William H.

• boundary layer
• internal actuation
• inboard wing
• Titan
• terrain exploration
• buoyancy-driven gliding

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-07262005-085830

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34186