Category Archives: Aerospace Issues

Malaysia’s High Speed Train Plan Should Utilise Local Experts

Posted on by

Malaysia is currently under a rapid development and the target for Malaysia to achieve a developed nation status by 2020 is hardly deniable. Under the 12 National Key Economic Areas for Malaysia engine economic growth and also under the Urban Public Transport National Key Results Area (NKRA) to ease the traffic congestion problems in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is committed to build a high speed train system between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

In February 19, 2013, Singapore and Malaysia announced plans to build the rail link by 2020, which would cut travel time for the 350 kilometres (220 miles) between the city-state and Kuala Lumpur by more than half (4 hours by air including travel to and from the airports, check-in, boarding and other airport procedures) to 90 minutes.

To build a good high speed train system, Malaysia requires a large group of expert from many fields (Eng.,Acct,Manag,Law and etc). If not, Malaysia probably just need to buy the technology, but I hope not and we should grow the local experts. [News: Japan on 25 July 2013 offered Malaysia the technology to build a multi-million-dollar high-speed railway and other infrastructure, as its Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began a regional tour. “Malaysia and Japan agree to cooperate in high technology with Japan providing the technology in the construction of high-speed rail, water and waste treatment,” Abe told reporters at a press conference with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak.]

 

 

 

Aeroacoustics: an interesting combination between aerodynamics and acoustics

Posted on by

This morning I was listening a beautiful sound of an aeolian harp from the Youtube. It’s so naturally relaxing and it’s perfect for me to get my mind fresh for the day. This sound was amazingly tuned by the size (diameter) of the string (infinite circular cylinder) and the level of wind speed. In aeroacoustic engineering, they named this airborne noise mechanism as an aeolian tone. It’s actually a dipole type of sound radiation.

Aeolian harp sound radiation is different from the sound radiation from a loudspeaker (monopole) or noise from the engine jet (quadrupole).  The sound sources of aeolian harp consist of two monopole sources of equal strength, but they are in opposite phase. The two sources are located very close to each other when compared to its sound wavelength.

We can control this sound beautifully. Using Lighthill’s acoustic analogy and Curle’s equation for the inclusion the effect of aeolian tone,  we can see how the aeolian tones is controlled by just using a thin flat plate. Please visit my publications if you like to see more.

 

 

 

Vortex Induced Vibration

Posted on by

For the last few days I’ve tried to simulate flow over a circular cylinder at Re=22k using OpenFOAM. The cylinder is attached to a mass-damping system in one degree of freedom (cross-stream). The simulation only success when the natural frequency of the system is high, omega_o >= 2 x vortex shedding frequency. I believe that I need to work out on the resonant response of the system.

AIAA news: Analyst Not Overly Concerned By Dreamliner Issues.

Posted on by

The Los Angeles Times (12/25, Hennigan) reported the Boeing 787 “has run into another bout of turbulence with fresh concerns about its safety.” While there has been “criticism of the problem-plagued program,” aviation industry consultant Scott Hamilton “said that the latest Dreamliner problems are ‘irritants more than substance.'” Boeing was also noted by the article as not being overly concerned by the issues.

Boeing Hits 787. 747-8 Delivery Targets. The Wall Street Journal (12/22, Ostrower, Subscription Publication) reported that despite some early production issues, Boeing has hit its delivery targets for both the 787 and 747-8. According to the article, reaching these targets was very important for the company following several years of not hitting them due to design problems.

AIAA news: Apollo 17 Commander Concerned About Pilots’ Flying Skills.

Posted on by

Aviation International News (11/6, Mark) reports, “Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan said he worries about the flying skills of pilots today.” He remarked, “I worry about the complacency that technology is imposing on pilots. Pilots tend to become overwhelmed with all the lights on these glass panels and forget they still have a responsibility to fly the airplane.” Meanwhile, “Cernan believes that part of the solution is pilots being honest about their flying skills and their shortcomings.”

AIAA news: Mayor Says Atlanta Police Helicopter Had Been Refurbished Before Fatal Crash.

Posted on by

The AP (11/6, Compton) reports, “The Atlanta police helicopter that crashed and killed two officers on board had been completely refurbished within the last decade, and its pilot and maintenance crew were confident it was safe to fly, officials said Monday.” The helicopter crashed Saturday as the officers were looking for a missing 9-year-old boy. The department did have “a newer chopper, but Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said the veteran pilot who had been flying for 16 years preferred the older model because it was easy to maneuver.” It was still unknown “if the fallen officers had been using night vision, though Deputy Chief Renee Propes said pilots often rely on their sight alone, even at night.”

AIAA’s news: China Successfully Tests Jet Fighter.

Posted on by

RIA Novosti (11/1) reports, “China successfully completed a test flight on Wednesday of its new fifth-generation J-31 jet fighter, according to the Huanqiu Shibao newspaper.” The piece notes that “the flight represents a crucial step for the Chinese military, which has become only the third in the world – after the United States and Russia – to have developed a stealthy fifth-generation fighter aircraft.”

Wired (11/1, Axe) reports, “Fortunately for Washington, the acceleration of Beijing’s stealth program comes just as the U.S. Air Force is restoring its beleaguered F-22s to full service amid problems with their oxygen systems – and as the delayed, over-budget and technically troubled F-35 is finally showing some testing progress. In recent weeks the F-35 has refueled mid-air, released a missile and flown at night with its finicky helmet sight.”

AIAA’s news: ORBITEC’s Vortex Liquid Fuel Rocket Engine Successfully Tested.

Posted on by

Gizmag (11/2, Dodson) reports, “Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) successfully flight tested its patented vortex liquid fuel rocket engine on October 25. … The flight established substantial progress toward ORBITEC’s development of a 30,000-lb (13,600-kg) thrust vortex engine for the US Air Force Advanced Upper Stage Engine Program and for NASA’s Space Launch System.”

Basic OpenFOAM workshop

Posted on by

BrochureCFD_workshop

 

Dear All,

Thank you for your support and participations at the Basic OpenFOAM workshop. We’re planning to organise a series of similar workshop (increase in complexity) in the near future. Please be updated with any news on this. Our aim is to promote the use of OpenFOAM locally and providing a platform for discussion and knowledge sharing among the OpenFOAM community in Malaysia. If you have suggestion on how we can go for that, please don’t hesitate to drop me an email.

 

Cheers,

Mohamed Sukri Mat Ali (MJIIT) and Low Lee Leong (UNITEN)

Tel: +603- 22031286