Projects

Dr Botez is a collaborator in the DELL project on the application of artificial intelligent technologies in the aeronautical field (https://www.deel.ai/).

Dr Botez is a collaborator on the CIRODD project, in which more than 90 researchers and 200 students frm humanities, natural sciences, health and engineering fields collaborate and work together to operationalize sustainable development (https://cirodd.org/).

This proposed Industrial Stream CREATE program is addressing the technological and societal challenges associated with the safe integration of uninhabited aircraft systems (UAS) at all levels, from simple operations to complex beyond visual line of sight missions. This program is primarily focused on the Information and Communications Technology priority area with applicability to Environmental Science and Technologies and Natural Resources and Energy.

The 6 year program (2019-2025) is led by Dr Jeremy Laliberte from University of Ottawa. There are 9 co-applicants, and 4 collaborators. Dr Botez is one of the co-applicants.

Dr Botez’s team works with the company called ‘Tristar Multicopters’ within the NSERC CREATE-UTILI Program. This company is developing a drone based on 3 rotors.

The Chair’s activities, that started on 1st of January 2011, and are taking place until 1st of January 2025 are revolving around two main research axes: (1) aircraft and helicopter flight dynamics and control; and (2) active control technologies for deformable aircraft.

In the first axis, new modeling and simulation methodologies for aircraft and helicopter flight dynamics and control are designed. Using flight test data, non-linear optimization algorithms are developed to identify and validate aircraft and helicopters.

In the second axis, the LARCASE team is using geometric data to analyze aircraft stability. The shape of wings and other geometric surfaces of autonomous aerial systems are modified using active control systems, to enhance the aerodynamic performance of aircraft.

The subsonic blown down wind tunnel Price-Païdoussis, the aircraft research flight simulator, and an unmanned aerial system UAS designed and manufactured by Hydra Technologies (please see the next photo) are used in axes 1 and 2 of the Canada Research Chair.

The UAS was obtained with research funds from Canadian Foundation for Innovation CFI, Ministère du Développement économique, innovation et exportation MDEIE and Hydra Technologies. The research performed on the UAS will be realized in collaboration with Hydra Technologies in Mexico.

Following the donation of the Blown Down Subsonic Wind Tunnel by the Emeritus Profesor Michael P. Païdoussis from McGill University to Dr Botez, aeroservoelastic (aeroelasticity and control) studies will be done at LARCASE. This wind tunnel was designed and obtained with FCAR and NSERC research funds by both professors Stuart Price et Michael P. Païdoussis, two experts in fluids-structure interactions, vibrations and nonlinear dynamics, aeroelasticity and aeroservoelasticity.The wind tunnel is also useful for collaborations between professors Ruxandra Botez and Michael Païdoussis.

Please see also here the video film called ''Test en soufflerie-LARCASE'' done by the PhD student David Communier regarding the displacements of the aileron and wing rotation in the wind tunnel installed on an aerodynamic balance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LCAV4-ZK2o

FLSIM software is used for the flight dynamic studies for business aircraft in collaboration with Presagis

This project, in collaboration with CMC Electronics - Esterline is part of the Excellence Center Network directed by the Green Aviation Research and Development Network (GARDN), that is funded by the Canadian Government. In this project, the aircraft trajectories are analyzed for the reduction of the fuel consumption and the polluant emmissions in order to realize green aircraft studies. The industrial collaborators on this project are Mr Rex Hygate, Mr Dominique Labour, Mr Hugo Houde, Mr Reza Neshat, Mr Claude Provencas et Mr Michael Gordon Smith from CMC Electronics - Esterline.

A new methodology and code for the Cessna Citation X are conceived for the determination of the stability derivatives from the aircraft geometrical data, and are further used in the preliminary aircraft design. In this preliminary phase of design of new aircraft, the aeronautical companies would minimize thier decision time on the geometrical aircraft design. The main industrial collaborators on this project are Mr Ken Dustin, Mr Denis Pelletier, Mrs Alexandra Savidis, Mr Peter Jarvis and other engineers: Allan Cofin, Cleo Fontaine - Lavoie, Christian Hould, Mitchel Golemic, and others.

The flight simulator (IPT) for the Cessna Citation X aircraft which is the fastest business aircraft, is equipped with a modifiable aerodynamical model for reseach purposes. This simulator was conceived by CAE Inc. and was obtained through the Canadian Funds for Innovation CFI, Ministère du Développement économique, innovation et exportation MDEIE and CAE Inc. Its orginal conception will allow the LARCASE team to perform different research projects in collaboration with CAE Inc.

Please see below the photos of the simulator and airplane, and the film called ''LARCASE Flight Tests Cessna Citation X'' realized at the LARCASE, its website is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOCg1z3bCPk&t=35s.

CAE IPT Level D Simulator at LARCASE

Cessna Citation X

This project is funded in the Mid-TRL Program: Maturing Technology, launched by the Consortium for Aerospace Research and Innovation in Canada CARIC. The leader of this project is Mrs Armineh Garabedian from the company GlobVision Inc., and this project is taking place between teams from GlobVision Inc., Thales Canada, Concordia University, and ÉTS.

In this project, realized in collaboration with the Romanian Airline TAROM in Romania, aircraft flight trajectories are optimized for their use by pilots in the real flight of aircraft.

In this project, realized in collaboration with CMC Electronics-Esterline, the main objective is to optimize the vertical and horizontal path of the aircraft within the Flight Management System by taking into account the Required Time of Arrival, the wind grids and meteorological conditions. The main motivation of the project is to reduce overall carbon emissions and flight costs. This project is funded by the Green Aviation Research Development Business Led Network GARDN in its second round.

In this project, realized in collaboration with Thales, Bombardier Aerospace, École Polytechnique, IAR-CNRC, and also with italian researchers from Frederico II Naples University, CIRA and Alenia, a wing-aileron prototype was designed, tested and validated using win tunnel tests at IAR-NRC. The aim of the project consisted in the improvement of the aerodynamic performances of this prototype.

In Canada, the university collaborators were : Profesors Simon Joncas (ETS) and Eric Laurendeau (École Polytechnique), the industrial collaborators were : Mr Philippe Molaret (Thales Canada), Dr Patrick Germain and Dr Fassi Kafyeke (Bombardier Aerospace). The collaborators at IAR-CNRC were Mr Mahmood Mamou, Dr Youssef Mebarki and Mr Brian Jahrhaus (IAR-CNRC).

In Italy, the collaborators were : the professors Leonardo Lecce and Rosario Pecora from Naples University, Dr Antonio Concilio from CIRA and Dr Salvatore Russo (Alenia).

Please see here the short film on the realization of this multidisciplinary project. This film has been created for the competition of completed projects funded by the CRIAQ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyk2fzVtrY0

Please see here the film of the PhD student Miss Andreea Koreanschi - she obtained the excellence scholarship from CRIAQ following the competition between a high number of students participating in the CRIAQ projects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-HO1DeyIWM

Canada Team 2012

Italy Team 2012

In this project, realized in collaboration with FLIR company in Montreal, radar systems were tested in the subsonic Price-Paidoussis wind tunnel at the LARCASE.

In this CRIAQ 7.1 project lauched during the second CRIAQ round, called Improvement of laminar flow on a research wing, the laminar to turbulent flow transition on a wing with a flexible skin on its upper surface was controlled and therefore delayed by use of kulite pressure sensors and smart actuators in a wind tunnel. This project was realized in collaboration with Thales Avionics, Bombardier Aerospace, École Polytechnique and LAMSI team at ETS.

The LARCASE team designed, integrated and validated a controller for the transition delay on a morphing wing, which changed its shape, by use of Smart Material Actuators and pressure sensors. The controller was validated by LARCASE team using Wind Tunnel Tests at the Institute of Aerospace Research (IAR) - The National Research Council (NRC). The industrial collaborators in this project are Mr Philippe Molaret (Thales Canada), Dr Eric Laurendeau and Dr Fassi Kafyeke (Bombardier Aerospace), Mr Mahmood Mamou, Dr Youssef Mebarki and Mr Brian Jahrhaus (IAR-NRC).

Team in the beginning of the project in 2006	Team partners at the IAR-NRC Wind Tunnel
Wing used during the first Wind Tunnel tests for transition detection by use of optical sensors
Andrei Vladimir Popov and Lucian Teodor Grigorie - Bench controller tests at LAMSI	NRC and LARCASE teams at the IAR-NRC Wind Tunnel
PhD student Andrei Vladimir Popov - LARCASE

The first film (1ST WTTs) shows a sequence from the first wind tunnel tests on the morphing wing equipped with optical and kulite sensors, as well as with SMAs. We can see the optical sensors pressure system, the wing in the wind tunnel, the cases shown on the screen, as well as the teams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JJXErKZe48

The second film (2ND WTTs) shows a sequence from the second wind tunnel tests on the morphing wing equipped with kulite sensors and SMAs. We can see the controller system, the wing in the wind tunnel, the cases shown on the screen, as well as the teams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELQakGCZVlI

The third film (3RD WTTs) shows only the morphing wing concept in the IAR-NRC WInd Tunnel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgwRJVqTD3I

The aeroservoelasticity works were realized in collaboration with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) in three well known aeroservoelasticty projects using the flight data for the following airplanes: F/A-18 Systems Research Aircraft (SRA), the Aerostructures Test Wing (ATW) and the F/A-18 Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW). The industrial collaborator in this project was Mr Marty Brenner from NASA DFRC. Other collaborators from NASA DFRC between 1998 and 2003 were: Dr Kajal Gupta, Mr Tim Doyle, Mr Ed Hahn, Mr Roger Truax andt Dr Can Bach.

These flight test data were used for:

1. the validation of new methods of conversion of aerodynamic forces from the frequency domain into the Laplace domain,
2. the design of new algorithms for the interactions between aircraft rigid, elastic and control modes and
3. the elaboration of new parameter estimation methods by use of fuzzy logic, neural network, etc.

This research work is mainly funded by FQRNT and NSERC in the period of time 1998-2002 and since 2002 by MDEIE and NSERC.

NASA DFRC researchers Mr Sunil Kukreja and Mr Marty Brenner visits and presentations at ETS

Video on the aeroservoelastic interactions analysis on the F/A-18 SRA This video shows the results of the research on the interaction of rigid, control and elastic modes on the F/A-18. There are two parts in this video. In the case when this interaction is not well analyzed, the aircraft has a non-realistic and unstable behaviour. In the case when the interaction is well done, the aircraft becomes stable. For details on this research, please see article 10 in the section 'Accepted Publications''. Dr Lucian Grigorie and Dr Adrian Hiliuta reaized this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8ZIA6eIXmY

This project, started in 2008, and was realized in collaboration with Dr Ioana Triandaf from US Naval Research Institute in Alexandria, USA. The main objectifs of this project were:

The firsts objectives were:

• The determination of the kinematic model and its equations of motion
• The hydrodynamic forces calculations
• The implementation of the UUV model and its automatic pilote

The 2nd objectives were:

• The constrained energy optimisation
• Planning of the optimal trajectories for the low energy research,
• Optimal surface by use of Multiples UUV's

Ottawa 2009

Students Nicolas Boely and Quentin Bourgeteau at LARCASE