NASA火星直升机项目：从早期概念到旋翼试验与飞行验证
NASA 旋翼飞行器研究 · 课题 05
面向 NASA“火星 2020”任务的火星直升机项目示意图。 图片来源：NASA。
面向 NASA“火星 2020”任务的火星直升机项目，由喷气推进实验室（JPL）牵头，与 NASA 艾姆斯、兰利、格伦研究中心及 AeroVironment 公司共同开展。
01 / 从火星飞机概念，到旋翼飞行的探索
早在航天探索初期，人们就提出过火星飞行器概念。然而，直到 20 世纪 70 年代“维京”着陆器任务之后，人们才充分认识到：在火星极其稀薄、寒冷且主要由二氧化碳组成的大气中飞行，面临着怎样的挑战。此后大约二十年，研究主要集中在火星固定翼飞机概念上。
Savu 和 Trifu [12] 是最早研究火星旋翼航空器设计问题的研究者之一，但他们的工作没有在初步研究之后继续推进。
02 / 2000 年前后：概念试验与设计研究起步
2000 年，斯坦福大学与 JPL 在 JPL 真空舱内，对一副小型旋翼开展了类火星大气条件下的概念验证试验 [7]。这项工作是斯坦福大学由 NASA NIAC 资助的微型旋翼航空器研究的一项衍生探索。最初的概念验证试验没有发表实验结果，不过当时发布了视频。
大约同一时期，NASA 艾姆斯研究中心独立发表了一系列论文，研究多种火星旋翼航空器构型，以及其他行星垂直升力飞行器面临的技术挑战 [1, 18, 24, 20]。
2000 年，西科斯基飞机公司与 NASA 艾姆斯研究中心共同赞助了以火星旋翼航空器为主题的 AHS 国际学生设计竞赛。Thompson [15] 和 Datta 等人 [3] 的综述论文，分别介绍了佐治亚理工学院和马里兰大学的参赛设计。2002 年，首次发表了类火星条件下旋翼悬停试验的实验结果 [26]，以及初步计算流体力学（CFD）预测 [32]。
03 / 从持续探索，走向火星直升机项目
此后约十五年间，NASA 艾姆斯研究中心仍不时发表关于行星飞行器的论文，研究对象涵盖固定翼和垂直升力飞行器 [19, 25, 21, 22, 23]。
随着时间推移，相关兴趣逐渐增加，其他作者、机构和国家也开始发表火星旋翼航空器及行星垂直升力飞行器研究论文 [17, 13]。2014 年，JPL 与 AeroVironment 发表了一篇早期论文 [2]，其构想后来成为火星直升机项目的概念基础。此后数年中方案发生了显著演变，但保留了许多核心特征。
04 / 航空力学团队提供了哪些支持？
NASA 航空力学办公室为支持或补充火星直升机项目，开展了多项分析和实验工作：
• 利用旋翼航空器综合分析方法估算旋翼性能 [31, 34, 35]。
• 在 JPL 直径 25 英尺空间模拟器中，预测并测量旋翼产生的流动回流 [33]。
• 为火星直升机风险降低模型和工程研制模型在该空间模拟器中的飞行动力学试验，提供系统辨识分析支持 [29, 30]。
• 在 NASA 艾姆斯／亚利桑那州立大学（ASU）行星风成作用实验室的大型低压舱内，在类火星大气密度条件下，对替代旋翼系统开展横向来流前飞风洞试验。
此外，NASA 艾姆斯与兰利的旋翼飞行器专家，还在火星直升机研制的多个阶段支持了设计评审。
除火星直升机之外，航空力学办公室在此前二十年间，也积极研究其他行星飞行器。
05 / Landing Party Video
Landing Party Video 视频缩略图。 图片来源：NASA。
视频链接：https://www.you tube.com/watch?v=7PPesX_neT4&list=PLg6KDC-DwbPKlmcZGAX0LcMmpyQVZSAAB
06 / Mars Helicopter/Rotorcraft References
[1] E.W. Aiken, R.A. Ormiston, and L.A. Young. Future directions in rotorcraft technology at Ames research center. In Proc. American Helicopter Society Annual Forum, Virginia Beach, VA, 2000.
[2] J. Balaram and P. T. Tokumaru. Rotorcrafts for Mars exploration. In Proc. International Planetary Probe Workshop, Pasadena, CA, 2014. LPI Contribution No. 1795.
[3] A. Datta, B. Roget, D. Griffiths, G. Pugliese, J. Sitara– man, J. Bao, L. Liu, and O. Gamard. Design of the Martian autonomous rotary–wing vehicle. In Proc. AHS Specialist Meeting on Aerodynamics, Acoustics, and Test and Evaluation, San Francisco, CA, 2002.
[7] I. Kroo and P. Kunz. Development of the Mesicopter: A miniature autonomous rotorcraft. In Proc. American Helicopter Society Vertical Lift Aircraft Design Conf., San Francisco, CA, 2000.
[12] G. Savu and O. Trifu. Photovoltaic rotorcraft for Mars missions. In Proc. Joint Propulsion Conf. and Exhibit, San Diego, CA, 1995.
[13] H. Song and C. Underwood. A Mars VTOL aerobot – preliminary design, dynamics and control. In Proc. IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2007.
[15] B. Thompson. Full throttle to Mars. Rotor & Wing, Phillips Business Information, LLC, Potomac, MD, 2001.
[16] N. Tsuzuki, S. Sato, and T. Abe. Conceptual design and feasibility for a miniature Mars exploration rotor– craft. In Proc. International Congress of the Aeronautical Sciences, 2004.
[18] L. A. Young. Vertical lift – not just for terrestrial flight. In Proc. AHS/AIAA/RaeS/SAE International Powered Lift Conference, Arlington, VA, 2000.
[19] L. A. Young and E. W. Aiken. Vertical lift planetary aerial vehicles: Three planetary bodies and four conceptual design cases. In Proc. European Rotorcraft Forum, Moscow, Russia, 2001.
[20] L. A. Young, R. T. N. Chen, E. W. Aiken, and G. A. Briggs. Design opportunities and challenges in the development of vertical lift planetary aerial vehicles. In Proc. American Helicopter Society International Vertical Lift Aircraft Design Conference, San Francisco, CA, 2000.
[21] L. A. Young, E. W. Aiken, V. Gulick, R. Mancinelli, and G. A. Briggs. Rotorcraft as Mars scouts. In Proc. IEEE Aerospace Conf., Big Sky, MT, 2002.
[22] L. A. Young, E. W. Aiken, and G. A. Briggs. Smart rotorcraft field assistants for terrestrial and planetary science. In Proc. IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, 2004.
[23] L. A. Young, P. Lee, G. Briggs, and E. Aiken. Mars rotorcraft: Possibilities, limitations, and implications for human/robotic exploration. In Proc. IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, 2005.
[24] L. A. Young et al. Use of vertical lift planetary aerial vehicles for the exploration of Mars. In NASA Headquarters and Lunar and Planetary Institute Workshop on Mars Exploration Concepts, Houston, TX, 2000.
[25] L. A. Young et al. Engineering studies into vertical lift planetary aerial vehicles. In Proc. AHS International Meeting on Advanced Rotorcraft Technology and Life Saving Activities, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan, 2002.
[26] L. A. Young et al. Experimental investigation and demonstration of rotary–wing technologies for flight in the atmosphere of Mars. In Proc. American Heli– copter Society Annual Forum Proceedings, Montreal, Canada, 2002.
[27] Ament, G., Koning. W. J. F., "Isolated Rotor Forward Flight Testing from One Atmosphere Down to Martian Atmospheric Densities," AHS Technical Meeting on Aeromechanics Design for Vertical Lift, Holiday Inn at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA, January 16–18, 2018.
[28] Balaram, J., Canham, T., Duncan, C., Golombek, M., Grip, H.F., Johnson, W., Justin Maki, J., Quon, A., Stern, R., and David Zhu, D., "Mars Helicopter Technology Demonstrator," 2018 AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, 8–12 January 2018, Kissimmee, Florida.
[29] Grip, H., Johnson, W., Malpica, C., Scharf, D., Mandic, M., Young, L., Allany, B., Mettler, B., San Martin, M., "Flight Dynamics of a Mars Helicopter," 43rd European Rotorcraft Forum, Milan, Italy, September 12–15, 2017.
[30] Grip, H.F., Scharf, D.P., Malpica, C.., Johnson, W., Mandic, M., Singh, G., Young, L., "Guidance and Control for a Mars Helicopter," 2018 AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, 8–12 January 2018, Kissimmee, Florida.
[31] Koning, W. J. F., Johnson, W., Allan, B. G., "Generation of Mars Helicopter Rotor Model for Comprehensive Analyses," AHS Technical Meeting on Aeromechanics Design for Vertical Lift, Holiday Inn at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA, January 16–18, 2018.
[32] Corfeld, K., Strawn, R., and Long, L., "Computational Analysis of a Prototype Martian Rotorcraft Experiment," AIAA–2002–2815, 20th AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, June 24–26, 2002.
[33] McCoy, M., Wadcock, A., Young, L., "Documentation of the Recirculation in a Closed–Chamber Rotor Hover Test", NASA/TM–2016–219162.
[34] Koning, W. J. F., Romander, E. A., and Johnson, W., "Low Reynolds Number Airfoil Evaluation for the Mars Helicopter Rotor," AHS International 74th Annual Forum & Technology Display, Phoenix, Arizona, May 14–17, 2018.
文献编号沿用 NASA 原网页。正文引用的 [17]、[35] 未列入该网页显示的参考文献表。
联系人
Larry Young · NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field CA 94035–1000
来源
NASA Ames Research Center — Mars Helicopter Project
https://rotorcraft.arc.nasa.gov/Research/Programs/mars_helicopter.html
