Roberta Fusaro

Politecnico di Torino | polito · DIMEAS - Department of Mechanical and Aerospace

Over the past two decades, there has been a renewed interest in the development of a new generation of supersonic aircraft for civil purposes that could potentially succeed Concorde. However, the noise annoyance is still considered one of the hampering factors to meet public consensus. This paper aims at revealing the potential of numerical simulat...

The request for faster and greener civil aviation is urging the worldwide scientific community and aerospace industry to develop a new generation of supersonic aircraft, which are expected to be environmentally sustainable and to guarantee a high-level protection of citizens. A key aspect to monitor the potential environmental impact of new configu...

The design of integrated and highly efficient solutions for thermal management is a key capability for different aerospace products, ranging from civil aircraft using hydrogen on board to miniaturized satellites. In particular, this paper discloses a novel numerical tool for the design and thermal performance assessment of heat pipes. To achieve th...

The request for faster and greener civil aviation is urging the worldwide scientific community and aerospace industry to develop a new generation of supersonic aircraft, which are expected to be environmentally sustainable, and to guarantee a high level of protection for citizens. The availability of novel propulsive technologies, together with the...

According to the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change, aviation contributes to only about 2% to anthropogenic global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, in view of the growing market demand and the dramatic reductions in other transport sectors, including maritime and automotive, the aviation sector’s percentage impac...

The following paper discuss the near field sonic boom results obtained with CFD simulations regarding a Mach 5 wave rider configuration derived from the STRATOFLY heritage. Sonic boom near field have emerged as a vital tool for the mitigation and understanding of the impact of supersonic and hypersonic aircraft configurations. The work done discuss...

Recent studies have revealed that control surface deflection can cause a reduction in the aerodynamic efficiency of a hypersonic aircraft of up to 30%. In fact, the characterization of the Flight Control System is essential for the estimation of the consistent aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle in different phases, considering the contribut...

Assessing the economic viability of new high-speed systems concepts since the early design phases is crucial for the success of future hypersonic vehicles including cruisers, reusable access-to-space and re-entry systems. Besides literature reports few parametric cost models for high-speed vehicles, all of them makes exclusively use of mass as para...

For the rapid prototyping of a flight engineering vehicle, data from various building blocks and the required engineering tools for designing critical subsystems are crucial elements. In this context, Politecnico di Torino developed an integrated methodology toolset capable of speeding up the design and validation of various space transportation sy...

This paper aims at presenting a tool developed by ONERA in order to support the designer during the initial conceptual design phase of high-speed civil transportation aircrafts. The tool helps to evaluate the long-term sustainability of operative concepts by providing a first optimized 0D sizing (maximum takeoff mass, fuel mass, dry mass, volume, w...

This paper discloses a workflow to integrate LTO noise and sonic boom predictions since the beginning of the design of future supersonic civil aircraft. The application of state-of-the-art models to the future high-speed case study is discussed, and solutions to overcome limitations are presented. The workflow is validated against Concorde literatu...

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-3588.vid Flight Control System is considered a key enabler for future high-speed aircraft and therefore, the anticipation of its impact onto the aircraft layout and performance is crucial. On one side, a preliminary characterization of the control surfaces is essential for a precise estimate o...

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-3381.vid The possibility of establishing a new paradigm for commercial aviation towards high-speed flight in the next decades shall be inevitably preceded by the increase of Technology Readiness Level for those relevant enabling technologies associated to propulsion, thermal management and on-...

Embedded propulsion systems will allow future hypersonic aircraft to reach amazing levels of performance. However, their peculiar small-radius air-intake leading edges pose serious challenges from the aerothermodynamic, design, integration, and manufacturing standpoints. This paper discloses the methodology developed in the framework of the H2020 S...

This paper discloses the architecture and related performance of an environment control system designed to be integrated within a complex multi-functional thermal and energy management system that manages the heat loads and generation of electric power in a hypersonic vehicle by benefitting from the presence of cryogenic liquid hydrogen onboard. A...

This paper discloses an innovative methodology for the generation and update of technology roadmaps to support strategic decisions for future hypersonic transportation systems, specifically targeting non-profit oriented R&D. The methodology is fully integrated into up-to-date conceptual design activity flows. It consists of five main steps that thr...

One of the most critical regulatory issues related to supersonic flight arises from limitations imposed by community noise acceptability. The most efficient way to ensure that future supersonic aircraft will meet low-noise requirements is the verification of noise emissions from the early stages of the design process. Therefore, this paper suggests...

This paper discloses a new algorithm, called sustainable supersonic fuel flow method, to complement the conceptual design of future supersonic aircraft with pollutant and greenhouse gases emissions estimation. Starting from already existing algorithms currently used to assess the environmental impact of already developed and operating aircraft, the...

This paper aims to provide technical insights on the aerodynamic characterization activities performed in the field of the H2020 STRATOFLY project, for the Mach 8 waverider reference configuration. Considering the complexity of the configuration to be analyzed at conceptual/preliminary design stage, a build-up approach has been adopted. The complex...

As eluded in previous studies, with special reference to those carried out in the European framework, some innovative high-speed aircraft configurations have now the potential to assure an economically viable high-speed aircraft fleet. They make use of unexploited flight routes in the stratosphere, offering a solution to the presently congested fli...

This paper addresses the main progresses and achievements of the H2020 STRATOFLY Project, funded by the European Commission, under the Horizon 2020 framework, specifically looking at the latest results in terms of environmental sustainabil-ity. In particular, starting from reporting the main environmental challenges posed by high-speed civil transp...

Based on recent research activities, the cost of the propellant may represent up to the 90% of the Direct Operating Cost for a hypersonic vehicle. Therefore, it can be considered the most relevant cost item of the overall Life Cycle Cost. In this context, the paper focuses on the estimation of the cost of liquid hydrogen, one of the most promising...

Several well-established best practices and reliable tools have been developed along the years to support aircraft conceptual and preliminary design. In this context, one of the most widely used tool is the Matching Chart (MC), a graphical representation of the different performance requirements (curves representing the thrust-to-weight ratio (T/W)...

This paper describes the methodology developed by Politecnico di Torino in support to the elaboration of hypersonic and re-entry space transportation systems roadmaps, currently on going at ESA. TRIS (Technology RoadmappIng Strategy) is here presented as a collection of algorithms leading the stakeholders from the selection of a set of elements (e....

This paper presents an innovative methodology and tool developed by Politecnico di Torino and the European Space Agency (ESA) to support life cycle cost (LCC) estimation for high-speed transportation systems. This ad hoc built-in tool aims at supporting engineers in cost estimations during conceptual and preliminary design phases. This includes the...

Civil hypersonic transportation has always been hampered by the lack of range potential or a too high fuel consumption stemming from a too low cruise efficiency. Indeed, looking into the performance of classically designed high-speed vehicles, their performances drop nearly linearly with flight Mach number. Over the last years, however, radical new...

This paper addresses a methodology to parametrically size thermal control subsystems for high-speed transportation systems during the conceptual design phase. This methodology should be sufficiently general to be exploited for the derivation of Estimation Relationships (ERs) for geometrically sizing characteristics as well as mass, volume and power...

Civil high-speed transportation has always been hampered by the lack of range potential or a too high fuel consumption stemming from a too low cruise efficiency. Indeed, looking into the performance of classically designed high-speed vehicles, their performances drop nearly linearly with flight Mach number. Over the last years, however, radical new...

Purpose This paper aims to suggest feasible solutions to overcome the problem of unmanned aerial vehicles integration within the existing airspace. Design/methodology/approach It envisages innovative time-based separation procedures that will enhance the integration in the future air traffic management (ATM) system of next generation of large remo...

This paper aims at presenting an innovative tool developed by Politecnico di Torino under funding and supervision of the European Space Agency (ESA). This ad-hoc built-in tool support the designer in cost estimation during conceptual and preliminary design phases, allowing the evaluation of Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Costs (RDTE cos...

Deep Space (DS) is the new frontier for the human exploration and Moon and Mars are the acknowledged final destinations. Improving the capability of in-space transportation has been recognized as the critical enabler for a sustainable and affordable space program, also in the Near-Earth Orbit (NEO) environment. Envisioning the presence of future DS...

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step". Several critical technologies have been identified as the foundation of future exploration of the Solar System, driving the human presence beyond Low Earth Orbits. Among them, space agencies agree on the role of Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) as key enabler for manned missions to Mars to prope...

The future Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway (LOP-G) will become a key on-orbit infrastructure for the future human space exploration scenarios. This paper aims at designing and sizing reusable transportation systems aimed at supporting the activities of the future station, making benefit of the latest high-power electric propulsion technologies, curr...

Italy, as well as many other countries, has increasing interest in Commercial Space Transportation and in particular, in suborbital flights. A suborbital space transportation system is an opportunity to involve the Italian industry in the development of new technologies, exploit opportunities of microgravity experimentation and pilots/astronauts tr...

High-power Solar Electric Propulsion based on Hall thrusters of the 20kW-class will represent in the next decade an attractive propulsion option for large platforms, thanks to the foreseeable growth in the available on-board power. In addition, electric propulsion is seen today as a key enabling technology within the future deep-space and Mars expl...

Purpose This paper aims to propose a methodology for a safety and reliability assessment for the conceptual and preliminary design of very complex and disrupting innovative systems like trans-atmospheric vehicles. The proposed methodology differs from existing ones because it does not rely on statistical data at aircraft-level but exploits the stat...

Exploration technology roadmaps have been developed by ESA in the past few years and the edition of 2015 has just been released. In the context of Moon exploration initiatives and using HERACLES mission as case study, the authors will apply methodologies studied to simulate technology roadmapping activities and technologies prioritization processes...

This paper presents the very first steps of a methodology aimed at supporting the generation and update of technology roadmaps developed in close cooperation between Politecnico di Torino and the European Space Agency, here focusing on the map elements derivation and characterization in order to simplify the activities that will follow. Roadmapping...

In past few years, commercial private initiatives have developed space transportation vehicles, partially reusable, capable of missions including Earth re-entry. The interest in this kind of systems has been recently increased, considering not only the number of new technological developments relevant to hypersonic flight, but also private initiati...

The paper deals with the conceptual design and sizing of a cabin escape system to be applied to a trans-atmospheric transportation system. At first, the role of suborbital vehicles towards the development of a hypersonic transportation system is presented. From this analysis, it has been clear that one of the key points in enhancing the public cons...

Exploration technology roadmaps have been developed by ESA in the past few years and the latest edition has been released in 2015. Scope of these technology roadmaps, elaborated in consultation with the different ESA stakeholders (e.g. European Industries and Research Entities), is to provide a powerful tool for strategic, programmatic and technica...

The aim of this paper is to present the recent experience in the education of Aircraft Engineers of a very peculiar aspect, the Airplane lay-out definition, in order to provide students at first with a global vision of the plane, the capability to operate in lay-out definition and to be conscious of such a context, clearly interfaced with all other...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a definition of modern configuration for a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (MALE UAV) and its on-board systems to obtain a suitable basis for future definitions such as a possible logistic support configuration first hypothesis. Design/methodology/approach Starting from high-...

This article suggests a Model-Based Object-Oriented approach for the conceptual design of a very complex aerospace product. Indeed, the new frontiers of aerial transportation systems require integrated and multidisciplinary approaches. In particular, this paper suggests not only a proper methodology but also supports tool-chain, consisting of both...

This research is aimed at studying the possible advantages of installing, for a hybrid propulsion aircraft, electric motors and related propellers into the dedicated supplementary nacelles. This innovative solution is different from the configuration, already studied for a regional turboprop (Chiesa et al. 2013), in which the electric motors are in...

This paper proposes a methodology to derive architectures and operational concepts for future earth-to-orbit and sub-orbital transportation systems. In particular, at first, it describes the activity flow, methods, and tools leading to the generation of a wide range of alternative solutions to meet the established goal. Subsequently, the methodolog...

Top priorities in future international space exploration missions regard the achievement of the necessary maturation of enabling technologies, thereby allowing Europe to play a role commensurate with its industrial, operational and scientific capabilities. As part of the actions derived from this commitment, ESA Technology Roadmaps for Exploration...

The aim of this work is to present the design of a more environmental friendly aircraft that complies with existent and future emission regulations. Recent Market Outlooks were examined and a single engine piston prop was selected as a case study. Matching Charts were used to estimate the hybridization degree, meaning the ratio between the power pr...

The paper deals with the description of a methodology to properly perform space mission design, with particular attention to derivation of requirements.

This paper deals with a possible exploitation of a hyperspectral sensor, as an UAV integrated subsystem, in civil monitoring scenarios. Starting from the description of the hyperspectral technology, exploitation domains and possible advantages of unmanned airborne applications, this article addresses some important specific issues for monitoring sc...

The aim of this work is to establish a methodology for assessments of Reliability, Safety and Maintenance features for future UAVs, to be integrated in complex Monitoring Systems, like SMAT System. This paper highlights the high level of complexity connected to this type of assessment. In particular, one of the principal sources of difficulties is...

Volo ipersonico per l'accesso allo Spazio: concetti basici, evoluzione storica e ipotesi per un'efficiente road-map di sviluppo Trans-Tech srl, Napoli 1 Introduzione Oggi, in campo Aerospaziale e a "livello di Società", due esigenze sono sentite: un più razionale e sostenibile "accesso allo Spazio" e una generalizzata crescita di velocità e autonom...