MEMS for Aerospace Applications

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "A:Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 April 2019) | Viewed by 26458

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
Interests: microsystems; sensing (inertial, flow, load, strain); design of MEMS; data processing; modeling of coupled micro and macro systems; packaging of microsensors; MEMS for turbulence control; microfabrication; non-conventional microfabrication; rapid prototyping; migration from auto to aero; reliability of MEMS; failure models; test methodologies
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Dear Colleagues,

Aerospace is a quality-based industry that follows very strict rules with regards to safety of the equipment. These features did not make the aerospace a suitable candidate for aerospace industry. The heavy development of sensors used in the mass production of ground transportation vehicles provided some support towards the implementation of low-mass sensing devices in the aerospace industry. It is well known that the main concern of the aerospace industry is mass. Any safety-related equipment installed on an aircraft will add significant mass unless those systems are microsystems. Once the first inertial, pressure, temperature or flow sensors were implemented on prototypes, the concept of microsystems in the aerospace industry gained more interest. Thus, pressure and flow sensors that could be installed to feed data during flight missions from the LP or even HP comoressor within the engine were developed. The major advantage of this technology was expanded into the cockpit, where most of the apparata are screens connected to a computation unit, which yields the needed information in the classic format of a dial indicator.

The Special Issue of Micromachines is intended to open debate about the present realizations in the  aerospace field and come up with futuristic concepts that have the potential of being implemented. Contributions in all above areas are welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Ion Stiharu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Micro-sensors for aerospace applications
  • micro-systems for harsh environment
  • micro-actuators
  • energy harvesting systems
  • boundary layer modifiers
  • MEMS sensors
  • MEMS actuators
  • MEMS energy haversting
  • sensors for harsh enviroment
  • SiC MEMS
  • SiCN MEMS

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 13795 KiB  
Article
MEMS Deformable Mirrors for Space-Based High-Contrast Imaging
by Rachel E. Morgan, Ewan S. Douglas, Gregory W. Allan, Paul Bierden, Supriya Chakrabarti, Timothy Cook, Mark Egan, Gabor Furesz, Jennifer N. Gubner, Tyler D. Groff, Christian A. Haughwout, Bobby G. Holden, Christopher B. Mendillo, Mireille Ouellet, Paula do Vale Pereira, Abigail J. Stein, Simon Thibault, Xingtao Wu, Yeyuan Xin and Kerri L. Cahoy
Micromachines 2019, 10(6), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10060366 - 31 May 2019
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 6903
Abstract
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Deformable Mirrors (DMs) enable precise wavefront control for optical systems. This technology can be used to meet the extreme wavefront control requirements for high contrast imaging of exoplanets with coronagraph instruments. MEMS DM technology is being demonstrated and developed in [...] Read more.
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Deformable Mirrors (DMs) enable precise wavefront control for optical systems. This technology can be used to meet the extreme wavefront control requirements for high contrast imaging of exoplanets with coronagraph instruments. MEMS DM technology is being demonstrated and developed in preparation for future exoplanet high contrast imaging space telescopes, including the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission which supported the development of a 2040 actuator MEMS DM. In this paper, we discuss ground testing results and several projects which demonstrate the operation of MEMS DMs in the space environment. The missions include the Planet Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Recoverable Experiment (PICTURE) sounding rocket (launched 2011), the Planet Imaging Coronagraphic Technology Using a Reconfigurable Experimental Base (PICTURE-B) sounding rocket (launched 2015), the Planetary Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Recoverable Experiment - Coronagraph (PICTURE-C) high altitude balloon (expected launch 2019), the High Contrast Imaging Balloon System (HiCIBaS) high altitude balloon (launched 2018), and the Deformable Mirror Demonstration Mission (DeMi) CubeSat mission (expected launch late 2019). We summarize results from the previously flown missions and objectives for the missions that are next on the pad. PICTURE had technical difficulties with the sounding rocket telemetry system. PICTURE-B demonstrated functionality at >100 km altitude after the payload experienced 12-g RMS (Vehicle Level 2) test and sounding rocket launch loads. The PICTURE-C balloon aims to demonstrate 10 - 7 contrast using a vector vortex coronagraph, image plane wavefront sensor, and a 952 actuator MEMS DM. The HiClBaS flight experienced a DM cabling issue, but the 37-segment hexagonal piston-tip-tilt DM is operational post-flight. The DeMi mission aims to demonstrate wavefront control to a precision of less than 100 nm RMS in space with a 140 actuator MEMS DM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS for Aerospace Applications)
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20 pages, 6349 KiB  
Article
Research on Low-Cost Attitude Estimation for MINS/Dual-Antenna GNSS Integrated Navigation Method
by Hailu Wang, Ning Liu, Zhong Su and Qing Li
Micromachines 2019, 10(6), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10060362 - 30 May 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3194
Abstract
A high-precision navigation system is required for an unmanned vehicle, and the high-precision sensor is expensive. A low-cost, high-precision, dual-antenna Global Navigation Satellite System/Micro-electromechanical Systems-Inertial Navigation System (GNSS/MINS) combination method is proposed. The GNSS with dual antennas provides velocity, position, and attitude angle [...] Read more.
A high-precision navigation system is required for an unmanned vehicle, and the high-precision sensor is expensive. A low-cost, high-precision, dual-antenna Global Navigation Satellite System/Micro-electromechanical Systems-Inertial Navigation System (GNSS/MINS) combination method is proposed. The GNSS with dual antennas provides velocity, position, and attitude angle information as the measurement information is combined with the MINS. By increasing the heading angle, pitch angle, velocity, the accuracy of the integrated system is improved. The Extended Kalman Filtering (EKF) integrated algorithm simulation is designed to verify the feasibility and is realized based on the Field Programmable Gate Array and Advanced RISC Machine (ARM+FPGA) system. Static and dynamic tests were performed using the Synchronous Position, Attitude and Navigation (SPAN-CPT) as a reference system. The results show that the velocity, position, and attitude angle accuracy were improved. The yaw angle and pitch angle accuracy were 0.2° Root Mean Square (RMS) and 0.3° RMS, respectively. The method can be used as a navigation system for the unmanned vehicle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS for Aerospace Applications)
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12 pages, 9790 KiB  
Article
Fabrications of L-Band LiNbO3-Based SAW Resonators for Aerospace Applications
by Baofa Hu, Shaoda Zhang, Hong Zhang, Wenlong Lv, Chunquan Zhang, Xueqin Lv and Haisheng San
Micromachines 2019, 10(6), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10060349 - 28 May 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5728
Abstract
High frequency surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology offers many opportunities for aerospace applications in passive wireless sensing and communication. This paper presents the design, simulation, fabrication, and test of an L-band SAW resonator based on 128° Y-X LiNbO3 substrate. The design [...] Read more.
High frequency surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology offers many opportunities for aerospace applications in passive wireless sensing and communication. This paper presents the design, simulation, fabrication, and test of an L-band SAW resonator based on 128° Y-X LiNbO3 substrate. The design parameters of SAW resonator were optimized by the finite element (FEM) method and the coupling-of-mode (COM) theory. Electron-beam lithography (EBL) technology was used to fabricate the submicron-scale of interdigital transducers (IDTs) and grating reflectors. The effects of some key EBL processes (e.g., the use of electron beam resist, the choice of metal deposition methods, the charge-accumulation effect, and the proximity-effect) on the fabrication precision of SAW devices were discussed. Experimentally, the LiNbO3-based SAW resonators fabricated using improved EBL technology exhibits a Rayleigh wave resonance peaks at 1.55 GHz with return loss about −12 dB, and quality factor Q is 517. Based on this SAW resonator, the temperature and strain sensing tests were performed, respectively. The experimental results exhibit a well linear dependence of temperature/strain on frequency-shift, with a temperature sensitivity of 125.4 kHz/°C and a strain sensitivity of −831 Hz/με, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS for Aerospace Applications)
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17 pages, 11166 KiB  
Article
A New Time–Frequency Feature Extraction Method for Action Detection on Artificial Knee by Fractional Fourier Transform
by Tianrun Wang, Ning Liu, Zhong Su and Chao Li
Micromachines 2019, 10(5), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10050333 - 20 May 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2802
Abstract
With the aim of designing an action detection method on artificial knee, a new time–frequency feature extraction method was proposed. The inertial data were extracted periodically using the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the prosthesis, and the features were extracted [...] Read more.
With the aim of designing an action detection method on artificial knee, a new time–frequency feature extraction method was proposed. The inertial data were extracted periodically using the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the prosthesis, and the features were extracted from the inertial data after fractional Fourier transform (FRFT). Then, a feature vector composed of eight features was constructed. The transformation results of these features after FRFT with different orders were analyzed, and the dimensions of the feature vector were reduced. The classification effects of different features and different orders are analyzed, according to which order and feature of each sub-classifier were designed. Finally, according to the experiment with the prototype, the method proposed above can reduce the requirements of hardware calculation and has a better classification effect. The accuracies of each sub-classifier are 95.05%, 95.38%, 91.43%, and 89.39%, respectively; the precisions are 78.43%, 98.36%, 98.36%, and 93.41%, respectively; and the recalls are 100%, 93.26%, 86.96%, and 86.68%, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS for Aerospace Applications)
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15 pages, 6709 KiB  
Article
Hypersonic Aerodynamic Force Balance Using Micromachined All-Fiber Fabry–Pérot Interferometric Strain Gauges
by Huacheng Qiu, Fu Min, Yanguang Yang, Zengling Ran and Jinxin Duan
Micromachines 2019, 10(5), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10050316 - 11 May 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3365
Abstract
This paper presents high-sensitivity, micromachined all-fiber Fabry–Pérot interferometric (FFPI) strain gauges and their integration in a force balance for hypersonic aerodynamic measurements. The FFPI strain gauge has a short Fabry–Pérot cavity fabricated using an excimer laser etching process, and the deformation of the [...] Read more.
This paper presents high-sensitivity, micromachined all-fiber Fabry–Pérot interferometric (FFPI) strain gauges and their integration in a force balance for hypersonic aerodynamic measurements. The FFPI strain gauge has a short Fabry–Pérot cavity fabricated using an excimer laser etching process, and the deformation of the cavity is detected by a white-light optical phase demodulator. A three-component force balance, using the proposed FFPI gauges as sensing elements, was fabricated, calibrated, and experimentally evaluated. To reduce thermal output of the balance, a simple and effective self-temperature compensation solution, without external temperature sensors, is proposed and examined through both oven heating and wind tunnel runs. As a result of this approach, researchers are able to use the balance continuously throughout a wide range of temperatures. During preliminary testing in a hypersonic wind tunnel with a free stream Mach number of 12, the measurement accuracies of the balance were clearly improved after applying the temperature self-compensation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS for Aerospace Applications)
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10 pages, 4168 KiB  
Article
Research on In-Flight Alignment for Micro Inertial Navigation System Based on Changing Acceleration using Exponential Function
by Yun Xu and Tong Zhou
Micromachines 2019, 10(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10010024 - 30 Dec 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2712
Abstract
In order to guarantee the stable flight of a guided projectile, it is difficult to realize in-flight alignment for the micro inertial navigation system (MINS) during its short flight time. In this paper, a method based on changing acceleration using exponential function is [...] Read more.
In order to guarantee the stable flight of a guided projectile, it is difficult to realize in-flight alignment for the micro inertial navigation system (MINS) during its short flight time. In this paper, a method based on changing acceleration using exponential function is proposed. First, double-vector observations were derived. Then the initial attitude for the guided projectiles was estimated by the regressive quaternion estimation (QUEST) algorithm. Further, the estimated errors were analyzed, and the reason for using the changing acceleration for the in-flight alignment was explained. A simulation and semi-physical experiment was performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results showed that the initial attitude error for the rolling angle was about 0.35°, the pitch angle was about 0.1° and the heading angle was about 0.6°, in which the initial shooting angle was between 15° and 55°. In future studies, the field experiments will be carried out to test the stability of the proposed in-flight alignment for guided projectiles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS for Aerospace Applications)
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