remotely piloted aircraft systems (rpas) beyond line of sight … · 2016. 11. 21. · remotely...

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS)

Applications

Royal Aeronautical Society HQ Lecture

11 March 2015

Dr Joseph Barnard [email protected]

Barnard Microsystems Limited Unit 4, 44 – 54 Coleridge Road

London N8 8ED U.K.

mailto:[email protected]

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)... by Barnard Microsystems Limited 2

RPAS BLOS applications • Oil, gas and mineral

geophysical survey work

• Oil pipeline and linear infrastructure monitoring

• Land and maritime border patrol

• Small cargo operations

RPAS VLOS Applications

AUVSI March 2015


Remotely Piloted Aircraft System BLOS applications We will consider civilian RPA, as shown here, operating Beyond Line Of Sight in: • Oil, gas and mineral geophysical survey (“GS”) work • Oil pipeline and linear infrastructure monitoring • Land and maritime border patrol • Small cargo operations • Financial aspects


In a geomagnetic survey, the Users want a mapping of the Earth’s magnetic field.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)... by Barnard Microsystems Limited 5 Results from the UASatCom Feasibility Study 5 Results from the UASatCom Feasibility Study 5 Barnard

In a geomagnetic survey, the User wants a mapping of the Earth’s magnetic field.


How are airborne Geomagnetic Surveys (“GS”) performed today?


In an airborne GS, the aircraft need to fly from 20m to 80m Above Ground Level...


From a presentation by James Macnae at SEG 2006

One would also like the survey to be performed at night • when the electrical and magnetic noise levels are lowest.

Quiet period from midnight to noon


So why not use a Remotely Piloted Aircraft to perform a geophysical survey?

The GeoRanger was based on the InSitu ScanEagle, and was used in

geomagnetic surveys in Canada.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)... by Barnard Microsystems Limited 10 Results from the UASatCom Feasibility Study 10

An RPA operating BLOS in a remote area needs a satcoms data relay link This is what is referred to as the Remotely Piloted Aircraft SYSTEM


The sensors carried on an RPA engaged in a geophysical survey can be expensive The crash of an RPA carrying these expensive sensors will clearly impact the business case: a Headwall HyperSpec SWIR hyperspectral camera costs around $ 95,000

two Scintrex CS-3SL Cesium beam magnetometers, each costing $ 20,200

A Reigl VUX-1 geophysical survey grade LIDAR unit costs in the region of € 85,000

RPA survivability is critical: we need a reliable RPA, and a robust and adaptive autopilot.


Remotely Piloted Aircraft System BLOS applications We will consider civilian RPA, as shown here, operating Beyond Line Of Sight in: • Oil, gas and mineral geophysical survey work • Oil pipeline and linear infrastructure monitoring (“PM”) • Land and maritime border patrol • Small cargo operations • Financial aspects


An oil and gas production service involves the monitoring of oil and gas pipelines

The User needs to: • routinely monitor several 100+ km

stretches of oil pipeline;

• at least once every 2 weeks;

• and detect and identify people, vehicles and other nearby objects.

Above: timely (within 15 minutes) detection of an oil leak from a pipeline contributes to a societal benefit associated with reduced environmental pollution.


Above: timely (within 15 minutes) detection of an oil leak from a pipeline contributes to a societal benefit associated with reduced environmental pollution.

The User needs to: • routinely monitor several 100+ km

stretches of oil pipeline;

• at least once every 2 weeks;

• and detect and identify people, vehicles and other nearby objects.

An oil and gas production service involves the monitoring of oil and gas pipelines

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)... by Barnard Microsystems Limited 15 Results from the UASatCom Feasibility Study 15

In PM, the User needs to be notified of vehicles and people in the Right of Way


The oil pipeline must be monitored at times in extreme climatic conditions

Part of the Trans Alaska Pipeline

Severe weather conditions in the Arctic: total darkness (in winter time)

temperatures: drop to -40°C

spray icing (wing icing)

snow and ice

In North Africa and in the Middle East, an unmanned aircraft could encounter: temperatures that reach +50°C fine dust

abrasive sand storms. Pipeline in Saudi Arabia


High performance, commercially available, sensors are typically used.

Side looking photo from an aircraft travelling at 30 mph, with no image enhancement.

Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR camera body

8,688 x 5,792 Pixels = 50.3 MPixels

computer interface and control via USB 2

price > £ 3,500

Canon EF 70 - 200mm f/2.8L IS zoom lens

viewing angle = 10° x 7° at 200mm

4 stop image stabilisation

price = £ 1,671


How are pipeline monitoring services performed today?

PM in Saudi Arabia

PM in Nigeria

PM in the USA

PM in Azerbaijan

http://www.airportjournals.com/Photos/0603/X/0603019_2.jpg


An RPA operating BLOS needs a single hop satellite based data relay link. This is the RPA SYSTEM for use in BLOS oil pipeline monitoring work.


Remotely Piloted Aircraft BLOS applications We will consider civilian RPA, as shown here, operating Beyond Line Of Sight in: • Oil, gas and mineral geophysical survey work • Oil pipeline and linear infrastructure monitoring • Land and maritime border patrol • Small cargo operations • Financial aspects


The satcoms terminal must support a data rate in excess of 8 Mbit/sec in order to relay high definition video on demand. Example of a satellite communications dish on a large military RPA: in this case, a General Atomics Predator.

In border patrol work, the RPA needs to use a high data rate satcoms terminal.


The high data rate satcoms terminal is used to relay real time video from the RPA.


In land and maritime border patrol work: • An RPA on border patrol will typically fly at 8,000 to 12,000 feet above Mean Sea Level

• A L band satcoms terminal, such as the Cobham SB 200 terminal shown on the left hand

side, is used to relay lower data rate mission critical Command and Control data.

• A high data rate satcoms unit, such as the $350,000 Viasat terminal shown on the right hand side, is needed to relay the payload high definition video data.


The Ka band satcoms unit is used in addition to the C2 link L band terminal...


Remotely Piloted Aircraft BLOS applications • Oil, gas and mineral geophysical survey work • Oil pipeline and linear infrastructure monitoring • Land and maritime border patrol • Small cargo operations • Financial aspects


Small cargo operations Developing industry targets • < $3,000 per platform • < 60¢ per km per 10 kg package • Small cargoes of around 20 kg • warehouse to village ready • Swissair, FedEx and others are interested

- from The Flying Donkey Competition


Remotely Piloted Aircraft System BLOS applications We will consider civilian RPA, as shown here, operating Beyond Line Of Sight in: • Oil, gas and mineral geophysical survey work • Oil pipeline and linear infrastructure monitoring • Land and maritime border patrol • Small cargo operations • Financial aspects


Estimated price for a suitable RPA with 4 kg payload and 700 km range.

4 kg x 700 km = 2,800 kg.km and price = 0.921 * 2,800^0.6 = $ 108k FY_02 = $ 131.5k FY_10


The cost of Remotely Piloted Aircraft systems versus the cost of a light aircraft

Cessna aircraft: prices scaled to FY_02


“Human error causes most Predator crashes” Air Force researcher finds that biggest problem is operator mistakes.

Above: Col. Charles W. Manley, commander of the 163d Maintenance Group,163d Reconnaissance Wing, pilots a training simulator for the Air Force's MQ-1 Predator at the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, Calif., in June. Research shows that most Predator mishaps are the result of: • inadequate skills • lack of teamwork • lack of situational awareness.


From presentation by Dubi Lavi at AUVSI Israel Chapter Conference, 20-23 March 2012.

Even with training, human error remains a notable cause of RPA crashes


Rockwell Collins have demonstrated the use of real time adaptive flight control

to continue flying, and then landing, a severely damaged model aircraft.


Conclusions • Most of the requirements for remotely piloted aircraft operating BLOS in oil, gas and

mineral exploration and production activities can be achieved with current technology.

• One needs to exercise caution in the business case, and especially with the capital cost of remotely piloted aircraft in the light of the Non Recurring Engineering costs.

• More and more companies and Government Organizations are becoming interested in the use of remotely piloted aircraft systems in their day to day operations.

• HOWEVER, one requirement that occurs almost without exception in BLOS operations

in un-segregated air space is the need for a reliable collision detect and avoid system. I can be contacted at [email protected] Acknowledgements Much of this work was supported by: • the U.K. Technology Strategy Board in the form of the INMARA Intelligent Machine

Reasoning and Action Proof of Concept Project, TSB Reference number 710158, and • the UASatCom Feasibility Study, contract number 4000103768, and the SURMON Demo

Project, contract number 4000107665, both supported by the European Space Agency.

mailto:[email protected]

remotely piloted aircraft systems (rpas) beyond line of sight … · 2016. 11. 21. · remotely...

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