Nielsen Engineering & Research (NEAR) is proposing to develop an innovative controllable drogue system based on their CDC7 technology. During the Phase I effort, a second generation CDC7 design, which meets the Navy's specific needs, will be developed through numerical analysis and full-scale wind tunnel testing. System feasibility will be demonstrated through dynamic simulations that include the tanker, hose, controllable drogue, sensors, receiver, and atmospheric turbulence. These analyses will demonstrate that NEAR's controllable drogue system can maintain the refueling basket at a specified stabilized location relative to the tanker even in severe atmospheric conditions. In addition to this aerodynamic performance, the proposed drogue system is reliable, durable (minimizing FOD potential), lightweight, compatible with existing USN/USAF refueling systems, and requires no receiver modifications. While the proposed work plan is very ambitious, it is made achievable through the use of 1) NEAR's existing refueling technology and numerical modeling capabilities, 2) a development team with significant experience in the field of aerial refueling, and 3) external funding from a commercialization partner that is established in the aerial refueling industry. The Phase I program will provide a strong foundation for subsequent development and flight testing of the controllable drogue in the Phase II contract.
Benefit: Development of a successful controllable drogue system will increase the safety and effectiveness of aerial refueling for both manned and unmanned aircraft. The proposed system will 1) reduce missed hookups, 2) reduce pilot work load, 3) improve operations in adverse weather, and 4) increase the efficiency of refueling operations. Reducing the time required to refuel a squadron of aircraft will allow each tanker asset to support a greater number of receivers and will reduce the time and fuel wasted by the squadron waiting for the last receiver to refuel. The controllable drogue technology can also be applied to military and commercial fields involving towed underwater objects.
Keywords: controllable Drogue, controllable Drogue, aerial refueling, autonomous aerial refueling
