Special Session V: Lighter-Than-Air Systems.
Every country around the globe needs an enduring and reliable silent eye in the air for defense purposes and a green-aviation technology for civil applications. One of the potential solutions to meet both requirements is Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) Systems. The two main types of LTA systems are Aerostats (consisting of an aerodynamically shaped un-powered balloon tethered to a ground station) and Airships (free flying balloons that have a powerplant and a three-axis control system).
Despite their initial popularity in the early 20th century, the use of Aerostats for aerial surveillance, and Airships for transportation and other purposes declined in the following decades due to safety concerns, cost, and the development of more efficient aircraft. With advancements in technology and the need for sustainable aerial platform and green transportation systems, Aerostats and Airships have once again gained attention as a potential solution.
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in LTA Systems, particularly for their potential as a greener alternative to conventional modes of aerial platforms and air transportation. Aerostats are much more cost effective and easily re-locatable and re-furbishable as compared to satellites, and they have much large endurance compared to UAVs. Airships are being considered as an alternative to traditional shipping methods, as they can carry large payloads over long distances while using significantly less fuel than airplanes or ships. Airships have a unique set of advantages compared to other forms of aircraft, including their ability to stay aloft for long periods of time and their ability to carry heavy loads over long distances. They also have a unique aesthetic appeal and can be used in a variety of creative ways. As the demand for sustainable and low-emission transportation solutions continues to grow, airships are poised to play an increasingly important role.
The design and development of Aerostats and Airships involve multiple disciplines that are associated with each other. There are many technical challenges related to the design, engineering, operations, performance, economics, business models, and regulations & policy that need to be addressed to achieve the most reliable LTA systems.
This session on LTA Systems aims to foster discussion and exchange of ideas among researchers and practitioners in the field and to contribute to the development of this technology and its applications.
* Lighter-than-Air Systems
* Airships
* Aerostats
* Hybrid Airships
* Tethered Aerostat Systems
* Cargo Airships
Please submit paper here https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icmae2024 and choose special session V. Lighter-Than-Air Systems.
Chairman:
Dr. Rajkumar S. Pant
Prof. Rajkumar S. Pant has been a member of faculty of Aerospace Engineering Department at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay since December 1989. He has also worked for five years in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in the Design & Engineering Department at Kanpur (3.5 years) and Nasik (1.5 years) Divisions. Prof. Pant is an alumnus of College of Aeronautics, Cranfield University, UK, where he earned his Ph.D. under Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme, and IIT Madras, where he did his Masters in Aeronautical Engineering.
He has published and presented > 260 scientific papers, of which > 190 are in international journals and conferences. He was a visiting faculty for a year each at Nanyang Technological University in 2016, and Virginia Tech in 2010-11. He has also carried out several short-term assignments at several top-ranking institutes and universities all over the world such as Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, Brazil in 2012, Texas A&M University in 2011, Cambridge University in 2008, and Imperial College London in 2006. In 2102, he was appointed as a Special Visiting Researcher under the Science Without Borders program of the Brazilian Government for a three-year project.
Prof. Pant was honored with the Uttarakhand Science Pioneer Award at the 17th State Science Congress of Uttarakhand held in February 2023. He has won three awards for excellence in teaching at IIT Bombay, viz., Departmental Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2022, Hotchand and Jamunabai Lala Teaching Award in 2021, and D P Joshi Excellent Teacher Award in 2014. He received Special Recognition in Academic Excellence (Faculty-National category) award by Institution of Engineers (India) in January 2021. In 2019, he was felicitated by Institution of Engineers (India) as an Eminent Engineering personality in Aerospace Engineering.
Email: rpant@iitb.ac.in