Design and Process Engineering
· Designing, construction, calculation, technology of manufacturing, technical preparation of manufacturing including assembly and testing,
· Thermal and nuclear power plant devices such as steam and combustion turbines, steam generators, steam power plants and heating plants including nuclear power stations, industrial power engineering and their environmental aspects,
· Water turbines, hydrodynamic and hydrostatic pumps, piping systems, hydroelectric power plants, and pumping stations,
· Machinary and devices for chemical industry, food-stuff industry, and biotechnological treatment lines,
· Construction, modelling and theoretical studies of machines and devices for cutting, forming machines, industrial robots, and manipulators,
· Machine parts and mechanisms, methodology of designing machine elements and working mechanisms of general application with consideration of stochastic qualities of inputs, including the application of special types of machines and devices,
· Cars, vans and lorries, buses, trailers, semi-trailers, and motorcycles,
· Combustion engines for all types of vehicle drives, simulation of combustion engine thermomechanical systems, dynamics of driving gear, engine accessories, ecology,
· Machines and devices for in-plant handling of material and handling between operations, for the mining and transport of building materials, for passenger conveyance in buildings,
· Aerodynamic calculation and designing, flight mechanics, fatigue and durability of aircraft constructions, aeroelasticity of aircraft,
· Quality of machine industry production.

prof. Ing. Václav Píštěk, DrSc.

1. Automatic execution of manoeuvres for identification and certification purposes with small aircrafts

   In the course of identification of the aerodynamic behaviour of any plane, the execution of flight test manoeuvres as are comprehensively described in respective literature (e.g. see „Flight Vehicle System Identification“ by R.V. Jategaonkar) is the method of choice. But even if the underlying theory is commonly known and accepted, the practical realization of all therein precisely described procedures is a challenge to virtually all manufacturers and pilots of small aircrafts. Since any deviation from these procedures directly results in a reduction of quality of the calculated parameters of the plane, the precise execution of these manoeuvres is indispensable. Nowadays it is state of the art to have specially trained flight test pilots executing these manoeuvres, who struggle to follow the definitions as precisely as possible. However, as identification flights imply a multi axis manipulation of flight conditions, absolute precision in manually flown manoeuvres is virtually impossible due to the limited capacity of reaction of a human being. Only the degree of deviation can be reduced by the state of training of the pilot. This Ph.D. thesis proposal focuses on the development of a small mechatronic unit consisting of sensors, actuators, computers and appropriate software that offers the functionality to fly the above mentioned manoeuvres automatically and moreover reduces the deviations between manoeuvre definition and manoeuvre execution to a minimum. The system necessarily has to affect all three main controls of a plane and shall allow actuating them independently to achieve any desirable combination of multi axis alteration of flight conditions including those that are up to now rather less preferred during conventional aircraft identification procedures. The control surfaces occasionally have to be moved abruptly and with a very high dynamic to a predetermined value which requires high forces at the actuators and a high reaction rate of the control to compensate for the inertia and friction of all control elements. But besides these physical constrains the definition of practicable manoeuvres can be free within the range of operational limits of the particular plane. Nevertheless, any manoeuvre performance must be observed and attended by a flight test pilot that in case of any occurring excess of any operational limit must be able to shut off the system immediately and without any problems to regain manual control on the flight path. For the same reason the system has to implement a highly flexible graphical and textual interface for visualization and configuration purposes that allows an easy observation of the actual state of the performed manoeuvre plus an easy way for intervention. The basic requirement to record all data is hereby unaffected and must allow the post-flight data analysis without any restrictions. Beyond this the system has to offer the possibility for quick and easy integration and disintegration into any small aircraft. This requirement results from legal restrictions in some European states where an automatic flight control for some kinds of small planes is prohibited, although the integration of an autopilot is more often simply not desired e.g. for economic or safety reasons.

   Supervisor: Jebáček Ivo, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

2. Automatic transfer of METEO-data and its utilization onboard a flying plane.

   Automatic collection, storage, and transfer of METEO-data onboard flying aircraft as well as its utilization on their FMS.

   Supervisor: Vosecký Slavomír, doc. Ing., CSc.

3. Bionics in aircraft design

   The most progressive technical solutions are inspired by nature and natural structures. The knowledge in the area of natural sciences in combination with development of new materials, technologies and computational systems enable today to transfer inspiration from natural patterns into complete technical products. The goal of this work is to creatively combined knowledge from biology with progressive engineering technologies and with up to date computational methods in the way that the aircraft primary structure will be designed with optimal distribution of weight frm the aspect of its loading. The main befit will be significant decrease of structural weight. Theoretical part of the work will be aimed at identification of promissing natural patterns and selection of aircraft parts on which those patterns could be applied. Practical output of work will be development of aircraft structure by application of bionics, up to date computational methods and new alloys and by application of progressive technologies such as Additive Layer Manufacturing.

   Supervisor: Klement Josef, doc. Ing., CSc.

4. Design, stress analyses and limit load of sandwich structures

   The main objectives of study and dioctoral thesis isto create a methodology of design sandwich structures, methods of stress analyses and calculationn of limit load. The different materials for sandwich core and all structures take into acount the composites, metal and combination . For some samples carry out the technology production and static tests.

   Supervisor: Píštěk Antonín, prof. Ing., CSc.

5. Durability of Aircraft Composite Primary Structures

   The main aim of doctoral studies should address how access to the primary aircraft full-composite structure from the life perspective. Result of the thesis should be a methodology enabling to specify the structure life as a result of cyclic loading and environmental effects. Analytical approach using experimental data is assumed. Realization of fatigue and life tests of basic samples of elements of aircraft structure is expected for experimental research. Initial task of PhD thesis should summarize the current knowledge of the behavior of composite materials, tests, define the different types of evaluation and life requirements of aviation regulations. In the next part of the PhD thesis, a methodology for life evaluation should be proposed, and selected parts should be verified experimentally and applied to the real aircraft structure.

   Supervisor: Juračka Jaroslav, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

6. Exploitation of information&communication technologies as the tools for optimization of aviation safety control systems

   The theme is oriented to optimization of the evaluation processes of aviation safety control systems.

   Supervisor: Vosecký Slavomír, doc. Ing., CSc.

7. Integration of influence of diagnostics on reliability of aircraft systems

   Ph.D. thesis will cover important topic of safety and reliability of aircraft. In particular, it is focused on the trend of integration of on-board diagnostics in the CS-23 aircraft (small transport aircraft). With an increasing complexity of modern aircraft systems, there is an increasing need to include also diagnostics of selected parameters (with expected positive impact on safety and reliability). Ph.D. thesis should provide methods and procedures for evaluation of influence of aircraft on-board diagnostic systems on safety and reliability parameters.

   Supervisor: Hlinka Jiří, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

8. Safety recommendations & measures of the Czech general aviation derived out of aircraft accidents as well as of modern technologies.

   Elaboration of effective recommendations & quantitative measures for evaluation of the Czech general aviation air traffic safety levels being derived out of the previous experience and utilizing new technologies.

   Supervisor: Vosecký Slavomír, doc. Ing., CSc.

9. Technology of pressure distribution over the wing surface for active flow field manipulation

   Active flow control is currently very progresive research area in the field of aerodynamics. Presently the algorithms are based on evaluation of integral values of variables describing flow field status. Next step is flow control with closed loop based on local distribution of flowfield variables. For this purpose there is necessary to use technology for distribution monitoring and flowfield data postprocessing in real time. The scope of the doctoral study is development of such a technology for pressure distribution over the wing measurement. Measurement in hundreds of points over the surface with high scanning frequency, real-time postprocessing of data to form of pressure distribution map and load distribution along the wingspan are main steps. The development includes design of measurement setup, sensors selection and their integartion to wing structure, development of algorithms for signal postprocessing and real conditions test - in aerodynamic tunnel and possibly on remotely controlled small UAV.

   Supervisor: Jebáček Ivo, doc. Ing., Ph.D.