Kinetic energy does not quantify the safety of personnel and materiel impacted by small UAS
Date
2015
Authors
Chahl, J.
Lucas, M.
Rosser, K.
Maguire, P.
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Conference paper
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AIAC16: 16th Australian International Aerospace Congress, 2015, pp.81-86
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16th Australian International Aerospace Congress (AIAC16) (23 Feb 2015 - 26 Feb 2015 : Melbourne, Australia)
Abstract
The rapid expansion of both the number of users of small UAS (MAVs) and the availability of MAV technology is a challenge for aviation safety regulators as well as operational aviation safety. This expansion of small UAS has the potential to reach extreme levels, with a large proportion of the population using various types of flying appliance. International bodies such as ICAO can be seen to struggle with the fundamental tenants of safety and small flying objects and have recently taken an interest in Kinetic Energy (KE) of a MAV as a measure of risk. KE has some superficially favourable characteristics. It captures the two variables of most immediate concern, speed and weight, and is a measure of energy which, when transferred to a target, does damage. We show that the inapplicability of KE as a tool for regulation stems from moving frames of reference between the target and MAV, including the relative movement of the airmass. We show that transfer of energy, its time course of transfer and matching to the target is more significant than energy. We propose that normal terrestrial law enforcement processes might be an effective deterrent in regulating dangerous MAV designs and operations that pose a threat to the public.
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Copyright 2015 Engineers Australia