Abstract
Assisting in the starting procedure of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is one of many very important areas of modern aviation research. Supported start-up saves fuel or electrical energy, increases operator safety and level of autonomy, extends the application area, and, in some applications, even enables the operator to shape the motion characteristics of the initial phase of a UAV’s flight. Currently used solutions, depending on an aircraft’s class, are based on the utilization of rubber, pneumatic or electromagnetic launchers. All of these launchers are used for the medium class of UAVs and all of them use the potential energy previously stored in stretched rubber, compressed air or electrical voltage. In this paper, authors propose the novel concept of a launcher powered through kinetic energy stored in a rotary wheel driven by an electric motor. Using the transmission systems of the drive and the controlled clutch and an electromagnetic brake, it is possible to precisely control the speed and acceleration of the launched object. Within the paper, the authors present and discuss the applied equations of dynamics, the results of a simulation that was carried out using the MATLAB/Simulink software and a conceptual CAD model of preliminary engineering solutions for the kinetic UAV launcher. The work is summarized in the conclusions section, which details the practical implementation of the device.
Highlights
Many different types of devices are used nowadays in the starting procedures of UnmannedAerial Vehicles (UAVs)
Aircraft with a mass less than 10 kg can be thrown by operators but that can expose them to injury since the wings or propellers sometimes have sharp edges
In order to describe how the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) disengages from the launcher, we have introduced a launching carriage/UAV separation function f sep (t) which can be expressed in the following manner: (
Summary
Many different types of devices are used nowadays in the starting procedures of Unmanned. Great energy stored through compressing air makes it possible to launch UAVs weighing several dozen or even hundreds of kilograms [7] The construction of such devices requires the use of special carriage to which the airplane being launched can be attached during the starting phase. Steam driven devices are used in starting procedures, especially in respect to large flying objects They are most commonly used on aircraft carriers to assist the launch of big manned aircraft and unmanned tactical airplanes weighing up to several dozen tons [7]. The storing of kinetic energy through the utilization of rotating flywheels has been known for a long time Their simple mechanical design ensure high reliability and durability while the transfer of torque from such a source is possible through the use of different forms of clutches [23]. Active electromagnetic clutches and brakes provide some new possibilities for using stored rotational energy to power UAV launchers
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