Design Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Research Articles

Integrated Frame Topology Optimization Design of Small Quadrotor UAV

In recent years, the development of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) is rapid, but the development of structural design is slow, and the rack designed according to the experience of engineers still has great redundancy. With the rapid development of topology optimization and additive manufacturing, topology optimization design of integrated rack based on additive manufacturing is carried out. In the design process, manufacturing constraints are added and a variety of typical conditions to obtain the final optimization structure are considered. The influence of human empirical factors on the fuselage structure design is reduced scientifically and effectively by using this method. And the lightweight, topological and integrated design of the quadrotor frame is realized.

Reinforcement Learning for Energy-Efficient Trajectory Design of UAVs

Integrating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as aerial base stations (BSs) into terrestrial cellular networks has emerged as an effective solution to provide coverage and complement communication services in a fast and cost-effective manner. The three-dimensional (3-D) trajectories of UAVs have a remarkable impact on the performance of such networks. On the other hand, UAVs are battery limited, and thus optimizing their energy consumption is of high importance. In this regard, we propose a novel trajectory design mechanism for rotary-wing UAV-BSs in 3-D space to improve the energy efficiency of the network. In this approach, UAVs aim at maximizing an objective function that captures the tradeoff between energy consumption and throughput, while satisfying their ground users’ quality-of-service requirements. Using reinforcement learning, we model our problem as a multiarmed bandit and propose an upper confidence bound-based algorithm to solve the problem. In our proposed mechanism, UAVs autonomously choose their velocities and update their locations adapted to the system conditions without requiring the prior and full knowledge of the system. Simulation results show that our proposed approach yields significant performance gains reaching up to 33.85% in terms of improving the network throughput, and up to 95% of enhancing the energy efficiency compared to a learning-based benchmark. Comparing to a nonlearning-based approach, our proposed approach improves the throughput and energy efficiency by 46.61% and 110%, respectively.

Design and Analysis of a Novel Concept-Based Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with Ground Traversing Capability

Abstract Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a typical aircraft that is operated remotely by a human operator or autonomously by an on-board microcontroller. The UAV typically carries offensive ordnance, target designators, sensors or electronic transmitters designed for one or more applications. Such application can be in the field of defence surveillance, border patrol, search, bomb disposals, logistics and so forth. These UAVs are also being used in some other areas, such as medical purposes including for medicine delivery, rescue operations, agricultural applications and so on. However, these UAVs can only fly in the sky, and they cannot travel on the ground for other applications. Therefore, in this paper, we design and present the novel concept-based UAV, which can also travel on the ground and rough terrain as an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). This means that according to our requirement, we can use this as a quadcopter and caterpillar wheel–based UGV using a single remote control unit. Further, the current study also briefly discusses the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) SolidWorks models of the novel concept-based combined vehicle (UAV + UGV), together with a physical model of a combined vehicle (UAV + UGV) and its various components. Moreover, the kinematic analysis of a combined vehicle (UAV + UGV) has been studied, and the motion controlling kinematic equations have been derived. Then, the real-time aerial and ground motions and orientations and control-based experimental results of a combined vehicle (UAV + UGV) are presented to demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed vehicle.

Aircraft/Engine Integrated Design for an Air-superiority Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Aiming at the demand of efficient energy management for wide flight envelope of air-superiority unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), an conceptual and preliminary design of air-superiority UAV with oil-electric hybrid power was proposed based on the idea of integrated aircraft and engine modelling. The evaluation model of the UAV aerodynamic performance and the thrust requirements of full flight envelope were determined, then the matching configuration of target turbofan engine was proposed. According to general design parameters of UAV, the simulation model and constraint relations for aircraft-engine integration performance calculation were established, parameters were optimized for typical multi-mission conditions, the tactical performance of future advanced air superiority UAV was predicted. The integrated design method of air superiority UAV upon hybrid electric turbofan can also be applied to improve the performance of UAVs in service, which established in this paper has good engineering practical value.

Micro Coaxial Drone: Flight Dynamics, Simulation and Ground Testing

This paper describes the conceptual design of a micro coaxial unmanned aerial vehicle (MCR UAV v3.0) based on its flight dynamics and a simple aerodynamic analysis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In addition, a simple linear control is proposed with the pole assignment technique. The methodology proposed in this paper involves a standardized path for designing the novel micro coaxial UAV. This begins by selecting the avionics to create a primary dimensional design for a later transient and stationary CFD analysis. In effect, the mathematical model is obtained using the Newton–Euler formulation and is linearized to obtain the dynamical requirements of the vehicle. The requirements allow us to design the control scheme with a linear control technique. This process is iterative and uses a combination of flight dynamics and CFD. The control technique is based on pole assignment, ensuring a specific phase condition is used in the controller gain for the stabilization of the proposed aerial vehicle. The control scheme is analyzed once the CFD analysis is correctly performed; in this sense, the methodology proposed in this paper is capable of converging as a result of the dimensional design. This design ensures a suitable vehicle performance according to the dynamical requirements. Thus, the micro coaxial UAV is completely designed based on its flight dynamics along with a CFD analysis, generating a robust methodology.

Fuel System Design and Validation for UAV

The main goal is to develop a simple fuel system for a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), as well as to check and validate whether the simulation and theoretical values are within an acceptable range. The fuel system of Lakshya is studied as a baseline reference model. Lakshya is a remotely piloted high-speed target drone system which is used to perform discreet aerial reconnaissance of battlefield and target acquisition. Flowmaster is a 1-Dimensional (1-D) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool which is used for modelling and analyzing fluid mechanics in simple and complex piping structures as well and duct components of any scale. The fuel system of Lakshya is modelled in Flowmaster software with some modifications. The losses across each component are calculated theoretically and recorded. The losses are simulated on Flowmaster and the results are analyzed. The benefits of using Flowmaster simulation software are highlighted.

Real-time parameter identification method for a novel blended-wing-body tiltrotor UAV

An accurate aircraft dynamic model is essential for the flight control system design and flight characteristic analysis of tiltrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The unique aerodynamic interaction between the rotor and wing and the installation misalignment angles of rotor could obviously degrade the control performance of flight. However, the traditional test-bed-based identification method cannot fully simulate the real flying conditions. Thus, a real-time method based on the Error-State Kalman Filter (ESKF) is proposed to estimate the model parameters of the tiltrotor UAV. Based on the navigation information from the onboard integrated navigation system, the model parameters are augmented into the aircraft dynamic model to be estimated. Then, the observability analysis is carried out to demonstrate the convergence of the proposed method and provide the proper measurements from which the model parameters possess the best observable degree. Finally, both simulations and real flight experiments are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Control Methods and Future Challenges

With the rapid development of computer technology, automatic control technology and communication technology, research on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has attracted extensive attention from all over the world during the last decades. Particularly due to the demand of various civil applications, the conceptual design of UAV and autonomous flight control technology have been promoted and developed mutually. This paper is devoted to providing a brief review of the UAV control issues, including motion equations, various classical and advanced control approaches. The basic ideas, applicable conditions, advantages and disadvantages of these control approaches are illustrated and discussed. Some challenging topics and future research directions are raised.

Transforming 2D Radar Remote Sensor Information from a UAV into a 3D World-View

Since unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been established in geoscience as a key and accessible tool, a wide range of applications are currently being developed. However, not only the design of UAVs themselves is vital to carry out an accurate investigation, but also the sensors and the data processing are key parts to be considered. Several publications including accurate sensors are taking part in pioneer research programs, but less is explained about how they were designed. Besides the commonly used sensors such as a camera, one of the most popular ones is radar. The advantages of a radar sensor to perform research in geosciences are the robustness, the ability to consider large distances and velocity measurements. Unfortunately, these sensors are often expensive and there is a lack of methodological papers that explain how to reduce these costs. To fill this gap, this article aims to show how: (i) we used a radar sensor from the automotive field; and (ii) it is possible to reconstruct a three-dimensional scenario with a UAV and a radar sensor. Our methodological approach proposes a total of eleven stages to process the radar data. To verify and validate the process, a real-world scenario reconstruction is presented with a system resolution reaching from two to three times the radar resolution. We conclude that this research will help the scientific community to include the use of radars in their research projects and programs, reducing costs and increasing accuracy.

UAV-assisted real-time evidence detection in outdoor crime scene investigations.

Nowadays, a plethora of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designs that significantly vary in size, shape, operating flight altitude, and flight range have been developed to provide multidimensional capabilities across a wide range of military and civil applications. In the field of forensic and police applications, drones are becoming increasingly used instead of helicopters to assist field officers to search for vulnerable missing persons or to target criminals in crime hotspots, and also to provide high‐quality data for the documentation and reconstruction of the forensic scene or to facilitate evidence detection. This paper aims to examine the contribution of UAVs in real‐time evidence detection in outdoor crime scene investigations. It should be highlighted that the project innovates by providing a quantitative comparative analysis of UAV‐based and traditional search methods through the simulation of a crime scene investigation for evidence detection. The first experimental phase tested the usefulness of UAVs as a forensic detection tool by posing the dilemma of humans or drones. The second phase examined the ability of the drone to reproduce the obtained performance results in different terrains, while the third phase tested the accuracy in detection by subjecting the drone‐recorded videos to computer vision techniques. The experimental results indicate that drone deployment in evidence detection can provide increased accuracy and speed of detection over a range of terrain types. Additionally, it was found that real‐time object detection based on computer vision techniques could be the key enabler of drone‐based investigations if interoperability between drones and these techniques is achieved.

Comparative Analysis of Fixed-Wing, Rotary-Wing and Hybrid Mini Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) from the Applications Perspective

Mini Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) present distinct design challenges due to their man-portable, field-deployable profile. The implications of various unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design configurations for Mini UAS applications are discussed in this study. Fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and hybrid Mini UAS design configurations are analysed and compared based on performance parameters specified by various manufacturers to assess appropriateness for military and civil applications. Mini UAS designed for military applications can meet most requirements in the civil domain. However, the reverse is seldom feasible because of several restrictions imposed by combat conditions. Fixed-wing Mini UAS have significant limitations for military applications, primarily because of launch and recovery considerations. For civil applications, the fixed-wing configuration provides multiple advantages. The benefit of the rotary-wing configuration's compact size to overcome various battlespace restrictions for military applications does not translate to other performance parameters, and this is a serious limitation for its applications. The hybrid profile has significant design advantages that can be leveraged for both military and civil applications. The interrelation between design, end-use requirements and terrain restrictions presented in the paper provides an insight into the implications of the design configurations of Mini UAS for various applications.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of Wing in Air Flow and Air–Solid Flow Using Three Different Meshing Techniques and Comparison with Experimental Results in Wind Tunnel

The main purpose of this work is to simulate the flow of air and solid particles over a wildfire and to investigate the single and multiphase flow over the surface of a custom-designed wing with an Eppler-420 airfoil including an appendant custom-designed blended winglet. The wing is the result of a conceptual and preliminary design of a small-scale unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to assist in firefighting. The fire embers will be simulated in the Ansys Fluent commercial code as solid particles injected in the continuous phase, in an Euler–Lagrange approach. Primarily studied were the response of the model in air and air–solid flows, as well as the impact on aerodynamic efficiency due to the existence of the second phase. Moreover, the effects of unstructured, structured and mosaic poly-hexcore meshes are investigated and compared. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, were implemented using a pressure-based solver, spatial discretization was conducted with a second-order upwind scheme, and the k-omega SST (k-ω SST) turbulence model was applied. Meanwhile, the two-phase flow was simulated using the Discrete Phase Model with reflect boundary condition on the surface of the wing and two-way coupling between continuous and discrete phase. To validate the results, experiments were conducted in a subsonic wind tunnel using a 3D printed model of the wing. The results show good agreement between simulations and experiments, with the structured mesh coming closer to reality, followed by the mosaic and unstructured meshes, respectively. Finally, a reduction in the aerodynamic efficiency of the wing section is observed, due to the presence of solid particles.

URLLC in UAV-enabled multicasting systems: A dual time and energy minimization problem using UAV speed, altitude and beamwidth

Realizing ultra-high reliability for short packets in sixth-generation (6G) networks is a crucial task for network designers as classical Shannonian capacity bounds become obsolete. Moreover, for multiuser communications, due to distinct aerodynamics, the trajectory design for a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fundamentally differs from rotary-wing UAVs, which poses a challenge for systems designers. This paper addresses these challenges and relies on a fixed-wing UAV-enabled multicasting system to deliver common short blocklength ultra-reliable and low-latency (URLLC) packets to the ground nodes (GNs) using a Snake Traversal trajectory path. To accomplish this task, we consider the fly-and-communicate protocol for the UAV, where the UAV sweeps a large rectangular area to disperse a common file to GNs with obscure positions. In this vein, we investigate the dual time and energy minimization problems by presenting a quasi-optimal design of the UAV’s flying speed, altitude, and antenna beamwidth. Simulation results of numerical search reveal the optimal altitude and half-power beamwidth, which minimize the completion time and energy consumption, respectively. Moreover, for optimized beamwidth, the UAV speed monotonically increases with the altitude, whereas both the completion time and energy consumption monotonically decrease with the altitude. We also analyze the effects of the blocklength and decoding error probability on optimal UAV speed, completion time, and energy consumption. Additionally, simulation results show that for the completion time, the percentage difference between minimum UAV altitude hmin and maximum UAV altitude hmax is 195.252%, whereas for the energy consumption, the percentage difference at hmin and hmax is 196.912%. Similarly, for the completion time, the percentage difference at minimum UAV antenna beamwidth θmin and maximum UAV antenna beamwidth θmax is 181.586%, whereas for the energy consumption the percentage difference at θmin and θmax is 189.269%. This demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed technique is almost two times in reducing the completion time and the energy consumption effectively between the minimum and the maximum values of the UAV altitude and the UAV antenna beamwidth. Lastly, the results show that for both the blocklength and decoding error probability, the UAV speed monotonically increases, while completion time and energy consumption monotonically decrease.

МЕТОД СТВОРЕННЯ НАВЧАЛЬНОГО БПЛА ЛІТАКОВОГО ТИПУ ЗА ДОПОМОГОЮ 3D-ДРУКУ

The concept of specialized training unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of airplane type for operators of unmanned aerial vehicles is proposed. Training opportunities in various areas of operator training are highlighted. A method of manufacturing an airplane-type training UAV taking into account aerodynamic and weight characteristics has been developed. The developed technique is based on the production of aircraft parts using a 3D printer, which is modified to meet the requirements of small airplane-type aircraft. This technique also includes the process of selecting the most advantageous combination of materials to create a small aircraft. Tables with initial data of existing UAVs are given.The flight characteristics, aerodynamic schemes and types of engine that are most rationally suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles in accordance with this class are proposed. Based on these data, a prototype model was built, the method of UAV design was adopted, taking into account the choice of parameters of the power plant. A demonstration example of the choice of the main parameters of a training UAV taking into account the UAV under specific requirements is given. The obtained main technical characteristics of the UAV are presented. Based on the calculated data, a three-dimensional geometric model of the UAV was developed and a flight sample was made. A series of test flights of the flight model was conducted, tested in difficult weather conditions, when the wind force is about 12 m/s. The ways of using the described method of development of training and research UAVs are considered, as well as many other factors that affect 3D printing without detecting defects and problems.

Aeroelastic behaviour of a flexible morphing wing design for unmanned aerial vehicle

Aeroelastic behaviour of a flexible morphing wing design for unmanned aerial vehicle

Preliminary design of a BWB UAV for highway traffic monitoring

The current work presents the preliminary design procedure of a small-scale, fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), incorporating the novel Blended-Wing-Body (BWB) layout configuration. The UAV is designed to support a Cooperative-Intelligent Transport System (C-ITS), for monitoring traffic conditions at large national highways. The presented UAV design procedure emphasizes on both aerodynamic and stability behavior, aiming to a high aerodynamic efficiency and the satisfaction of the mission requirements. The design is supported by CFD analyses, to determine the aerodynamic and stability coefficients. Following the CFD modeling, the performance parameters of the platform are calculated. Furthermore, an internal layout study is conducted to integrate all the necessary internal components, determining the center of gravity. Finally, the overall UAV design concludes to an optimum configuration of the UAV-ITS, satisfying all the aerodynamic, stability and mission requirements.

Design and Development of Unibody Quadcopter Structure Using Optimization and Additive Manufacturing Techniques

Quadcopters represent rotary wing configuration of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with immense application potential in industrial and strategic contexts. Tradeoff between flight endurance and payload capacity renders design optimization of UAVs a critical activity with substantial impact on the application possibilities. Among the structural parts of a typical Quadcopter, the central body frame constitutes major portion of the total weight. The present study aims at reduction of the frame weight while conforming with structural integrity requirements, through an integrated approach involving topology optimization, part consolidation and design for additive manufacturing (DFAM). Commercial UAV designs consist of multiple parts and fastening elements that necessitate considerable time and effort for assembly. This study reengineers the frame as a monocoque structure with desirable outcomes of weight reduction and less assembly time. The reengineered Quadcopter structure is manufactured through Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and characterized with reference to structural, vibrational and fatigue characteristics. Concomitant application of modal analysis, computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing reveals close match between theoretical estimates and experimental results. Assembly and field trials of the monocoque Quadcopter structure affirm betterment of operational superiority and endurance vis-a-vis commercial UAV designs.

Application and evaluation of the technical condition of composite materials in aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles by acoustic emission method of nondestructive testing

Introduction. The paper analyzes the application of composite materials as the main determining method of reducing the mass of the airframe and an unmanned aerial vehicle. Advanced nondestructive testing methods provide assessing the technical condition of these materials, as well as determining stress concentrators on the airframe and an unmanned aerial vehicle with high accuracy in order to make a decision on the further operation of this object under control. The objective of the work was to increase the accuracy and efficiency of the assessment of crack resistance of composite materials through the acoustic emission control.Materials and Methods. This paper presents the nomenclature of composite materials used in the construction of various aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles. The most possible probable defects of these materials due to the influence of operational factors are presented. The applied methods of nondestructive testing of composite material and selection of the most suitable one according to specific advantages were compared. An experiment was carried out to determine the strength limits of carbon fiber using a hardware and software complex by acoustic emission method. The research results are presented in the form of drawings projected by the hardware and software complex.Results. The application of the acoustic-emission method of composite material control is described.Discussion and Conclusions. The results obtained experimentally can be used in the process of determining the strength limits of various composite materials by the acoustic emission method of nondestructive testing to assess the technical condition in mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, and aircraft construction. The paper is recommended to researchers involved in the design of aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Method of calibration mems accelerometer and magnetometer for increasing the accuracy determination angular orientation of satellite antenna reflector

The paper is devoted to the measurement errors investigation that arise due to the influence of MEMS accelerometers' nonlinear characteristics. They appear at large inclination angles of the antenna system support-rotary platform, as well as in the presence of a magnetic inclination, which is due to the peculiarity of the Earth's magnetic field for the magnetometer. The study was conducted to assess the possibility of using such devices to increase the accuracy of a satellite antenna control with a classic rotary platform. The experimental setup for researching the parameters of MEMS sensors allows comparison of measurement results with data obtained from precision optical encoder. The experimental results show the main sources of MEMS sensors errors. An accuracy increasing method of antenna system angular position determining using a triaxial accelerometer and a magnetometer is proposed. The main advantage of the proposed estimation vector determining approach using the least squares method is the possibility of carrying out the calibration procedure without reference to the coordinate system. The method makes it possible to get rid of the zero offset error, as well as compensate for the non-unit scale of the sensor axes and the error of the magnetometer angular orientation. This method can be used for many applications including robotics, design of unmanned aerial vehicles and many other technical systems. The proposed method makes it possible to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of such systems.

Metaheuristic Based Data Gathering Scheme for Clustered UAVs in 6G Communication Network

The sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication networks are anticipated in integrating aerial, terrestrial, and maritime communication into a robust system to accomplish trustworthy, quick, and low latency needs. It enables to achieve maximum throughput and delay for several applications. Besides, the evolution of 6G leads to the design of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in providing inexpensive and effective solutions in various application areas such as healthcare, environment monitoring, and so on. In the UAV network, effective data collection with restricted energy capacity poses a major issue to achieving high quality network communication. It can be addressed by the use of clustering techniques for UAVs in 6G networks. In this aspect, this study develops a novel metaheuristic based energy efficient data gathering scheme for clustered unmanned aerial vehicles (MEEDG-CUAV). The proposed MEEDG-CUAV technique intends in partitioning the UAV networks into various clusters and assign a cluster head (CH) to reduce the overall energy utilization. Besides, the quantum chaotic butterfly optimization algorithm (QCBOA) with a fitness function is derived to choose CHs and construct clusters. The experimental validation of the MEEDG-CUAV technique occurs utilizing benchmark dataset and the experimental results highlighted the better performance over the other state of art techniques interms of different measures.