scholarly journals A design methodology for quiet and long endurance MAV rotors

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 175682931984593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronan Serré ◽  
Hugo Fournier ◽  
Jean-Marc Moschetta
Keyword(s):  
Design Method ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Broadband Noise ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Acoustic Signature ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Long Endurance ◽  
Air Vehicles

Over the last 10 years, the use of micro air vehicles has rapidly covered a broad range of civilian and military applications. While most missions require optimizing the endurance, a growing number of applications also require acoustic covertness. For rotorcraft micro air vehicles, combining endurance and covertness heavily relies on the capability to design new propulsion systems. The present paper aims at describing a complete methodology for designing quiet and efficient micro air vehicle rotors, ranging from preliminary aerodynamic prediction to aeroacoustic optimization to experimental validation. The present approach is suitable for engineering purposes and can be applied to any multirotor micro air vehicle. A fast-response and reliable aerodynamic design method based on the blade-element momentum theory has been used and coupled with an extended acoustic model based on the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings equation as well as analytical formulations for broadband noise. The aerodynamic and acoustic solvers have been coupled within an optimization tool. Key design parameters include the number of blades, twist and chord distribution along the blade, as well as the choice of an optimal airfoil. An experimental test bench suitable for non-anechoic environment has been developed in order to assess the benefit of the new rotor designs. Optimal rotors can maintain high aerodynamic efficiency and low acoustic signature with noise reductions in the order of 10 dB(A).

scholarly journals Gust Mitigation of Micro Air Vehicles Using Passive Articulated Wings

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adetunji Oduyela ◽  
Nathan Slegers
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Validation ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Flight Test ◽  
Analytical Investigation ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Gust Alleviation ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Lifting Surfaces ◽  
Gust Mitigation ◽  
Air Vehicles

Birds and insects naturally use passive flexing of their wings to augment their stability in uncertain aerodynamic environments. In a similar manner, micro air vehicle designers have been investigating using wing articulation to take advantage of this phenomenon. The result is a class of articulated micro air vehicles where artificial passive joints are designed into the lifting surfaces. In order to analyze how passive articulation affects performance of micro air vehicles in gusty environments, an efficient 8 degree-of-freedom model is developed. Experimental validation of the proposed mathematical model was accomplished using flight test data of an articulated micro air vehicle obtained from a high resolution indoor tracking facility. Analytical investigation of the gust alleviation properties of the articulated micro air vehicle model was carried out using simulations with varying crosswind gust magnitudes. Simulations show that passive articulation in micro air vehicles can increase their robustness to gusts within a range of joint compliance. It is also shown that if articulation joints are made too compliant that gust mitigation performance is degraded when compared to a rigid system.

scholarly journals Simulating unmanned aerial vehicle swarms with the UB-ANC Emulator

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 175682931983766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jalil Modares ◽  
Nicholas Mastronarde ◽  
Karthik Dantu
Keyword(s):  
Discrete Event ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Wireless Channel ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Mobility Control ◽  
Network Simulator ◽  
Packet Losses ◽  
Coverage Path Planning ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Air Vehicles

Recent advances in multi-rotor vehicle control and miniaturization of hardware, sensing, and battery technologies have enabled cheap, practical design of micro air vehicles for civilian and hobby applications. In parallel, several applications are being envisioned that bring together a swarm of multiple networked micro air vehicles to accomplish large tasks in coordination. However, it is still very challenging to deploy multiple micro air vehicles concurrently. To address this challenge, we have developed an open software/hardware platform called the University at Buffalo’s Airborne Networking and Communications Testbed (UB-ANC), and an associated emulation framework called the UB-ANC Emulator. In this paper, we present the UB-ANC Emulator, which combines multi-micro air vehicle planning and control with high-fidelity network simulation, enables practitioners to design micro air vehicle swarm applications in software and provides seamless transition to deployment on actual hardware. We demonstrate the UB-ANC Emulator’s accuracy against experimental data collected in two mission scenarios: a simple mission with three networked micro air vehicles and a sophisticated coverage path planning mission with a single micro air vehicle. To accurately reflect the performance of a micro air vehicle swarm where communication links are subject to interference and packet losses, and protocols at the data link, network, and transport layers affect network throughput, latency, and reliability, we integrate the open-source discrete-event network simulator ns-3 into the UB-ANC Emulator. We demonstrate through node-to-node and end-to-end measurements how the UB-ANC Emulator can be used to simulate multiple networked micro air vehicles with accurate modeling of mobility, control, wireless channel characteristics, and network protocols defined in ns-3.

Teaching micro air vehicles how to fly as we teach babies how to walk

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 936-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae-Hung Han ◽  
Dong-Kyu Lee ◽  
Jun-Seong Lee ◽  
Sang-Joon Chung
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Levitation ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Constraint Forces ◽  
Minimum Requirement ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Constant Altitude ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Air Vehicles

Recently, various micro air vehicles have drawn significant attention in numerous areas including surveillance and reconnaissance. The manual control of micro air vehicles is very difficult due to their smaller profile; therefore, a stability and controllability augmentation system is a minimum requirement for stable and efficient flight. However, it is not easy to obtain an accurate numerical model for the flight dynamics of micro air vehicles in the design of the stability and controllability augmentation system. An alternative approach for the stability and controllability augmentation systems is to incorporate reinforcement learning in order to address the numerical complexity. However, in order to train micro air vehicles to learn how to fly, they must first be airborne. This article presents a new method that provides an effective environment where a micro air vehicle can learn to fly in a similar manner to an infant learning to walk. The test setup was constructed to enable the magnetic levitation of a micro air vehicle that has a permanently embedded magnet. This apparatus allows for flexible experimentation: the position and attitude of the micro air vehicle, the constraint forces, and the resulting moments are adjustable and fixable. This “ Pseudo Flight Environment” was demonstrated using a fixed-wing micro air vehicle model. Furthermore, in order for the model to maintain a constant altitude, a height hold control system was devised and implemented.

scholarly journals Development of Design and Manufacturing of a Fixed Wing Radio Controlled Micro Air Vehicle (MAV)

1970 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Hossain ◽  
F Hasan ◽  
AFMT Seraz ◽  
SA Rajib
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Analytical Data ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Design And Manufacturing ◽  
New Type ◽  
Day By Day ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Air Vehicles

Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) are a new type of aircraft maturing day by day and have reached unprecedented levels of growth recently. Similarly to larger Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), MAVs have enormous potential in applications, both military and civilian, like reconnaissance over battlefields and surveillance of urban areas, data relay, air sampling etc. This article describes the development and selection of a fixed wing MAV with the analysis of simulated results. High wing theory with NACA 4412 aerofoil’s analytical data has been used to practically predict the performance of the MAV. KEY WORDS: Fixed wing; MAV; NACA 4412; Clark Y. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/mist.v3i0.8048

scholarly journals Towards silent micro-air vehicles: optimization of a low Reynolds number rotor in hover

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 690-710
Author(s):  
Ronan Serré ◽  
Nicolas Gourdain ◽  
Thierry Jardin ◽  
Marc C. Jacob ◽  
Jean-Marc Moschetta
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Noise Reduction ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Blade Geometry ◽  
Air Vehicles

The demand in micro-air vehicles is increasing as well as their potential missions. Either for discretion in military operations or noise pollution in civilian use, noise reduction of micro-air vehicles is a goal to achieve. Aeroacoustic research has long been focusing on full scale rotorcrafts. At micro-air vehicle scales however, the hierarchization of the numerous sources of noise is not straightforward, as a consequence of the relatively low Reynolds number that ranges typically from 5000 to 100,000 and low Mach number of approximately 0.1. This knowledge, however, is crucial for aeroacoustic optimization and blade noise reduction in drones. This contribution briefly describes a low-cost, numerical methodology to achieve noise reduction by optimization of micro-air vehicle rotor blade geometry. Acoustic power measurements show a reduction of 8 dB(A). The innovative rotor blade geometry allowing this noise reduction is then analysed in detail, both experimentally and numerically with large eddy simulation using lattice Boltzmann method. Turbulence interaction noise is shown to be a major source of noise in this configuration of low Reynolds number rotor in hover, as a result of small scale turbulence and high frequency unsteady aeroadynamics impinging the blades at the leading edge.

scholarly journals A bibliometric review of progress in micro air vehicle research

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A Ward ◽  
Christopher J Fearday ◽  
Erfan Salami ◽  
Norhayati Binti Soin
Keyword(s):  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
The Us ◽  
Navigation And Control ◽  
Primary Means ◽  
Bibliometric Review ◽  
And Control ◽  
Rotary Wing ◽  
Air Vehicles

Micro air vehicle research has exponentially expanded since the first articles began to be published in the late 1990s. This article presents a comprehensive bibliometric review of journal articles published on micro air vehicle research from 1998 until 2015. The articles are classified into three types of micro air vehicle: fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and flapping-wing (biomimetic). These types are based upon their primary means of generating lift and propulsive thrust. The specific type of research in these articles is also examined, divided into subcategories of: aerodynamics; guidance, navigation, and control; propulsion; structures and materials; and system design. Numerous bibliometric indicators are presented and analyzed to understand how micro air vehicle research is expanding, which authoring organizations are leading the research, which external sponsoring organizations are providing funding, and the challenges that remain for future researchers. The analysis shows that the majority of the research articles are being written by organizations from the US, China, UK, France, and South Korea. Although biomimetic micro air vehicles are currently the most popular type of micro air vehicle, in recent years the growing popularity of rotary-wing micro air vehicles (especially as a guidance, navigation, and control test platform) has caused it to rival biomimetic micro air vehicles in popularity.

Multifunctional Structure-Battery Materials for Enhanced Performance in Small Unmanned Air Vehicles

Materials ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Thomas ◽  
Matthew T. Keennon ◽  
Aurelien DuPasquier ◽  
Muhammad A. Qidwai ◽  
Peter Matic
Keyword(s):  
Specific Energy ◽  
Flight Time ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Unmanned Air Vehicles ◽  
Battery Materials ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Thin Plastic ◽  
Battery Material ◽  
Wing Skin ◽  
Air Vehicles

We have developed a new multifunctional structure battery material that replaces unifunctional structure in a micro-air vehicle (MAV) for the purposes of increasing the flight time endurance. Multiple layers of thin plastic lithiumion bicell battery material were combined with packaging and used as wing-skin in a developmental multifunctional MAV named WASP. This WASP vehicle has successfully demonstrated 107-minutes of continuous flight. Endurance flight time increases of ∼26% are predicted for multifunctional designs using the best available (highest specific energy) battery material as wing-skin.

scholarly journals Theoretical and practical investigation into the use of a bio-inspired “click” mechanism for the flight motor of a micro air vehicle

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Tang ◽  
Xia Meng ◽  
Fuliang Zhang ◽  
Michael J Brennan ◽  
Gih-Keong Lau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Mechanical Efficiency ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Marginal Improvement ◽  
Flight Motor ◽  
Motor Structure

Recently, flapping wing micro air vehicles have received great attention with the drive to make smaller and smaller devices. This paper describes a theoretical investigation and subsequent practical implementation of a specific type of flight motor structure for this type of micro air vehicle that uses a “click” mechanism to improve mechanical efficiency. Diptera, which may use the mechanism, are the inspiration for this work. It builds on previous research into the “click” mechanism, which has been studied both from the biological and engineering points of view. It is difficult to capture the important fine details using a simple analytical model; hence, a multi-body dynamic software is used to model the device and to aid the design of a large-scale prototype. Force–deflection curves of the structure and the displacement response are obtained numerically and experimentally. The experimental and numerical results compare reasonably well, enabling the model to be used for further development and potential miniaturization of the flight motor structure. In a practical device, asymmetry occurs in the up- and down-stroke. The effects of this asymmetry are compared with previous results from analytical models. It is found that asymmetry offers a marginal improvement.

Design of a Bio-Inspired Spherical Four-Bar Mechanism for Flapping-Wing Micro Air-Vehicle Applications

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt McDonald ◽  
Sunil K. Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Flapping Motion ◽  
Wing Motion ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Flapping Mechanism

Design of flapping-wing micro air-vehicles presents many engineering challenges. As observed by biologists, insects and birds exhibit complex three-dimensional wing motions. It is believed that these unique patterns of wing motion create favorable aerodynamic forces that enable these species to fly forward, hover, and execute complex motions. From the perspective of micro air-vehicle applications, extremely lightweight designs that accomplish these motions of the wing, using just a single, or a few actuators, are preferable. This paper presents a method to design a spherical four-bar flapping mechanism that approximates a given spatial flapping motion of a wing, considered to have favorable aerodynamics. A spherical flapping mechanism was then constructed and its aerodynamic performance was compared to the original spatially moving wing using an instrumented robotic flapper with force sensors.

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