Design of Unmanned Aerial Systems

Mohammad H. Sadraey, Peter Belobaba, Jonathan Cooper, Allan Seabridge

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781119508625
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Mechanical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Provides a comprehensive introduction to the design and analysis of unmanned aircraft systems with a systems perspective

Written for students and engineers who are new to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle design, this book teaches the many UAV design techniques being used today and demonstrates how to apply aeronautical science concepts to their design.

Design of Unmanned Aerial Systems covers the design of UAVs in three sections—vehicle design, autopilot design, and ground systems design—in a way that allows readers to fully comprehend the science behind the subject so that they can then demonstrate creativity in the application of these concepts on their own. It teaches students and engineers all about: UAV classifications, design groups, design requirements, mission planning, conceptual design, detail design, and design procedures. It provides them with in-depth knowledge of ground stations, power systems, propulsion systems, automatic flight control systems, guidance systems, navigation systems, and launch and recovery systems. Students will also learn about payloads, manufacturing considerations, design challenges, flight software, microcontroller, and design examples. In addition, the book places major emphasis on the automatic flight control systems and autopilots.

• Provides design steps and procedures for each major component
• Presents several fully solved, step-by-step examples at component level
• Includes numerous UAV figures/images to emphasize the application of the concepts
• Describes real stories that stress the significance of safety in UAV design
• Offers various UAV configurations, geometries, and weight data to demonstrate the real-world applications and examples
• Covers a variety of design techniques/processes such that the designer has freedom and flexibility to satisfy the design requirements in several ways
• Features many end-of-chapter problems for readers to practice

Design of Unmanned Aerial Systems is an excellent text for courses in the design of unmanned aerial vehicles at both the upper division undergraduate and beginning graduate levels.

1
Design Fundamentals

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CONTENTS

1. Educational Outcomes
2. 1.1 Introduction
3. 1.2 UAV Classifications
4. 1.3 Review of a Few Successful UAVs
   1. 1.3.1 Global Hawk
   2. 1.3.2 RQ‐1A Predator
   3. 1.3.3 MQ‐9 Predator B Reaper
   4. 1.3.4 RQ‐5A Hunter
   5. 1.3.5 RQ‐7 Shadow 200
   6. 1.3.6 RQ‐2A Pioneer
   7. 1.3.7 RQ‐170 Sentinel
   8. 1.3.8 X‐45A UCAV
   9. 1.3.9 Epson Micro‐flying Robot
5. 1.4 Design Project Planning
6. 1.5 Decision Making
7. 1.6 Design Criteria, Objectives and Priorities
8. 1.7 Feasibility Analysis
9. 1.8 Design Groups
10. 1.9 Design Process
11. 1.10 Systems Engineering Approach
12. 1.11 UAV Conceptual Design
13. 1.12 UAV Preliminary Design
14. 1.13 UAV Detail Design
15. 1.14 Design Review, Evaluation, Feedback
16. 1.15 UAV Design Steps
17. Questions

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Educational Outcomes

After study of this chapter, the reader will be able to:

1. Discuss features of current and modern Unmanned Aerial Vehicles UAVs
2. Manage a Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) design project
3. Develop UAV design requirements
4. Be familiar with the current UAS technologies
5. Be familiar with the current UAS design techniques
6. Describe UAV classifications
7. Explain design process
8. Conduct feasibility analysis
9. Organize a UAV design team
10. Describe systems engineering approach in designing UAVs
11. Conduct UAV conceptual, preliminary, and detail design phases
12. Know alternatives in a UAV configuration design
13. Analyze design reviews, evaluations, and feedbacks
14. Implement safety analysis
15. Demonstrate familiarity with contemporary issues and challenges related to UAVs
16. Learn from past UAV design lessons
17. Prepare and present a design report

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1.1 Introduction

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are remotely‐piloted or self‐piloted air vehicles that can carry payloads such as cameras, sensors, and communications equipment. All flight operations (including take‐off and landing) are performed without an on‐board human pilot. In some reports of Department of Defense (DOD), Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is preferred. In media reports, the term “drone” is utilized. The UAV mission is to perform critical flight operations without risk to personnel and more cost effectively than comparable manned system. A civilian UAV is designed to perform a particular mission at a lower cost or impact than a manned aircraft equivalent.

UAV design is essentially a branch of engineering design. Design is primarily an analytical process which is usually accompanied by drawing/drafting. Design contains its own body of knowledge that is independent of the science‐based analysis tools that is usually coupled with it. Design is a more advanced version of a problem‐solving technique that many people use routinely.

Research in UAVs has grown in interest over the past couple decades. There has been tremendous emphasis in UAVs, both of fixed and rotary wing types over the past decades. Historically, UAVs were designed to maximize endurance and range, but demands for UAV designs have changed in recent years. Applications span both civilian and military domains, the latter being the more important at this stage. Early statements about performance, operation cost, and manufacturability are highly desirable already early during the design process. Individual technical requirements have been satisfied in various prototype, demonstrator and initial production programs like Predator, Global Hawk and other international programs. The possible break‐through of UAV technology requires support from the aforementioned awareness of general UAV design requirements and their consequences on cost, operation, and performance of UAV systems.

In June 2016, the Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration finalized the first operational rules [2] for commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), opening pathways toward fully integrating UAS into the USA's airspace. These new regulations aim to harness new innovations safely, to spur job growth, advance critical scientific research and save lives. From FAR (Federal Aviation Regulations) Part 107, a small UAV is defined as the one with a weight of less than 55 lb (i.e., its mass is less than 25 kg). Please note that, Part 107 does not cover recreational applications or hobby use of small UAVs. Moreover, as given in Part 107.51(a)–(d), an sUAS can be operated only below 400 ft. Above Ground Level (i.e., local altitude), 500 ft below clouds, and must have at least three statute mile visibility.

The design principles for UAV's are similar to the principles developed over the years and used successfully for the design of manned UAV. The size of the UAV varies according to the purpose of the utility. In many cases the design and construction of UAVs face new challenges and,...