WO2005025983A1 - Vehicule micro-aerien a ailes fixes - Google Patents

Vehicule micro-aerien a ailes fixes Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2005025983A1
WO2005025983A1 PCT/IB2004/002940 IB2004002940W WO2005025983A1 WO 2005025983 A1 WO2005025983 A1 WO 2005025983A1 IB 2004002940 W IB2004002940 W IB 2004002940W WO 2005025983 A1 WO2005025983 A1 WO 2005025983A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
aerial vehicle
micro aerial
vehicle according
fact
wing
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2004/002940
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Fulvia Quagliotti
Barbara Pralio
Giorgio Guglieri
Original Assignee
Politecnico Di Torino
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Politecnico Di Torino filed Critical Politecnico Di Torino
Publication of WO2005025983A1 publication Critical patent/WO2005025983A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
    • B64C5/00—Stabilising surfaces
    • B64C5/08—Stabilising surfaces mounted on, or supported by, wings
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
    • B64C23/00—Influencing air flow over aircraft surfaces, not otherwise provided for
    • B64C23/06—Influencing air flow over aircraft surfaces, not otherwise provided for by generating vortices
    • B64C23/065—Influencing air flow over aircraft surfaces, not otherwise provided for by generating vortices at the wing tips
    • B64C23/069—Influencing air flow over aircraft surfaces, not otherwise provided for by generating vortices at the wing tips using one or more wing tip airfoil devices, e.g. winglets, splines, wing tip fences or raked wingtips
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
    • B64C39/00—Aircraft not otherwise provided for
    • B64C39/10—All-wing aircraft
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U10/00—Type of UAV
    • B64U10/25—Fixed-wing aircraft
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U10/00—Type of UAV
    • B64U10/80—UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U20/00—Constructional aspects of UAVs
    • B64U20/70—Constructional aspects of the UAV body
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U30/00—Means for producing lift; Empennages; Arrangements thereof
    • B64U30/10—Wings
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U50/00—Propulsion; Power supply
    • B64U50/10—Propulsion
    • B64U50/12—Propulsion using turbine engines, e.g. turbojets or turbofans
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U2101/00—UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
    • B64U2101/30—UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications for imaging, photography or videography
    • B64U2101/31—UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications for imaging, photography or videography for surveillance
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U2201/00—UAVs characterised by their flight controls
    • B64U2201/20—Remote controls
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T50/00—Aeronautics or air transport
    • Y02T50/10—Drag reduction

Definitions

  • the present invention is related to an uninhabited micro aerial vehicle, usually defined as "MAV", namely designed for missions in which surveillance and loitering over the target area with conventional aerial vehicles is impossible or may endanger human life.
  • MAV uninhabited micro aerial vehicle
  • micro aerial vehicles Three main categories of micro aerial vehicles are generally identified according to the mechanism adopted for the generation of lift: fixed, rotary and flapping wing.
  • the fixed wing configuration was adopted for the present case as a result of a miniaturization process of larger scale conventional aircraft extensively used for similar missions and produced for both civil and military applications.
  • Micro aerial vehicles are substantially limited in their overall dimensions as a requisite for minimal visual and environmental interference.
  • the design is intended to maximize the payload with a limited wing loading due to the need for low speed cruise combined with high manueverability in turning flight.
  • the performances of the vehicle are substantially influenced by wing loading and aerodynamic lift, which are defined after sizing the wing surface and tuning the aerodynamic design in terms of airfoil and wing planform.
  • the fixed wing configuration is able to achieve the best useful weight fraction when compared with rotary and flapping wing design.
  • the payload is strictly related to mission: optical sensors, bio-chemical transducers, micro-cameras or other specific electronic devices.
  • the extension of payload achieved by a fixed wing platform enhances the possibility to perform successfully different or multi-purpose missions which are not feasible for rotary and flapping wing micro aerial vehicles.
  • the designer must overcome several additional technical problems typical of micro aerial vehicles which arise from unconventional low speed aerodynamics, critical selection of propulsion system, uncertain prediction of in-flight stability and control, indoor/outdoor testing of prototypes.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a solution that may be manufactured with a limited effort or complexity, while enabling adequate useful volumes for payload and onboard systems and stable in trimmed flight and controllable during maneuvers.
  • this object is achieved by a fixed wing micro aerial vehicle such as set forth in the appended main claim. Additional advantageous features of the micro aerial vehicle are defined in the sub-claims.
  • micro aerial vehicle such as claimed is unique, thanks to its specific characteristics, such as the singular architecture of the configuration and the aerodynamic design of the vehicle.
  • the design presented is modular, and it can also fly with or without fuselage.
  • Different propulsion systems can be adapted (electric motor or internal combustion engine, even derived from aeromodels or off-the-shelf products).
  • One or more propellers can be installed in push or pull operating mode. Gliding flight is also possible without a propulsion system installed onboard or simply turning off the throttle control.
  • the micro aerial vehicle according to the present invention can perform level flight with a limited power consumption due to its minimal drag penalty.
  • the wing loading can be extended up to 25 g/dm 2 without compromising in-flight handling qualities.
  • the platform is limited in terms of wing planform size (wing span variable from 150 mm to 300 mm and more) always providing an adequate payload. This last remarkable feature is obtained after careful selection of aircraft architecture, wing section, aspect and fineness ratio, flap-chord ratio, wing aerodynamics, static stability/margin and onboard distribution of sub-components.
  • the invention is able to overcome the typical limitations of slow flying platforms developed by aeromodelers, which are unable to carry a payload in an outdoor range in presence of gusts.
  • the solution presented can fly at higher speeds (up to 10 m/s and more) and reach waypoints quite displaced from the take-off mark, from which derives the ability to operate over a wider distance with the useful payload required to accomplish the mission.
  • the configuration is also designed to be wind resistant.
  • the configuration according to the invention is designed to fly at low Reynolds numbers, so that the effects of size on aerodynamics were minimized down to reduced wingspan (lower than 300 mm) without compromising stall performances or degrading flying qualities.
  • the drawings show a suggested example for the configuration of the micro aerial vehicle which is based on a low aspect ratio allwing planform 1 , which is substantially trapezoidal, composed by two semi-wings 2 with their leading edges oriented according to the geometric sweep angle (approximately 30 deg).
  • a fixed vertical fin 3 is located outboard of each semi-wing 2 as a stabilizer for lateral- directional stability.
  • Aircraft control is obtained by means of elevons 4 installed on the semi-wings 2. Mixing of the elevons is adopted in order to control both longitudinal and lateral in-flight displacements of the vehicle.
  • the wing is provided with an airfoil designed for low Reynolds number flight: as an example semi-wings can be equipped with SD7003 airfoil while the vertical fins with symmetrical NACA0009 wing section. In any case, different wing sections can be selected, and even symmetrical airfoils can be used for the semi-wings, with the aim of simplifying the geometry for production or increasing useful volume for payload storage or improve performances in reverse flight/aerobatics.
  • the wing 1 is a platform for payload storage that can also include a GPS receiver, a datalink receiver/transmitter, different types of antennas, one or more videocamera with transmitter for video downlink, sensors and transducers, control and navigation systems, similar electronics or instruments.
  • the vertical fins 3 can be used to host antennas or electronics.
  • the platform 1 composed by the two semi-wings 2 can directly support by means of a mechanical interface the propulsive system, usually based on an electric motor or an internal combustion engine.
  • a fuselage can be used as a fairing for propulsion and payload 5 aligned with the root chord of the semi-wings.
  • the extension and the longitudinal position of the fuselage may vary according to application case and propeller installation (push or pull).
  • the example presented shows a tractive installation for the propeller 6.
  • the size of the propeller is defined in order to obtain an adequate propulsive efficiency. Multiple propellers and different installations can be adopted with either push or pull mode.
  • the propulsion system can be removed and operated in gliding flight, as the micro aerial vehicle can be carried in flight and released from a larger similar vehicle or an aeromodel or an aircraft.
  • Onboard systems (RC receiver for remote control, servo-actuators for the deflection of elevons, batteries for voltage supply, propulsion system control) are hosted in the fuselage 5 or within the wing section 1.
  • micro aerial vehicle The dimensions of the micro aerial vehicle are summarized by way of example in the following table:
  • the micro aerial vehicle can be produced with different wingspan according to application (wingspan from 150 mm to 300 mm, and more) with take-off weight from 60 g to 165 g, and even more for larger wingspan.
  • the flight airspeed ranges from 10 m/s to 15 m/s, even if slower flight is also possible depending on wing loading.
  • Mission profiles and fields of application of the invention do not overlap with those provided by any conventional aircraft, even in larger scale.
  • the considered micro aerial vehicle can be applied to several operating cases with configuration changes that require minimal design complexity.
  • the design of the invention is also modular and it can operated with interchangeable components according to operational and environmental requirements.
  • the fuselage can also be removed to minimize drag penalty for endurance or depending on payload geometry.
  • the propulsion system can also be switched between push and pull propeller mode when necessary i.e. to minimize aerodynamic or acustic interference with sensors hosted in the fuselage.
  • the experimental activity performed by the inventors has also demonstrated that the combined selection of architecture, airfoils, geometric ratios has produced an advantage in terms of performances, when a comparison is made with similar traditional fixed wing micro aerial vehicles.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)

Abstract

Véhicule micro-aérien à ailes fixes caractérisé en ce qu'il comporte une plate-forme d'aile volante (1) constituée de deux demi-ailes (2) à faible allongement et à forme en plan sensiblement trapézoïdale, équipées d'élevons (4) le long de leur bord de fuite et de plans fixes verticaux extérieurs (3) assurant la stabilité directionnelle latérale.
PCT/IB2004/002940 2003-09-15 2004-09-10 Vehicule micro-aerien a ailes fixes WO2005025983A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITTO2003A000702 2003-09-15
IT000702A ITTO20030702A1 (it) 2003-09-15 2003-09-15 Microvelivolo ad ala fissa

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2005025983A1 true WO2005025983A1 (fr) 2005-03-24

Family

ID=34308152

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IB2004/002940 WO2005025983A1 (fr) 2003-09-15 2004-09-10 Vehicule micro-aerien a ailes fixes

Country Status (2)

Country Link
IT (1) ITTO20030702A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2005025983A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2010070631A1 (fr) * 2008-12-16 2010-06-24 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Véhicule aérien sans pilote présentant une configuration aérodynamique améliorée
JP2023504967A (ja) * 2019-08-26 2023-02-08 ランドール エアロダイナミック エンジニアリング、グアンジョウ、エルエルシー 可変スパン翼と関連する航空機

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6565041B1 (en) * 2001-12-27 2003-05-20 Lockheed Martin Corporation Parachute assembly for a miniature aircraft

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6565041B1 (en) * 2001-12-27 2003-05-20 Lockheed Martin Corporation Parachute assembly for a miniature aircraft

Non-Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
"IAI REVEALS DETAILS OF MICRO UAV", FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, REED BUSINESS INFORMATION, HAYWARDS HEATH, GB, vol. 165, no. 4927, 30 March 2004 (2004-03-30), pages 15, XP001190221, ISSN: 0015-3710 *
HUAI-YU WU ET AL: "Micro air vehicle. architecture and implementation", PROCEDINGS OF THE 2003 IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION, vol. 1, 14 September 2003 (2003-09-14), pages 534 - 539, XP010667342 *
WARWICK G: "USA SEEKS INTEREST IN ANTI-TERROR ACTDS", FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, REED BUSINESS INFORMATION, HAYWARDS HEATH, GB, vol. 161, no. 4822, 18 March 2002 (2002-03-18), pages 30, XP001077131, ISSN: 0015-3710 *

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2010070631A1 (fr) * 2008-12-16 2010-06-24 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Véhicule aérien sans pilote présentant une configuration aérodynamique améliorée
US8905358B2 (en) 2008-12-16 2014-12-09 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Unmanned aerial vehicle having an improved aerodynamic configuration
JP2023504967A (ja) * 2019-08-26 2023-02-08 ランドール エアロダイナミック エンジニアリング、グアンジョウ、エルエルシー 可変スパン翼と関連する航空機

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITTO20030702A1 (it) 2005-03-16

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