Application of Fixed-Wings in Multi-Rotor Drones for Additional Lift

在空中机动行业和无人机操作中，飞行器的耐用性至关重要。为此，这些系统的空气动力学效率和飞行效率对于减少阻力和提高升力以实现更长的飞行时间至关重要。多旋翼无人机，即hexacopter，是为优化机动性和在城市社区有效起降而设计的。然而，这种设计在巡航条件下效率不高，在巡航条件下，无人机以恒定的倾斜角直线飞行。无人机的恒定速度和倾斜角度都为固定翼飞机产生额外升力提供了合适的运行条件。因此，我们引入了一种可展开的通用升力增强装置（ULED）的概念，以固定或准固定翼的形式，用于多旋翼无人机。结合非定常尾迹、机翼空气动力学和螺旋桨下冲效应的基础研究，该项目旨在开发和测试六旋翼无人机在正常和最大操作条件下的原型机。该项目结合了先进的内部流动模型的数值模拟和风洞实验研究，以优化在六架直升机上部署的ule设计概念。该项目的最终成果是训练有素的工程师，他们在空气动力学、航空航天和数据分析方面具有独特的技能，以及增强多旋翼无人机升力产生的可操作ule。后者在空中机动行业以及民用无人机操作中具有重大意义。该项目的最终成果是延长无人机的耐用性，这对改善加拿大北部的能源安全监视行动以及降低排放的空中机动性具有重大影响。在该项目中获得的知识和开发的技术（即ule）对可再生能源行业（风能和水轮机），能源运输业（管道监测）和农业行业（作物生产监测和优化）具有重要意义。

The durability of aerial vehicles are essential in the air mobility industry and drones operations. To this end, the aerodynamics efficiency and flight effectiveness of these systems are crucial in reducing drag and enhancing lift towards longer flight time. Multi-rotor drones, i.e., hexacopter, are designed for optimized maneuverability and effective landing/take-off in urban communities. However, this design is not efficient in cruising conditions, in which drones fly on a straight path with a constant tilt angle. Both the constant speed and tilt angle of the drones provide a suitable operating condition for fixed-wing aircraft to generate additional lift. Thus, we introduce the concept of a deployable Universal Lift Enhancement Device (ULED), in the form of a fixed or quasi-fixed wing, for multi-rotor drones. Using a combination of fundamental studies on unsteady wakes, aerodynamics of wings, and propeller downwash effects, this project aims to develop and test a prototype for an ULED under normal and maximum operating conditions for a hexacopter drone. This project combines numerical simulations using advanced in-house flow models and experimental studies in wind tunnels to optimize the design concept of ULED for deployment on a hexacopter. The final outcome of this project is well-trained engineers with unique skills in aerodynamics, aerospace and data analysis, as well as an operational ULED that enhances lift generation in multi-rotor drones. The latter has major implications in the air mobility industry, as well as civilian drones operations. The final outcome of this project is longer durability of drones, which has major impacts on the improved energy safety surveillance operations in northern Canada as well as lower emission air mobility. The knowledge gained and technology developed in this project (i.e., ULED) has significant indications on the renewable energy industry (wind and hydro-turbines), energy transportation industry (pipeline monitoring) and agriculture industry (crop production monitoring and optimization).