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

飞行器的耐用性在空中机动性行业和无人机操作中至关重要。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延长飞行时间至关重要。多旋翼无人机，即六角战斗机，旨在优化机动性和在城市社区有效着陆/起飞。然而，这种设计在巡航条件下效率不高，在这种情况下，无人机在倾斜角度恒定的直线上飞行。无人机的恒速和倾角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，我们引入了可展开的通用升力增强装置(ULED)的概念，其形式为固定或准固定机翼，用于多旋翼无人机。利用对非定常尾迹、机翼空气动力学和螺旋桨下洗效应的基础研究，该项目旨在开发和测试六角无人机在正常和最大工作条件下的ULED原型。该项目将先进的内部流动模型的数值模拟和风洞实验研究相结合，以优化六角飞行器上部署的ULED的设计理念。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拥有独特的技能，以及一个可操作的ULED，可以增强多旋翼无人机的升力产生。后者在空中机动性行业以及民用无人机业务中具有重大影响。该项目的最终结果是无人机的耐用性更长，这对改善加拿大北部的能源安全监测行动以及降低排放空气流动性具有重大影响。在该项目中获得的知识和开发的技术(即ULED)对可再生能源行业(风力和水轮机)、能源运输行业(管道监测)和农业行业(作物生产监测和优化)具有重要的指示意义。

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).